Polish Weekly - Alicja Karlic

23/06/2025

Anne Paddy, Tamara de Lempicka collector and "La Belle Rafaëla" -"Piękna Rafaela"
This photo was taken at the Muzeum Narodowe in Krakow in 2022 at their exhibition "Tamara Łempicka" which was on view from October 2022 through March 2023. The painting was last shown at the US exhibitions of Tamara de Lempicka at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the Museum of Fine arts Houston before it was sent to Sotheby's to be sold tomorrow.
More information about the painting, how it was created, it's history and how Sir Tim Rice came to own it is in Anne Paddy's book "Tamara de Lempicka Behind the Scenes" or the Polish version "Tamara Łempicka Za Kulisami" published by BOSZ publishing. Mrs. Paddy just returned from Poland from a Lempicka research trip to Krakow, Lublin and Warsaw and also for the Polish premiere of "The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka and the Art of Survival" a new documentary that she is in which premiered at the Kino Teatre in Krakow last month. Anne also did some filming and voice overs for a Polish documentary which is set to be released in the next year.
Tamara keeps us busy, said Anne Paddy.
Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Alicja

23/06/2025

Showcasing leaders who make an impact is always inspiring. Today we present Henrietta Nowakowski, one of the Piast Institute’s 25 Leaders.
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Henrietta Nowakowski is the product of 12 years of Felician Sisters’ schooling where Polish heritage was strongly emphasized. Her parents were pre-World War 1 immigrants, both coming from the Austro-Hungarian province of Lviv (Lwów).
Henrietta graduated from Wayne State University’s College of Pharmacy and has practiced in hospital, clinic and community settings. She has volunteered at [HN1] World Medica! Relief, a local charity of international scope and has traveled to Poland with Americares, delivering medica! supplies. Her Polonian life started with membership in the Polish Falcons of America, where she has been a member since early childhood, and where she has held offices at the local and state level. This organization awarded her with its Silver Meda! of the Legion of Honor.
Henrietta became involved with the American Council for Polish Culture’s Detroit affiliate, Friends of Polish Art, in 1978 and has served that group in many capacities. Her involvement with ACPCC (as it was named then) began in 1987 when she and her husband Stanley {now deceased) chaired the convention banquet in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She continued to serve on ACPC’s board in various elected and appointed capacities, and most notably co-chaired, with Barbara Lemecha, the Polish Exhibits at the National Conferences for the Social Studies for 6 years. Her main project while representing ACPC was in-depth research into the identity of the first Poles in the Jamestown Virginia Colony. That search to find primary sources is ongoing. She received ACPC’s Lifetime Achievement Award for this work.
Henrietta was a national director representing the Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress (PAC). Among her projects connected with PAC was indexing Anna Poray’s book Those Who Risked Their Lives and promoting and distributing the video Zegota narrated by actor Eli Wallach.
Perhaps the most significant of her projects is the one concluded recently and which commemorates the forgotten Blue Army (Błekitna Armia) Veterans buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in suburban Detroit. She considers this her most memorable achievement, for which she was awarded the Gold Meda! Republicae Memoriae Meritum by Poland’s lnstitute of National Remembrance. She was also acknowledged by the Polish Government with the Cavalier’s Cross and its Combatants Department’s medal Pro Patria. The Polish Army Veterans’ Association of America presented her with Miecze Hallerowskie and Medal Pamiątkowy Czynu Zbrojnego.
She owes this sense of commitment to community to her parents who were intensely involved in every phase of Detroit and national Polonia. Of course, none of the aforementioned projects would hove been achieved without the help of many individuals and she is grateful for that.
Henrietta is most proud of her daughter Maria Conrado, son-in-law Zoltan and grandsons Tadeusz and Mateusz.

23/06/2025

Painted in 1927 when Lempicka was at the peak of her powers, La Belle Rafaëla has been described by critics as “one of the most remarkable nudes of the century” and “the highest achievement of the painter’s career.”

An iconic work, considered one of the greatest by Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka, is expected to fetch up to £9 million (€10 million) when it is auctioned in London.

Read more: https://tvpworld.com/87426103/

23/06/2025

Breaking news from Poland

🔴 : SBU: Assassination attempt on Zelenskyy foiled at Rzeszów Airport

23/06/2025

News from Poland

Culture minister Hanna Wróblewska said it is not possible to save everything.

