newyork

An illustrated talk by Edward Kasinec, Hoover Institution, and Harriman Institute, with Hee Gwone Yoo, New York Public Library

Tue, December 11 at 7:00 pm
at Bohemian National Hall
321 E 73 St, 3rd Fl., NYC

RSVP

Free. Suggested donation $5.00
Light refreshments.

Recent years have witnessed the discovery of several photographic sources dealing with Sub-Carpathian Rus’ in the years 1919-1923, shortly after its incorporation into the Czechoslovak State. These sources range from the color photography by Rudolf H?lka (1887-l961), the architectural images of Florian Zapletal (1884-l969), and the photos and photogravures of the Russian émigré writer Nikolai P. Malitskii (1883-l963), newly uncovered in the archives of the Foundation for Russian History, Jordanville, New York.

Lev Sixta, Vološanka, A Rusyn Man

Edward Kasinec’s presentation places in historical context two stunning albums acquired in 2017 by curator Robert H. Davis, Jr. for the Rare Books and Manuscript Library of the Columbia University Libraries. The first was prepared in 1919-1920 by the Prague-based Czech educator and local historian Václav Sixta (1862-1935) and his photographer son, Lev. The second album was orchestrated from a national ministry in Prague, most likely by the Foreign Ministry, or the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The title leaf in nine languages (!) expresses the gratitude of the “freed” populations of Sub Carpathian Rus’ to their Czechoslovak liberators.
The speaker will reflect on the political motivations and timing of both the Sixtas and the Czechoslovak Ministry in preparing these albums.

Edward Kasinec holds graduate degrees and certificates from Columbia University (M.A., 1968, M.Phil., 1979), Simmons College (M.L.S., 1976), and New York University (Appraisal Studies, 2010). In 1971-1972, he studied at the Moscow State University. His career includes service as Reference Librarian/Archivist for the Harvard University’s Ukrainian Research Institute Library (1973-80); Librarian for Slavic Collections, University of California, Berkeley, Library (1980-84); and Curator, Slavic and Baltic Division, The New York Public Library (1984-2009). He presently serves as a Research Associate, Harriman Institute, Columbia University and, since 2014, Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Hee-Gwone Yoo is Senior Librarian and Slavic Collections Specialist at the General Humanities Division of Schwarzman Building, The New York Public Library. He received his MA and MLS from Queens College, CUNY. As a librarian, he has a particular interest in visual resources, rare books, and exhibitions and outreach. He has participated in numerous conferences, domestic and international, and is the co-author of the award-winning Visual Resources from Russia and Eastern Europe in The New York Public Library: A Checklist, in 2008, and several articles.

Organized by Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences with the support of the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA).

The Ninth 6-Minute Challenge
Wed, November 28, 2018, at 7:00 pm
at Bohemian National Hall, 3rd floor
321 E 73 St, NYC

Czech and Slovak artists, professionals, students, and scholars are challenged to introduce the subject of their project, research or studies in a short presentation limited to six minutes. In English.

PROGRAM NOTES

PHOTOS

VIDEO

Moderated by Christopher Harwood, Ph.D., Columbia University

Presenters: Vojta Ciml (software SlidesLive developer), Vladimír Dzuroo (UN Chief investigator), Martin Gajdošík (post-doc research scientist in neuroscience, Columbia U.), Štepánka Horálková-Summer (ceramic artist / author), Roman Huszar (PhD candidate in neuroscience, NYU), Tom Kotik (sculptor/ curator/ musician), Ján Pecarka (visual artist), and Marie Tomanová (photographer).

Organized by Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) with support by the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York

Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7, 2018
11:30 am – 9 pm
Bohemian National Hall
321 E 73 St, NYC

The two-day festival celebrates the traditional folk arts and two auspicious anniversaries: the Centennial of the founding of Czechoslovakia (1918) and the Millennial of the unification of the Lands of the Czech Crown, under Duke Oldrich (1018).

Events include marionette theater performances, folk music concerts with Czech, Slovak, Moravian, Silesian, Roma and Rusyn folk songs (Feels Like Home), and folk song-inspired performances (A Tribute to the Art of the Folk Song), traditional folk dance and costume kroje presentations, film screenings, a sing-along and more.

The festival will feature the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) in the US Premiere of the mainstage marionette production, “Duke Oldrich & Washerwoman Božena: The True Story,” and a one-man family marionette show of Czech and Slovak fairy tales; and a USA debut concert of Beata Bocek, the talented Czech Polish folk singer and musician performing on a variety of instruments and in a variety of languages. She will also be performing in the main marionette production.

