ACPC board members were most grateful for the wonderful hospitality extended to them by the Club members. Pres. Mlynarski, Aundrea, and Sandra picked up some of the ACPC members at the distant (one hour trip) airport and even returned some to the airport at 5:00 A.M. Sunday morning. Such grand Polish hospitality!
The Board meeting wasn’t scheduled to begin until 7:00 P.M., so the members who arrived early had time on their hands. Well, our thoughtful hosts promptly took care of that with an unscheduled visit to the famous Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown where we enjoyed a guided tour through many spacious galleries. Joseph G. Butler, Jr. acquired masterpieces and established the Institute, which bears his name. The Butler Institute collection grew in stature and size. Butler’s grandson, Joseph G. Butler III succeeded his grandfather and guided the Institute as its director for over fifty years. Young Butler focused on buying only the best creations of famous artists.
One of the many outstanding paintings that drew everyone’s attention was John Singleton Copley’s “Mrs. Daniel Rea & Child”. Copley demonstrates here an aptitude of portraying children with exceptional sensitivity. In this work, he portrays deep affection between mother and child as revealed in the delighted gaze of the child towards her mother as the child’s tiny hand playfully grasps her mother’s thumb. The large 49″x39″ painting speaks volumes about love between a child and mother.
Another painting that drew our full attention was Jackson Pollock’s 20″x15″ “Silver and Black”. He created this work at the height of his most creative abstract period. The Institute received the “Silver and Black” painting as a gift from William & Linda Raemer. The work has been estimated at a value of well over one million dollars.
We were entranced by a scene from President George Washington’s wedding painted by Junius Brutus Stearns. The painting was signed and dated in 1849. Stearns made it known that he regarded Washington as one of America’s greatest subjects of admiration and worthy of appreciation.
Last but not least, we came across the work of Benjamin West, 1738-1820. In 1783 he painted the beautiful “Sepulchre”. West depicts three women arriving at Jesus’ tomb, carrying spices and ointments. He used his knowledge of Italian painters’ color techniques as shown in the very green landscape, the orange and yellow in Magdalene’s dress, and by the radiance surrounding and covering the very bright Angel. We were held spellbound by the very vibrant portrayal of the three Mary’s at Jesus’ tomb.
The very large Butler Institute of American Art housing a great many sizeable beautiful and very valuable paintings is indeed a very informative and inspiring museum to visit. It gives the Polish Americans of Youngstown a never ending opportunity for visits to demonstrate and express their deep appreciation of the exceptional profound art on display at the famous Institute, whilst learning and being inspired by the creativity of art geniuses.
That evening President Debra Majka brought the Fall Board Meeting to order, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. The Youngstown PAC President Mary Ann Mlynarski greeted the ACPC members enthusiastically and outlined the fabulous program designed to inform them of the vital historical Polish American contributions made by past and present families who settled in the Youngstown area. It began Friday evening after the ACPC Board had wound up its business session with a “Taste of Valley Reception”, with tables laden with tasty dishes, deserts and wines.
Saturday, the Board concluded its business sessions. Then the Polish Youngstown Club led us off on a whirlwind fantastic program, which lasted well into the evening.
It began with a delicious lunch at the lovely Poland Public Library. There we enjoyed a video lecture by sculptor Tom Antonishak and a discussion about Polish Youngstown’s challenging yet successful effort to relocate their Polish Veterans monument to nearby Peterson Park. We visited Peterson Park, the home of the only known statue that depicts Generals Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski together. The ACPC members gathered around this beautiful work of art depicting our beloved Polish heroes honoring their presence in this splendid park.
Pres. Majka laid a lovely wreath offered by the ACPC at the base of this distinctive monument.
From there we passed the former Polish community stronghold and the only Polish parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka, on our way to enjoy the autumn beauty in magnificent Mill Creek Park. Established in 1891 as the first park district in Ohio, it now offers visitors more than 4,400 acres of public lands – three times the size of Central Park in NY City.
The next stop was the famous “Steel Museum” where a docent tour gave us a dramatic overview of the iron and steel industry and its impact on the labor movement, urban cities and immigration trends. It was followed up with a presentation by Bill Lawson, Director, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, who painted a picture of the industry and labor movement that attracted immigrant families to the Youngstown area.
Across the street is St. Columba Cathedral where at the end of October the Club was scheduled to dedicate the new Shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa. We were met there by the Shrine project chair for a brief tour of the church and then enjoyed reserved places of honor in the pews and participated gratefully in the 5:30 Mass. Dinner followed, bringing the weekend board meeting to a pleasant end.
ACPC President Deborah Majka expressed the Council’s deepest and most sincere thanks to President Mary Ann Mlynarski and Aundrea Heschmeyer for organizing such a thoroughly enjoyable event with the diligent help of many of its Club’s members. Aundrea also rounded up her dynamic sisters, Cynthia and Sandra Cika to assist from start to finish. Board members were most grateful to Pres. Mlynarski and the Polish Arts Club for the wonderful hospitality extended These sincere feelings bring to mind the Polish traditional Polish saying “Gosc w domu, Bog w domu”. We certainly felt the Good Lord’s presence about us as we thoroughly enjoyed the Polish hospitality presented to us by members of the Polish Arts Club of Youngstown. Do milego zobaczenia!
Readers who may be interested in the Polish American activities and programs of the national American Council for Polish Culture are invited to contact Florence Langridge at 860-521-4034 or [email protected]. Further information is available on the Council’s website www.polishcultureacpc.org. Membership fee is only $10 annually. Join us – your life will be intellectually stimulated and even more enjoyable!
By Jo Louise Winters, PR Chair