23/06/2025

News from Poland

23/06/2025

Today’s Corpus Christi/Boże Ciało Holy Mass at St. Florian Church in Hamtramck was followed by a traditional procession outside the church to four altars specially built for this occasion on the parish property. The mass was celebrated, and the procession was led by Father Tomasz Gutowski from the Toruń Archdiocese in Poland. St. Florian’s choir and a brass band provided a splendid setting for the festivities which, despite hot weather, were attended by many parishioners and guests.

The participation of six hussars, dressed in traditional Polish attire with long guns, also added to the beauty and poignancy of the event. Both Polish and English were used during the celebration.

After the procession everyone was invited to the church hall for coffee where the parishioners had an opportunity to talk to Father Gutowski, who arrived in Hamtramck just a few days ago, and is going to stay at St. Florian parish for a month. It was Father Gutowski’s second Corpus Christi celebration this year; the first one was in Poland last Thursday.

Text and photos: Alina Klin

22/06/2025

Showcasing leaders who make an impact is always inspiring. Today we present Kristi Mihalic.

My name is Kristi Mihalic. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Central Michigan University and graduated with honors from the University of Detroit Mercy with a...

21/06/2025

21/06/2025

Showcasing leaders who make an impact is always inspiring. Today we present Konrad Maziarz.

I am an Assessor of the City of Hamtramck and have worked in City Hall since 2017. Before working in City Hall, I worked for nearly 15 years at the...

21/06/2025

The 43rd Annual American Polish Festival & Craft Show, organized by the American Polish Century Club started last night, and will run through Sunday, June 22.

People come to the festival to listen to music, have some Polish food and beer, hang out with friends but also to enjoy performances by our local Polish folk-dance groups.
The opening day of the festival belonged to Gerry Kaminski & Polka Network, the Polish Muslims band and to the Wawel Folk Ensemble, which this year celebrates its 60th birthday. On Friday evening the Wawel dancers with energy, joy and artistry performed the krakowiak, the Łowicz and Żywiec dances, to finish with an exuberant polka. Donna Skurski, Wawel director and choreographer, announced the dances and between them talked about the history of the group as well. She also recognized many Wawel alumni present at the concert. In 1965 Marcia Lewandowski and Richard Kubinski created Wawel, which became the first metropolitan Detroit Polish American adult dance group, and a part of yesterday’s beautiful Wawel performance was a tribute to Marcia, who died last year.

Three more dance groups - PRCUA Opole, PRCUA Halka and PRCUA Zakopane - will perform today (Saturday), while on Sunday PRCUA Zajączek Dance Ensemble, which this year also celebrates its twentieth anniversary, will entertain the festival guests.

Arnie Beller, the festival chair, who with a group of dedicated people works very hard to put on the festival, also personally curates the festival music. For many years if it is Friday, you can count on the Polish Muslims performing, and they always bring their fans to this popular Sterling Heights festival. Polka bands, however, are different each year. This year’s line up includes Gerry Kaminski & Polka Network, Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push, and The New Brass Express. In addition, on Saturday evening there will be something for country music lovers, a performance by the Joey Vee Band.

The opening of the festival was attended by Sterling Heights city officials, among them councilwoman Barbara Ziarko, who read the proclamation of the city of Sterling Heights making Friday the day honoring the Festival’s Princess, Camillia Matyszewski, Saturday the day of the Festival Queen, Elise Lubiarz, and Sunday the day of Marissa Harenski, another Festival Princess. The festival royalties were thrilled to hear it and promptly assumed their duties by mingling with the audience and posing for pictures.

Eating gołąbki, pierogi, city chicken and potato pancakes never grows old, neither hanging out with friends and having good time, even if the weather is not perfect. More attractions are planned for today! On Sunday there will be a Polka Mass at 12 featuring The New Brass Express, and at 3 pm a Pierogi Eating Challenge, during which the fearless competitors will try to outeat each other consuming Środek’s cheese and potato pierogi. It is only 10 minutes, so no worries, no harm will be done, and the winners will take home trophies and handsome checks.
The proceeds from the festival fund the operations of the American Polish Century Club including their long-standing scholarship program. We would like to acknowledge and thank the American Polish Century Club for granting $14,000 in scholarships this year.

Text and photos: Alina Klin