PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2022-2025
In the current term, I have served as President from June 25, 2022, to May 31, 2025, with a Board composed of: Vice President Katarzyna Śmiechowicz, Secretary Beata Czajkowska, and Treasurer Maria Kubal until July 8, 2022, and Anna Sadowska from July 8, 2022. Additionally, a nominal member of the Board until June was Syl Ves, who, however, did not participate in any Board meetings. In this period, extended by one year from the statutory two-year term during the Special General Meeting, we organized 33 events and presented six awards to outstanding actors (Modjeska Prizes) and two new Gold Awards to film directors. We worked closely with the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles, the Polish Center in Los Angeles, USC Polish Music Center, Polish Art Salon in San Diego, Jaskółka Amphitheater in Vista, POLAM FCU, etc.
MODJESKA PRIZES
The Club established the Modjeska Prize for lifetime achievement for the most outstanding Polish actors to honor its patron and appreciate Polish acting talents. In 2010, the first award was given to Jan Nowicki†. In 2011, the Prize was received by Anna Dymna in Kraków, Marian Dziędziel in Los Angeles. In 2012, the winner was Barbara Krafftówna†; in 2013 – director Ryszard Bugajski†. After a break, the Prize for 2018 was given to Jadwiga Barańska†, and in 2019 two actresses from the Polish Theatre in Toronto were honored (Maria Nowotarska and Agata Pilitowska). For 2020, the Modjeska Prize was presented virtually to Andrzej Seweryn (January 2021). A long interview was published in the album of Club history (Album 50-lecia Klubu Kultury im. Heleny Modrzejewskiej).
In October 2021, at the 50th Anniversary Ball of the Club, awards were given to Beata Poźniak (in person) and the director of the National Theatre, Jan Englert (virtually). Mr. Englert came to California to receive his Prize in the fall of 2022, with his wife Beata Ścibakówna. In February 2023, Modjeska Prizes for 2022 were presented to Marek Probosz and Katarzyna Śmiechowicz in Pasadena. In September 2024, Janusz Gajos received the award for 2023 in Warsaw, during a retrospective of his films. The Prize presentation for 2024 was scheduled for April 26, 2025. Piotr Adamczyk received the Modjeska Prize and we are eagerly waiting for the visit of Danuta Stenka.
The presentations of Modjeska Prizes have become the most important public events of the Club, with honorary patronage and grants from the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles, from the Polish Center and other benefactors. The events often include letters of congratulations from representatives of the local government (California State Senate, officials from Orange County, County and City of Los Angeles) and extensive press coverage in Polish and Polonian media. A personal meeting of the stars, often in the elegant and hospitable residence of Helena and Stanley Kolodziey (co-sponsors of these events) is a great attraction for Club members, so these presentations are highly appreciated and very crowded!
GOLDEN AWARDS FOR DIRECTORS AND FILMMAKERS
Since the Modjeska Prizes are limited to actors (although in 2013 it was awarded to Ryszard Bugajski, director), the Club Board decided to create a new award to honor film and theater directors and other outstanding screen and stage specialists. In order not to crowd the calendar, the new awards will be granted occasionally, not annually. This new award program was initiated by VP Katarzyna Smiechowicz. In March 2024, the first Golden Awards were received by Jerzy Antczak, Honorary Member of the Club, and Jacek Bromski, who came to the ceremony from Poland. The magnificent ceremony gathered the cream of the crop of Californian Polonia. The winner for 2025 was the theater director and author of many plays performed in the Club, Kazimierz Braun. The presentation will take place in the fall of 2025.
The second favorite type of Modjeska Club’s events is the Christmas Caroling, combined with breaking the Christmas wafer (opłatek) and singing traditional Polish carols. The meetings are held in private homes or at the McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga, a manor house in “góralski” style in the Californian Podhale region. These parties often feature an artistic element, such as a performance by a pianist in a 30-minute program (Prof. Wojciech Kocyan in 2022, Łukasz Yoder in 2023). The American formula of "potluck" events allows everyone to sample delicacies from various regional cuisines. Charming Olivia Kierdal brilliantly leads the caroling from the piano.
The first important event was the arrival of Jan Englert to the presentation of the Modjeska Prize at the Menclewicz residence and two performances with his wife Beata Ścibakówna and pianist Prof. Wojciech Kocyan in Beverly Hills and Vista – Jaskółka Amphitheater (September 20-25, 2022). Fragments of Julian Tuwim's Kwiaty polskie (Polish Flowers) were recited in Polish, with my English translation printed in the program. On October 8, 2022 r. avant-garde composer Hanna Kulenty spoke about her music in the Yoder salon in Los Angeles (she came to Los Angeles for the Paderewski Lecture-Recital at the USC Polish Music Center).
