20th Anniversary of the Polish American Cultural Center & Museum in Philadelphia 1981-2001Brief History and Mission
The Polish American Cultural Center was founded in February, 1981, by leaders of the Polish American Social Services who felt that, in addition to addressing the human service needs of he community, it would also be beneficial to organize a separate entity not to compete with other organizations, but to promote public awareness and appreciation of Polish history and culture to the community at large through the establishment of a permanent cultural exhibit.
From 1981 to 1986 the Center was located at 24th and Brown Streets in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. During that time it became evident that a larger, more centrally located facility would be necessary to meet the long-range mission and goals of the cultural center. In 1986 the search began for a building that would allow an exhibit hall and its related activities to function under one roof.
In 1987 the Cultural Center acquired 308 Walnut Street in the heart of historic Philadelphia and opened a permanent Museum Exhibit Hali. Since that time the Exhibit Hali has been open to the general public 300 days each year and has become a focal point of Polish American activities.
Mission
The mission of the Polish American Cultural Center is to capture and memorialize the spirit of an ethnic culture and to promote public awareness and appreciation of Polish history and cultural heritage to the broadest audience possible. The objective of the Museum Exhibit Hali, a major project of the Cultural Center, is to provide programs and exhibits open to the general public featuring the contributions of Poles and Polish Americans to U.S. and world history and culture in such areas as scientific, artistic, musical, political, religious and military achievement.
The importance of memorializing an ethnic cultural heritage:
Personal pride and self-esteem are largely rooted in an understanding and appreciation of one's historical and ethnic past. Unquestionably, awareness of one's ethnic and cultural heritage uplifts and enriches the human spirit. America represents the world's unique, most extensive experiment in ethnic and racial co-existence. As Americans, we can certainly strive to be one and proud, yet we should also acknowledge the varying ethnic heritages of which we can also be proud.
The Board, Staff and Volunteers of the Polish American Cultural Center welcome all to visit the Center and its Museum Exhibit Hall.
From: Polish American News, February 2001