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American Council for Polish Culture

ACPC Concludes its 77th Convention in Buffalo - July 30 to August 2, 2025

by Peter J. Obst

ACPC Conventioneers at the Richardson Olmsted Campus in Buffalo, New York, a designated National Historic Landmark
and one of Buffalo's architectural treasures. (photo by Barbara Lemecha)

This year the annual convention of the American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC) was organized by the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo NY, under the theme: Art and Architecture. It was held from July 30 to August 2 at the M Hotel in Cheektowaga. The opening ceremonies included a color guard of children from the local Polish Saturday school who sang the national anthems under the direction of principal Mira Szramel. Fr. Cole Webster gave the invocation and ACPC president Cecilia Larkin welcomed all participants. The keynote speaker was the Honorable Carl Bucki, Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Western NY. He recounted the Polish contribution to American history and also the input Poles had to the culture and the building of Buffalo. A proclamation from the Mayor of Buffalo Christopher P. Scanlon was read, followed by a short video presentation on the city. Soprano Laura Kafka closed the morning session with a beautiful rendition of Czerwony Pas.

Three members of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia (PHSP) represented their ACPC affiliate: Peter J. Obst, president of PHSP; Deborah "Debbie" Majka, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland for SE Pennsylvania; and Edward Krolikowski, chair of the ACPC Revolutionary War 250 Committee.

During the business meetings that followed, discussions included changes to the ACPC constitution and bylaws, the scope of scholarships granted by the ACPC, ongoing development of its website (www.polishcultureacpc.org), and this year's program for the National Conference for the Social Studies (NCSS), a teachers' convention, where the ACPC hosts a themed booth Polish Perspectives. John Cebrowski, from the Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria, reported on the six new organizational members who joined the ACPC in the past year.

Elections for officers in the organization were held and Cecilia Larkin was elected to a second term as president. The new executive committee includes: Mark Szpak 1st vice-president; John Cebrowski 2nd vice-president; Tom Payne treasurer; and Rose Kobylinski recording secretary.

To experience the cultural essence of Buffalo the participants made two tours. During the first day, after a presentation on Polish artists by father and son art restorers Henry and Brett Swiatek, the group visited the AKG Art Museum after lunch at the Terrace Restaurant in Delaware Park. The museum was a surprise to the visitors, as within the walls of its classical and modern buildings are some exemplary works by famous artists including: Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Amedeo Modigliani, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Frida Kahlo, Claude Monet and others. The second stop was the Church of the Assumption where in the presbytery are located five beautiful sgraffito works by Jozef Slawinski, Scenes from the Life of the Blessed Virgin, (1963).

On the following day the group went on a double-decker bus tour of Buffalo's significant buildings. The city had its greatest expansion in the mid-1920s, before the Great Depression, when it became home to many art deco and other architectural gems. In addition, several conventioneers took side trips to see the Wilcox Mansion where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House.

This year's awards banquet mcee'd by local radio personality Andy Golembiowski was held in the Fillmore Room at the hotel. Receiving awards were the following:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Irene Harzewski
Distinguished Service Award: Judge Carl L. Bucki, Maestro JoAnn Falletta
Cultural Achievement Award: Sophie Hodorowicz Knab, Dr. Thomas Witakowski
Jan DeRosen Award (father and son): Henry J. Swiatek, Brett Swiatek
Founders Award: Frances Pudlo

A special appreciation was shown for the recently deceased Jacqueline "Jadzia" Kolowski, a past Founders Award recipient and sister of ACPC president Cecilia Larkin. A long time activist in the ACPC, feisty but always dedicated to the organization's goals, she will be very much missed at our future events.

The convention concluded with the traditional musical concert performance at Canisius University's Montante Center, a de-sanctified church converted for musical performances. Guest artist, composer and classical guitarist, James Piorkowski, Professor Emeritus at SUNY, began the program. The Polish Arts Club of Buffalo invited his return engagement on its 80th Anniversary. James presented a number of his original compositions for solo guitar from his albums Sentient Music and In the Shadows of Winter's Moon.

The featured performer was Jules Furgal, a Mezzo-Soprano from Chicago, winner of this year's the Marcella Kochanska Sembrich National Vocal Competition. In addition to being featured in this recital, Jules received a $3,500 scholarship which will be used toward a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance at Northwestern University. Accompanist for the recital was Ivan Docenko, a well known pianist, accompanist and versatile musician in Western New York.

Everyone agreed that this was a very well organized and productive convention. Our thanks to Robert Fronckowiak, president of the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, who with his club members made every effort to make the convention run smoothly.

Next year's ACPC convention is scheduled to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania over August 12-15, 2026, the year of the American Semiquincentennial, and will be hosted by the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia. Its theme will be connected to Polish contributions in the American Revolutionary War. Additional information may be found on the website: www.poles.org/PHSP/Convention

PHOTOGRAPHS

Children from the local Polish Saturday school sang the national anthems under the direction of principal Mira Szramel (on left)
(photo by Mark Szpak)

Posters line the wall of the convention conference room (photo by Peter Obst)

Robert Fronckowiak (right) introduces Judge Carl Bucki
(photo by Peter Obst)

The five beautiful sgraffito works by Jozef Slawinski, Scenes from the Life of the Blessed Virgin, (1963) at the Church of the Assumption.
(photo by Peter Obst)

(l. to r.) Ivan Docenko, Jules Furgal (Marcella Kochanska Sembrich National Vocal Competition winner), Cecilia and Richard Larkin,
Magdalena Wór, Laura Kafka, Jaroslaw Golembiowski (photo by Mark Szpak)

(l. to. r.) Peter J. Obst, Mark Szpak, singer Jules Furgal, Edward Krolikowski, Hon. Consul of the RP Deborah "Debbie" Majka.
(photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Edward Krolikowski presents on ACPC plans for the American Semiquincentennial
(photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Polish Heritage Dancers folk group performs traditional Polonaise at the Awards Banquet
(photo by Mark Szpak)

The newly elected ACPC executive committee and board members: (l. to r.) John Cebrowski, Mary Lou Wyrobek, Rose Kobylinski, Judge Carl Bucki,
Debbie Majka, Tom Payne, Cecilia Larkin, Cecilia Glembocki, Mark Szpak, Margaret Butler, Peter Obst, Lilia Kieltyka
(photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Debbie Majka presents on the proposed ACPC Convention in 2026 hosted by the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia.
(photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Double decker bus used for the Buffalo Architectural Tour.
(photo by Peter Obst)

On the upper deck of the bus used for the Buffalo Architectural Tour.
(photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Robert Fronckowiak President of the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo (photo by Barbara Lemecha)

Cecilia Larkin President of the American Council for Polish Culture (photo by Barbara Lemecha)

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