On November 5, 2022, guitarist/songwriter Piotr Kajetan Matczuk gave a concert of film songs for the Polish school in the community hall at the Polish Church on Adams Blvd. After Christmas Caroling on December 17 in Beverly Hills (with Wojciech Kocyan and Olivia Kierdal), on February 19, 2023, the Modjeska Prizes for 2022 were received by Katarzyna Śmiechowicz and Marek Probosz at the Lehman residence in Pasadena.
On March 4, 2023, Sanok Museum Curator Katarzyna Winnicka gave a lecture on Orthodox icons and paintings by Beksiński, with a guest appearance by Eurovision artist, Alexander Rybak. On March 25, in the same Bolton Hall Museum, former Consul Mariusz Brymora talked about the editorial work on the memoirs of the Ambassador Romuald Spasowski. Mr. Brymora received a diploma of Honorary Member of the Club in gratitude for many years of fruitful cooperation.
An Honorary Member diploma was also prepared for actress and artist Alicja Bobrowska† for the December celebration; unfortunately, she could not be present and the documents were sent by mail. Then, on April 2, 2023, the Hybrydy Theater from the University of Warsaw performed in the program Life is a Theater.
On May 7, 2023, the play Biography (Zyciorys) about the poetry of Zbigniew Herbert was presented by actor Wojciech Wysocki and composer Piotr Kajetan Matczuk. Both performances took place in the Illusion Magic Lounge theater, formerly known as Magicopolis. On July 8, 2023, everyone was supposed to meet at Modjeska's home, Arden, but few people arrived for the summer trip, because most members of the Club spend their holidays in Poland.
10 MEETINGS AND A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING IN THE 2023-24 SEASON
Continuing the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Club, I decided to publish a book about its history in English – and applied for a grant to edit, print, and promote the book, which appeared in December 2023, as Celebrating Modjeska in California. History of Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club. Writing about the role of many artists in the Club’s history, I decided to organize an exhibition 50 Years of Art at the Modjeska Club at the Vienna Woods Gallery. We showed works by a member of the Artistic Council of the Club (19973-1978), Stanisław Szukalski† (designs for the Modjeska monument); an old-time member of the Club, eminent painter, Zbigniew Nyczak; the author of the most popular logo of the Club, Leonard Konopelski; the newest artist-member of the Club, Sławek Wiśniewski, and the host of the event, painter Janusz Maszkiewicz. After its official opening on September 23, 2023, the exhibition was on display until November 2023.
We continued the subject of art with a fascinating lecture by Zbigniew Nyczak about his extensive career and rich artistic achievements (October 21, 2023 in Playa Vista). The home of fiber artist Monique Chmielewska Lehman hosted a presentation of a book about her father (Papcio Chmiel udomowiony), which she wrote with her brother Artur Chmielewski (November 18, 2023). An additional attraction was a conversation with the director of the animated film Peasants, Hugh Welchmann, who also showed some original paintings created for the frames of the film, the production of which took over 120 artists more than four years.
After Christmas Caroling with a mini-concert by pianist Łukasz Yoder and caroling led by Olivia Kierdal (December 16, 2023), we met on January 20, 2024 for a lecture about a Polish Jesuit in China, Michał Boym, the last envoy to the Ming dynasty, given by the author of a new book about Boym, Agnieszka Couderq (Playa Vista). At the Bolton Hall Museum, we then met on February 4, 2024, for a screening of the restored film Wielka droga about the II Corps of the Polish Army and General Władysław Anders, and a lecture by Dr. Dorota Lekka from the National Film Archive.
The Special General Meeting on February 24, 2024, also held in Tujunga, will be described below. The most significant event of the season was the presentation of our new Golden Awards to outstanding directors Jerzy Antczak and Jacek Bromski (March 9, 2024, Beverly Hills). Their witty dialogue about secrets of a director's work delighted the crowd gathered in Beverly Hills, in the elegant residence of the Kolodzieys.
On April 7, 2024, the famous jazz vocalist Grażyna Auguścik performed in a concert with guitarist Paulinho Garcia at the Illusion Magic Lounge, and on June 21, 2024, Anna and Irek Dobrowolski, producers of the film Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski, spoke about the artist and the film at the Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory. The meeting was attended by Stanisław’s friends, including Glenn Bray, head of the Szukalski Foundation, who oversees his archives in Chatsworth.
