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OGNIWOPOLISHMUSEUMSOCIETYINC.ANNUALREPORT

1January–31December,2015aspresentedattheAnnualGeneralMeetingonMarch5,2016

Events&Exhibits

Theonsetof2015sawuscontinuingourpartnershipwiththeFreemanFamilyFoundationHolocaustEducationCentreoftheJewishHeritageCentreofWesternCanadainorganizingthreeeventsmarkingtheUnitedNationsInternationalHolocaustRemembranceDay(January27)andthe70thanniversaryoftheliberationofAuschwitz.TheNorthAmericanPremierescreeningofWielkaSzpera(TheGreatSzpera)byPolishdirectorPiotrWeychertonJanuary25waspowerful,moving,andwellattended.CTVMorningLive–WinnipegbroadcastedthenextmorningfromthemuseumandfeaturedTheFaceoftheGhetto(AnexhibitofpicturestakenbyJewishphotographersintheLitzmannstadtghetto1940-1944)travellingexhibit.TheexhibitofficiallyopenedtothepubliconJanuary27.Thankstonumerousvolunteersfrombothorganizationswhogenerouslygavetheirtime,themuseumwasopendailyforathreeweekperiod.ThefinaleventwasalectureandcommunityconversationwithDr.ThomasLutz,curatoroftheexhibitandseniorconsultantwiththeTopographyofTerrorFoundationinBerlin,Germany,whichwasheldonFebruary11.

WewereverypleasedtoreceivepositivereviewsfromDr.Lutzonhowwechosetoorganizeandhangthetravellingexhibitinourmuseumspace.Despitethemanyhoursofwork,thisexperienceofcollaboratingwiththeFreemanFamilyFoundation,turnedouttobewellworththeeffortandforgedmanyfriendshipsandconnectionsbetweenourtwoorganizations.

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MarchfoundusorganizingourannualPisankiWorkshops,coordinatedbyMartaDabrosandsupportedbyourvolunteers.WewereagainfeaturedbyCTVMorningLive–WinnipegandwereabletoinvitesomeguestsfromthecommunitytohelpexplainPolishEastertraditionsandmakepisankionair.

Marchalsobecametheperfectopportunitytoincreaseoursocialmediapresencebyparticipatingin#MuseumWeek2015onTwitter(March23-29).#MuseumWeekisagrowinginternationalphenomenonwhichhasallowedustoforgesomenewlinkswithmuseumsaroundtheworld.Ourparticipationresultedinmanynewfollowers,includingMuzeumEtnograficzne(Warsaw),MuzeumEmigracji(Gdynia),Culture.pl,andICOM(InternationalCouncilofMuseums)Canada,aswellasothersbothinManitobaandabroad.AprilsawusfillourexhibitspacewithourcollectionofamazingPolishPosters,includingmanythathadnotbeenseenbythepublicinthepast.MayhadusparticipatinginManitobaDay(May12),InternationalMuseumDay(May17)withacraftdrop-insession,andrunningaWycinakiPapercuttingWorkshopatEcolePowerviewSchoolinPowerview-PineFalls(May29).

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ThesummermonthshadusfocusedonpromotionandoutreachduringPolishFest(June6-7)aswellasatCooksCreekHeritageDays(August30).

AnewtemporaryexhibitwascreatedfortheculturaldisplayattheWarsawPavilionduringFolklorama.Thisyear’sthemeofThreadshighlightedthebeautyandhistoryoftraditionalweavinginPolandandtheartandinnovationofcontemporaryPolishweavers.Weprovidedaninteractivecraftcomponent,showingchildrenandtheyoungathearthowtoweavewitheverydayitems.Byfar,themostpopularelementofthisexhibitwasourguestweaver,SusanStyrchak.

Duringthefallmonths,underMagdaBlackmore’sdirectionandinitiative,wefocusedonreorganizingthebasementanddisposingunnecessaryitems.Itisanongoingprojecttoreorganizethemuseum’sartefactsandarchivestomakethemmoreaccessible.OurfourthannualfundraisertookplaceonOctober23.The“RaiseYourSpirits”fundraisertookatwistandpairedmeadswithmedieval-inspiredfoods.Asalways,itwasthehardworkofourvolunteersthatmadeforasuccessfulevening.

