Gabriela Rovski, Everchanging Borders, oil on canvas
OUR AIMS
To promote artists of Polish heritage to the Australian community and collaborate with local Australian artists.
To promote all forms of contemporary visual art, existing and emerging through the organisation of exhibitions, events and collaborative projects, in order to achieve the objectives of the Foundation.
To cooperate with institutions that have similar interests and objectives including private art galleries.
To establish a collection of artworks of Polish, Australian and other artists, which may be purchased or donated to the Foundation. In the case of donated artworks, the Foundation reserves the right to decide as to the distribution of the above (to be part of the collection or sold).
SHORT HISTORY
From left: Tomasz Ostrowski, Marian Janczak, Zygfryd Piotr Koziell, Kajetan Fiedorowicz, Bogdan Fialkowski
The Polish Art Foundation was set up towards the end of the year in 1977, in Melbourne, Australia.
Its spiritual founder was an artist and painter Wladyslaw Dutkiewicz. A group of his close friends decided to organise a show of his works, this instigated the foundation’s birth. Dutkiewicz was ill at the time and his fellow artists and friends wanted to assist in a practical way.
The aim of the new foundation would be simple: to promote Polish artists among the Australian community and vice versa, to promote Australian artists to the migrant community living in Australia. The group also wanted to obtain a collection of works which would become a permanent collection for the foundation and could be enjoyed for generations to come.
The financial assets of the foundation were extremely limited at first, with funds raised through membership and commission sales of works, with occasional grants obtained from various organisations. This turned around a little when one of its founding members and artists Tomasz Ostrowski left the Polish Art Foundation a generous bequest. Tomasz passed away in 1994- leaving his legacy that still provides the financial skeleton for us today.
Almost five decades on, the Polish Art Foundation hosts a range of thematic exhibitions, workshops and social functions. It also produces a regular bulletin, manages its social media presence and ensures that member artists have an opportunity to participate in its annual calendar of events.
Our finances continue to be a priority, and the foundation is always looking to new sponsorship and grant opportunities to enable us to deliver more projects and more activities.
PAF MILESTONES
MEET THE TEAM
PAF PRESIDENT
Anna Maciejewska
PAF VICE PRESIDENT & GRANT OFFICER
Jan Kurzak
SECRETARY
Irena Glac
TREASURER
Miroslaw Kostecki
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jerzy Edward Glac
ORDINARY MEMBER (CURATOR)
Grazyna Kubic
ORDINARY MEMBER (ADMINISTRATION)
Ryszard Friedhuber
ORDINARY MEMBER
Barbara Steinberg
ORDINARY MEMBER
Anna Friedhuber
PAF WORKING GROUP MEMBER
Violetta Misiorek
Left to right: Ryszard Friedhuber, Anna Stainwald (past member), Grazyna Kubic, Mirek Kostecki, Barbara Steinberg, Anna Friedhuber, Jerzy Glac, Jan Kurzak, Anna Maciejewska, Gosia Kurban (past member)