12 MEETINGS IN THE 2024-2025 SEASON
After the summer break, on September 28, 2024, Dr. Jerzy Kossek, a writer and literary historian, led a conversation with writer Piotr Siemion. The meeting took place at the residence of Elżbieta and Jan Iwańczyk in Brentwood. We started the season with a delay because I was in Poland to present the Modjeska Prize to Janusz Gajos in Warsaw on September 16, 2024, to read my poetry in Warsaw and at the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok.
On October 2, 2024, we went to Helena Modjeska's birthday celebration at her home, Arden, in Orange County, where, at the initiative of our Club, the folk group Krakusy danced and children from the Chopin Academy played Polish music. There, I handed out colorfully illustrated brochures with Modjeska's biography, the first chapter of the English-language history of the Club (a gift from my publishing house, Moonrise Press).
In November, in cooperation with Jerzy Barankiewicz from the Polish Artistic Salon in San Diego, we invited actor Sebastian Ryś, who premiered a new play about his famous aunt, actress Zofia Rysiówna (war heroine, prisoner of Ravensbrück) on November 3, 2024. After Christmas Caroling on December 14, 2024 at the McGroarty Arts Center, Barankiewicz's next guest spoke at the Club about the concept of beauty in ancient Greek philosophy (Adrian Krupa, February 1, 2025, Bolton Hall Museum). On 8 February runner Tomasz Sobania presented his cross-country run in the U.S. at the ball of Polish Alma Mater.
The visit to the Club of “Major” Waldemar Fydrych from Wrocław, founder of the Orange Alternative protest movement, was received with great interest. After screenings of documentaries, a lecture and a reception at the Vienna Woods Gallery, on March 22, 2025, Major Fydrych visited several museums and his admirers, pianists Róża Kostrzewska and Douglas Yoder, who played for him in orange caps. Another concert of Polish music, with the participation of the youth from the Chopin Academy and Radosław Sobczak from Poland, took place on April 6, 2025 at the Yoders.
The main event was the presentation of the Modjeska Prize to Piotr Adamczyk and promotion of the book Chopin's Heart with the participation of author Jerzy Antczak and Kasia Śmiechowicz in Beverly Hills (April 26, 2025). The season ended with a performance by the duo of violinist Paulina Tomczuk and pianist Dominik Yoder at the Santa Monica Library, on May 20, 2025.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING IN FEBRUARY 2024
While working on the English version of the Club's history, with an extended biography of the Founder Leonidas Dudarew-Ossetyński (1910-1989), I made important discoveries, described in this book, which required the restoration of the Founder's status as Honorary Member and Honorary President. The Board voted on the resolution in this matter already in August 2023, but it was necessary to confirm it at a Special General Meeting. At the same time, the Board proposed changing many articles in the Club's Bylaws, introducing the obligation to pay dues by all “Distinguished” members of the Club, hitherto exempted from this obligation but still having the right to vote. The third postulate presented for voting was to extend the term of office of the current board by one year.
The Special General Meeting was attended by 45 members in person and 43 by proxy, for a total of 88 members, out of 125 active members. This was 70.4% of the membership and quorum. There were 107 anonymous votes submitted; 58 ballots returned by mail before the meeting and the rest placed in the ballot box during the meeting (85.6% of all members). The results were as follows: a. First issue (amendments of the Bylaws): 79 members voted YES and 28 voted NO. b. Second issue (Leonidas Dudarew-Ossetyński receives the title of Honorary Member and Honorary President): 83 members voted YES and 22 members voted NO (total of 105 votes). c. Third issue (Extension of the term of the current Board by one year): 86 members voted YES and 21 members voted NO (total 107 votes). All three issues were approved by a majority vote. However, the members gathered at the Special General Meeting decided to invalidate the result of the vote on the first issue concerning amendments to the Bylaws and instead approved two different amendments, introducing the obligation to pay dues by all Regular and Distinguished Members.
CURRENT STATE OF THE CLUB
Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club is doing well in fulfilling its statutory tasks of promoting Polish culture in California and strengthening contacts within the Polish community. It is in good financial condition, receives grants and subsidies annually, and has a membership of about 120 people. In 2024, the Club received an official business license as a charitable organization from the City of Los Angeles. About 40 people attend regular meetings of the Club, according to their own interests, while almost everyone comes to the presentations of Modjeska Prizes and Christmas Caroling parties.