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InDecember,weparticipatedintheIskrySchoolofDanceMikolajChristmasconcertbyofferingatraditionalChristmascraftsessionforthechildren.Teenagers,workinginteams,werechallengedtocreatetraditionalPolishChristmasSzopki(crèches)in40minutes,withprizesawardedforthehighestscoringcreations.Althoughahecticevent,theorganizerswerepleasedtohaveourvolunteerscomeoutandarelookingforwardtopartneringwithusagaininthefuture.ProjectGrantsAgrantproposalwassubmittedtoHeritageResourcesforaphotographicexhibitbyMirekWeichsel,entitledFlatlands,whichwasnotapproved.WesubmittedanoperatinggrantasaLevelIImuseuminManitobafor2015,forwhichwereceivedapprovalandfunding.MagdaBlackmore,MartaDabros,ChristineTabbernorworkedonanArchivesCanadagrantwhichwouldallowustohireanarchivist.Unfortunately,althoughthegrantwassubmittedelectronically,itwasnotreceivedbythegrantingbody.Thisgrantwillberesubmittedin2016.Infrastructure

Wehavecontinuedtoreassessourexistingphysicalresources,disposingofmanyitemswhicharenolongerfeasibletouse,suchaslargebulkycases,oldheavyaccordion-stylepanels,aswellasitemsfromthebasementwhichweretakingupspacebutwerenolongerservingafunction.ThankstoMartaDabros,wewereabletosecuremetalshelvingfromtheTruthandReconciliationCommittee.Theshelvinghasalreadybeeninstalledandisbeingputtogooduseasweorganizeourstoragespace.ProfessionalDevelopmentOurmembersanddirectorsenthusiasticallyupgradetheirskillsthroughparticipationinworkshopsandcoursespertainingtothemaintenanceandongoingdevelopmentofthemuseum.Thisyear,ourmembersattendedthefollowing:

• EngagingYourCommunity:aFundraisingWorkshopforArts&CulturalOrganizations-ArtSupportManitoba(March26)

• MuseumsandEducationCourse–AssociationofManitobaMuseums(May13)• Designing&LaunchingSocialMedia–AGuideforNon-profits”–VolunteerManitoba

(June18)• AncestralEvidence:Names,Places,andDocuments–2015InternationalSeminar-East

EuropeanGenealogicalSociety(August1)

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CollectionsManagement

OurCollectionsManager(AlyciaWalichnowski)hascontinuedtoreviewandmaintainourcollectionmanagementsystem,accessioninganddeaccessioningartefactsasneeded.Thiscontinuestobeatimeconsumingprocessandadditionalassistancewouldbenefitthemuseumgreatly.OurArchivist(MartaDabros)hascontinuedtoorganizeourbooks,creatingentriesinanewlibrarysystem.Aswell,shehasstartedtheprocessofreviewingandorganizingthematerialsinourcollectionwhicharearchivalinnature.

Financial

Themuseumwasbeentherecipientofseveralsizeableprivatedonationsduring2015.DetailsofourfinancialyearareprovidedintheFinancialStatementsattached.

CommunityInvolvementTheMuseumcontinuedtopartnerwithotherorganizationsinmutuallybeneficialwaysthisyearwith:

• FreemanFamilyFoundationHolocaustEducationCentreoftheJewishHeritageCentreofWesternCanada

• PolishGymnasticAssociationSokolWinnipeg(organizersofPolishFest)• WarsawPavilionOrganizingCommittee–Folklorama2015• CooksCreekHeritageMuseum• IskrySchoolofDance.

Respectfullysubmitted,D.ParyzekPresidentBoardofDirectors: Executive: DorothyParyzek President MagdaBlackmore Vice-President ChristinePolimeni Treasurer ChristineTabbernor SecretaryDirectors: SteveYurkiw EwaWadowska AlyciaWalichnowski KrystynaSzypowska MartaDabros OlaTutaj ElizabethTukaj MarcinCychowski WandaSlawik