The 30-Year Anniversary of Helena Modrzejewska Art and Culture Club in Los
Angeles

  By Jadwiga Inglis

    The Helena Modjeska Art and Culture Club in Los Angeles celebrated its
thirty-year anniversary in grand fashion, on February 9, 2002, at Lakeside
Golf Club in Burbank, California.
    During the program, Mr. Edward Pilatowicz and Mr. Tadeusz Bocianski
warmly welcomed all the guests and gave a brief history of the club's
existence.  The president of the Club, Jolanta Zych, and the board of
directors were much admired for their hard work consuming much of their free
time to make the events very interesting. During Jolanta Zych's presidency,
the club achieved great success and received many compliments from
distinguished visitors. Mrs. Jolanta Zych has great organizational talent.
Respectfully, she represents the Helena Modrzejewska club.
  Honorable members of the club and friends to us all, Consul Roman Czarny
and President of the Club Mrs. Jolanta Zych, officially opened the program
and thanked the sponsors Ms. Helena and Stanley Kolodziej, Mrs and mr. Lenna
and Jerzy Wagner, Mrs and Mr. Anna and Joseph Kane, and Polam Credit Union.
    Mrs. Jolanta Zych read a letter of high recognition and congratulation
sent from well known Actor Jan Englert.
  Consul Roman Czarny and Mrs. Jolanta Zych reminded us about many great Club
moments and time spent with friends, enriched by visitors from Poland and Los
Angeles who presented their accomplishments and artistic experiences in a
very warm and personal style.
    Well-known Polish actress Grazyna Szapolowska, and Los Angeles actor
Peter Lucas (Piotr Andrzejewski) sang several songs and enriched the 30-year
anniversary program and ball before the dinner and wine was served.
  The tables were decorated with beautiful flowers, elegant guests were
moving on parquet in a Jazz atmosphere.  The Karen Hammack Quartet played
music to dance until 1:00 am - with singer Cathy Segal-Garcia.
  The local medias were present: The News of Polonia, Glos-The Voice,
Vip-HighLife.  TV Polonia from Warsaw was filming the Anniversary Ball.
    The Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska) Art and Culture Club in Los Angeles
Area hosts artistic and educational special events cultivating proper Polish
Language, high culture and the arts in Southern California.  Participants
and guests celebrate elegant evenings in private beautiful residencies of club
members.  This tradition has continued monthly for thirty years.  From 120
to 150 members and guests gather for such events, to welcome great Polish film
directors, actors, composers, musicians, writers, or other distinguished
awarded Polish individuals including club members who share their creative
work accomplishments or many other talents.  Often films accompany those
evenings, as well as slide reviews, music concerts, or poetry presentations.
Recently the club members presented and performed the Play "Pastoralka" of
Leon Schiller in the Magicopolis Theater in Santa Monica. The performers and
scenographers did really wonderful work bringing alive Schiller's biblical
adaptation, memorizing their lines, and preparing themselves interesting
decorations and well designed costumes. The audience loved it. The play was
lent from the Atheneum Teater from Warsaw by Jan Englert, who performed St.
Nicholas "Swiey Mikolaj" -- a one person play presented last year in Los Angeles.
    Modrzejewska Club, affiliated with the American Counsel of Polish
Cultural Clubs and Polish American Congress, also has sponsored many worthy
causes and support Polish and Polish American Artists in the USA.
  The gatherings in private beautiful residencies help create community
awareness, many long lasting friendships, and groups of same interest.  Many
travel together, some spend holidays together and visit other events.
  Years of expierience, general trust, great organizational skills, cultural
awarness, elegance, and warm hospitality has led the club to have a great
atmosphere, popularity, and big success.  Among distinguished guests of the
club are: Oscar laureate Film director Andrzej Wajda,  Actor-Movie Star Jan Englert,
great comedian Jan Pietrzak, well known actress Magdalena Zawadzaka, Consul
General and Mrs. Krzysztof Kasprzyk, Consul Roman Czarny, Consul Boleslaw
Meluch and Mrs. Iwonka Meluch, Composer Marta Ptaszynska, Film director
Agnieszka Holland, film director Jerzy Hoffman, Film director Krzysztof
Zanussi, film Director and writer Filip Bajon, film director and actor Jerzy
Stuhr, Great Actor Daniel Olbrychski, theatrical actor Kaminski and his
wife, poet and singer Leszek Dlugosz, actress Joanna Szczepkowska, composer
Wojciech Mlynarski, sculptor Tomasz Misztal, writer Jan Kott, painter Prof.
Konopelski, Modern Artist Eva Swider, Kolos Laureate Geographer Andrzej
Pietowski, Dr. Slawomir Lobodzinski, Actress Grazyna Szapolowska, actor
Peter Lucas, actress Beata Pozniak, opera singer Jolanta Tensor, and great actress
Barbara Kraftowna, whom I see very often participating in the club events.

  Each club evening and event, warm hospitality, friendship, sensitivity,
respect, cultural events, Polish Language, and Polish Arts all bring us
together again and again, from many Los Angeles areas.
  The 30-year Anniversary Ball in a private elegant club was a fitting
summary of all those good times; an additional great event to be nicely
remembered for us all.

  Jadwiga Inglis Special International Correspondent VIP High Life from
Hollywood, California.