MEMBERSHIP is also stable. In 2022, the Club had 127 voting members; in February 2024 – 125 members, and in December 2024 –120 members. Some returned to Poland, others passed away. During this period, we lost many celebrities associated with the Club. In August 2022, the dancer and choreographer Stefan Wenta died; he was a member of the first Art Advisors Council of the Club from 1973-1978 and its Honorary Member since 2011. In September 2022, Marian and Daniela Kosiński died (Daniela was the Club’s Vice President for many years). A former Vice President Jacek Świder passed away in August 2022 and Monika Król – in October. Joseph Kane left us a year later, in August 2023. In November 2024, we said our final farewells to the Honorary Member and the winner of 2018 Modjeska Prize, Jadwiga Barańska. In January 2025 it was the time to part with Alicja Bobrowska, who had been a member of the Club since its foundation and received Honorary Membership in 2022. Recently, in May 2025, the former President and Honorary Member of the Club, Jerzy Gąssowski passed away.
INFORMATION about the Club has appeared in many media - the newspapers Super Express, Zgoda, Gwiazda Polarna, Polish American Journal, Post Eagle, White Eagle, and the portals of the Polish Filmmakers Association, FilmPolski.pl, the Gdynia Film Festival, interia.pl, and Culture Avenue. At the PIASA Polish Studies Congress in Warsaw in 2024, I gave a lecture on Leonidas Dudarew-Ossetyński.
Announcements about the Club's activities are posted on Facebook page and group, two blogs, in Polish (klubmodrzejewskiej.blogspot.com) and English (modjeskaclub.blogspot.com), and on two websites, modrzejewska.org in Polish and modjeska.org in English. I still manage the blogs, which are easy to use and popular, while Elżbieta Czajkowska develops materials for websites. From 2011 to April 30, 2025, the English blog had 143,530 readers; last year there were 22.5 thousand visitors. Of the 138 posts, 36 were published in the past three years. In past 12 months, readers visited us from the United States (9.36K), Hong Kong (2.21K), the Netherlands (1.6K), Singapore (1.32K), and Brazil (837). The Polish blog was created in 2018 and has had 41,916 readers since then; last year there were 10,400 visitors. Of the 86 posts, 34 were published in the past three years. They were read in the States (3.28K), the Netherlands (1.66K), Singapore (935), Russia (707), and Hong Kong (706).
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Our internet sites have fewer readers than blogs. The English website (modjeska.org) with 16 individual pages and 6 video files had 2,194 readers last year. The Polish website (modrzejewska.org) with 36 individual pages and 25 video files (mostly from Zoom meetings held in Polish) had 1,560 readers last year. The pages are updated monthly and contain current information about events in the Club and the archives. The larger Polish website contains the entire Album of 50 Years of History of the Helena Modjeska Culture Club available as a free PDF, and its chapters in the form of separate files can be read on the pages or downloaded.
IN APPRECIATION
Managing a Club with so many events a year requires the cooperation of many people. Since July 2022, there have only been four active members on the Board, so the workload for each of them was extraordinary. However, thanks to the help and generosity of our members, we managed to prepare and present such a rich cultural program. I would like to thank my Board for their dedicated work: Vice President Katarzyna Śmiechowicz, the initiator of the Golden Awards, Secretary Beata Czajkowska – the organizer of meetings with Piotr Siemion, “Major” Fydrych, and concerts of the Yoder brothers; and Treasurer Anna Sadowska, who was supposed to hold this position for three months, but it turned out to be three years. Since the spring of 2022, the websites in English and Polish, have been developed by Ella Czajkowska, for whom I obtained a grant to create the new mirrored sites in March-June 2022. Since then, she has managed the two sites and edited Club’s videos as a volunteer. Past President Elżbieta Kańska graciously continues to proofread our texts. Andrew Z. Dowen and Konrad Wilk bravely worked in the Audit Committee.
I would like to thank the hosts of our meetings, especially Helena and Stanley Kołodziey, who co-finance all the parties in their beautiful home in Beverly Hills. We were also welcomed by Monique and David Lehman, Maria and Jerzy Menclewicz, and Jan and Elżbieta Iwańczyk. In addition, Irmina and Andrzej Targowski reserved the Centerpoint Club in Playa Vista for Club events, often paying for the rental themselves. The biggest problem is taking care of the guests from Poland. Piotr Siemion was hosted by Daniela and Ryszard Żarakowki; Piotr Kajetan Matczuk has friends, Małgorzata Miller and Zbigniew Orzol. Katarzyna Winnicka, Dorota Lekka, three artists from Hybrydy Theater, Sebastian Ryś, Adrian Krupa, and Major Fydrych stayed with me for 3-5 days and with these guests I went on interesting trips to the Getty Center, Huntington Library, Norton Simon Museum, Santa Barbara, the Wende Cold War Museum, and even the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. I also took some guests half-way to San Diego, to San Juan Capistrano, so they could appear at the Polish Salon. I can't forget the many trips to Vista to pick up and drop off the Englerts for every event in Los Angeles! I think I drove 1,200 miles in total. Although other volunteers came forward for this job, they wanted to be paid, which is impossible in our financial situation.
