Canada-US friendship was recently celebrated at a ball at which the special guest was Lech Wałęsa. At first glance, this may seem a surprising mix but, on closer examination, bringing together three countries long known for their strong defense of freedom and human rights is the most natural thing in the world.
The event was the annual Polonaise Ball, held this year at the elegant Surf Club in Miami Beach on February 4, 2011, and organized by the Miami-based American Institute for Polish Culture (AIPC). The Institute’s founder and president, Blanka Rosenstiel, the well-known philanthropist and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Miami, established AIPC in 1972 with two objectives in mind: first to share with her fellow Americans the rich cultural heritage of her native Poland, and to support cultural, educational and artistic endeavors of Polish Americans.
Lech Wałęsa, whose role in the leadership of Poland’s Solidarity movement that lead to the peaceful overthrow of Soviet tyranny placed him among the ranks of the most deserving of Nobel Peace Prize winners, and who was subsequently elected the first president of an independent and free Poland, needs no further introduction. He is, by nature, a man who unites people of good will, and his was an iconic presence at an event linking three countries long known for their commitment to liberty and democratic ideals.
Mrs. Rosenstiel’s philanthropies include a wide range of programs that benefit both the Polish American community and Americans in general. Through AIPC, Mrs. Rosenstiel has endowed the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish history at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC and also a Polish lecture series at the University of Virginia. The AIPC also grants the Harriet Isray Scholarship annually to undergraduate students in any field and to graduate students whose thesis is on a Polish subject.
In 1977, Mrs. Rosenstiel established The Chopin Foundation of the United States, which, while celebrating Poland’s premier composer, also supports talented American artists through performance opportunities, master classes, international exchange programs, scholarships and grants. The National Chopin Piano Competition, held every five years in Miami, is one of the most important events for the most talented young American pianists providing the finalists with an opportunity to attend the International Piano competition in Warsaw as well as arranging a 20-concert tour for the winner.
Apart from these formally established programs, AIPC also sponsors a great many artistic and educational events at universities and within the greater American community. Through film presentations, exhibits, lectures, music and publishing, AIPC ensures that Polish culture is visible and well integrated into the mainstream of American life.
This year’s Polonaise Ball, with its Canadian dimension, was yet another way for AIPC to expand the Polish network across North America. Apart from the immensely popular President Wałęsa, the evening was graced by the presence of the Polish Ambassador to the United States, Robert Kupiecki, and the Consul Peter Taylor representing Canadian Consul-General Louise L. Leger. Several Canadians were honored for their work towards raising the profile of the Polish community not only in Canada but also in North America.
Renowned soprano Maria Knapik received a Gold Medal Award for promoting Polish music and for her international success; actress, artistic director and co-founder of a Polish theatre in Toronto now in its 20th year, Maria Nowotarska, was also a recipient of the Gold Medal Award; founding director of the international Polish studies program, Poland in the Rockies, Tony Muszynski received special recognition; and writer, editor, curriculum director of Poland in the Rockies and founder of The Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies in Montreal, Irene Tomaszewski received the Lech Wałęsa Media Award for promoting Poland in North American media, from Lech Wałęsa himself.
It was an unusual, elegant, and joyful tri-national celebration of Polishness hosted by the inimitable doyenne of Polish philanthropy, Blanka Rosenstiel, and honored by the presence of the much-admired and completely unassuming Lech Wałęsa. CR
Photos, top to bottom:
1. Irene Tomaszewski receives the Lech Walesa Media Award in recognition of her “dissemination of information about Poland, Polish history and culture in the mainstream media” in Miami, in February 2011.
2. Tony Muszynski, Maria Knapik, Blanka Rosenstiel, Maria Nowotarska, Irene Tomaszewski