From the beginning, our Club has operated thanks to the generosity of its members. The Zychs hosted Wojciech Młynarski for a whole month in 2001 when flights were canceled after 9/11! The Piłatowiczs organized wonderful California vacations for their guests, including Seweryn and Englert... The Okuniewskis and Maleskis paid for the Club's lavish parties out of their own pockets... Tadeusz Podkański (donor of AV equipment), Sławek Brzeziński, Bogdan Plewnia and Chris Justin patiently managed the AV equipment. Unfortunately, there are few such generous volunteers in the Club now. Here, I’d like to appreciate the generous financial donations from some well-heeled members.
As I finish three very difficult years of work as the Club President, years that cost me a lot of health, time, and money, I am proud of our joint achievements and grateful for the help of all the volunteers and financial support of all members and donors. I wish us all a much more peaceful and equally fruitful next term. I am looking forward to the next two years full of interesting events and fascinating meetings with creators of Polish culture.
Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, President
P.S.
General Meeting of Modjeska Club's members will start at 4 pm.on Saturday 31 May 2025 at Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave, Tujunga, CA 91042. Only for members in good standing who have paid 2025 dues. Vote by Proxy also allowed.
On behalf of myself and the Modjeska Club Board, I would like to thank you very much for the joint promotion of Polish culture in California. I served as the president for a total of 9.5 years, from June 2010 to December 2012 and then from June 2018 to May 31, 2025. This is a record for perseverance in the Club, no one has had such a long term! I described the last three years in the report, so there is no need to repeat it. All's well that ends well...
During the General Meeting of our club members on May 31, 2025, 31 people attended the meeting in person and 37 people voted by proxy (Katarzyna Śmiechowicz had 10 proxies, Dominik LeConte had 15 proxies, Jola Zych had 10, and I had two proxies).The following votes were cast - 18 votes YES and 50 votes NO. Therefore, I was not re-elected as President with the proposed new board consisting of Prof. Andrzej Targowski, Vice-President, Katarzyna Smiechowicz, Second Vice-President, Marek Berger, Treasurer, Beata Czajkowska, Secretary, Anna Sadowska, Board Member. This result should be understood as all candidates for new board positions received 18 YES votes and 50 NO votes. Since there are currently 104 members in the Club and 50 people voted NO, it is possible that if everyone had voted, the board would have received 54 YES votes instead of 18. Or, to put it differently, there might have been even more NO votes. It is hard to guess, the Club is definitely at a crossroads and very divided.
According to Article 12.12 of our Bylaws, in such a situation, the functions of the interim board are assumed by the election committee. Therefore, Jolanta Zych became the interim president, and the current members of the election committee, consisting of - Wojciech Szeremeta, Krystyna Okuniewska, Aleksandra Kaniak and Dominik LeConte, became board members.
Krystyna Kuszta was the secretary of the meeting and Jolanta Zych was the chairperson. After the results of the vote were announced, Jola Zych proposed that Katarzyna Śmiechowicz become the new president immediately, but the club decided to act in accordance with the Bylaws and organize elections within six months of the General Meeting. It was announced that the elections would take place in September. All club members with more than two years of experience can run for President of the Club, along with the board of their choice, including the Treasurer and Secretary. They must send their candidacies with an action plan.
The members voted to increase the dues to $175 per person and $300 per couple from January 1, 2026. Other details will be in official minutes of the meeting.
Not all projects were completed - Danuta Stenka did not receive her Helena Modjeska Prize and Kazimierz Braun his Golden Award.
I would also like to inform you that on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 12 noon in the Polish church on Adams there will be a mass for Andrzej Kołodziej, painter, poet, founder of the KrakArt group. He died on May 27, 2025 in Łódź. May he rest in peace.
Once again, I would like to thank all of you for supporting the Club personally and financially. I am proud of our joint successes and projects. I wish everyone happy summer vacations.
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