A market will offer Czech and Slovak arts and crafts, puppets and an array of traditional Czech foods and beverages.
(Vendors please register by Oct 1, 2018. One table fee $75/day)

Tickets prices vary from suggested donation to $38(2-day pass)
RSVPs are recommended.
RSVP or buy tickets ONLINE.
Tickets by phone: 1 (800) 838-3006

DOWNLOAD PROGRAM

FaceBook
—————————————–
PROGRAM (subject to change)

SATURDAY, October 6th

11:30am WATER GOBLIN & OTHER CZECH & SLOVAK TALES (Vodník, Cert a Káca, Pejsek a Kocicka)
Vit Horejs one-man -marionette show for families. In English

1 pm STRINGS! CAMERA! AKCE! (ACTION!)
Film screenings of Animated and documentary puppetry films
Folk Arts Celebration
2 pm BLUE PATTERNS
Traditional modrotisk (indigo) textile print presentation by Petra Valentova-Gupta, followed by hands-on block-printing for families.

4pm FEELS LIKE HOME Folk Songs and Fashion
Folk songs performed by Ariana Lem Trio (Slovak and Rusyn), Petra Gelbart (Roma), James Warhola introduces recording of his grandma, Andy Warhol’s mother, Karel Smekal and Klara Zikova (Czech songs). Presentations of traditional costumes kroje by their owners and sharing of their stories. Moderated by Milada Melli-Jones.

7 pm DUKE OLDRICH and WASHER WOMAN BOŽENA
A full production of CAMT marionette theater. In English.

——————————————-
SUNDAY, October 7th

11:30 am WATER GOBLIN & OTHER CZECH & SLOVAK TALES” (Vodník, Cert a Káca, Pejsek a Kocicka)
Vit Horejs one-man -marionette show for families. In English.

1 pm STRINGS! CAMERA! AKCE! (ACTION!)
Film screenings of Animated and documentary puppetry films

2:30 pm DUKE OLDRICH AND WASHERWOMAN BOŽENA
A full production of CAMT marionette theater. In English.

4pm A DANCE CLASS BY LIMBORA DANCERS
A presentation about Slovak folkdance tradition with a dance lesson for the audience.

Twin Concerts
6 pm A TRIBUTE TO THE ART OF A FOLK SONG – Artists share their favorite folk songs performed in various genres (jazz, opera, cabaret, rock). Featuring Peter Breiner, Javor Bracíc, Pavlína Horáková, Gabriela Miková-Johnson, Katarína Vizina, Ladi Šmigura, Klára Zíková English and others. Hanka G, Tomáš Kaco, a href=”http://georgemraz.com/camilla_bio.html”>Camilla Mráz and Ester Wiesnerova via video. Moderated by Pavlína Horaková
7pm BEATA BOCEK in CONCERT – US Premier
A popular multitalented Czech-Polish folk singer and musician (guitar, flute, accordion). Bocek will perform traditional and not so traditional music, including an array of songs in Polish, Czech and invented languages.

The festival is produced by GOH Productions in cooperation with Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA), Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU-NY), CzechMatters with support by the Czech and Slovak Consulates in New York.

Contacts:
GOH Productions/CAMT, Bonnie Stein
SVU-NY/ CzechMatters, Suzanna Halsey,
BBLA, Pavla Niklová, office@bohemianbenevolent.org

Author’s Talk: Kevin J. McNamara

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 7:00 pm,
3rd floor

RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org
Free. Suggested donation $5.00

Mr. McNamara will introduce his comprehensive account of the highly dramatic events that led to the founding of Czecho-Slovakia in 1918. The story involves an ad hoc army of ex-POWs that inadvertently seized all of Siberia, global espionage, high-stakes diplomacy, and America’s own Czechs and Slovaks, who raised funds and pressured President Woodrow Wilson to grant their peoples independence.

Kevin J. McNamara, a former journalist, bureau chief, and U.S. congressional aide, is an associate scholar of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, and a former contributing editor of Orbis, its quarterly journal of world affairs.

Monday, October 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm
at Bohemian National Hall
321 E 73 St, New York City

A Talk and Exhibition

There were more than 50,000 Czechs and Slovaks living in New York City in the early 20th century and they continue to have a presence today.
The exhibition Czech and Slovak New York 1848-2018 offers a rare opportunity to explore the many locations in New York City with connections to Czech and Slovak history, and to recall important personalities, organizations and periodicals.
Martin Nekola, the curator of the exhibition, will take us on a journey through history of New York’s Czech and Slovak communities, and present his new project.

RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org
Free. Suggested donation $5.00

Martin Nekola, Ph.D. is a political scientist and historian, born in Prague. He studied at Charles University in Prague and was a Fulbright post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University. His research focuses on the Czechoslovak Exile community after 1948 and Czech communities in the USA. He is the author of three hundred articles and has published ten books in the past ten years. Since publishing Czech Chicago in 2017, he has been working on a new book – Czech New York.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA).

Thursday, September 20, 2018, at 7 pm

Bohemian National Hall, 3rd fl.
321 E 73 St, New York City

RSVP
Free. Suggested donation $5.00

Illustrated presentations by Meghan Forbes, Ph.D., and the artist Gabriel Levicky. Organized as a part of the centennial celebration of the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918.

In the period between the two World Wars, various artistic and poetic strategies in Europe reflected the absurdity of recent violence and optimism for a more utopic future. In this brief window of openness on the continent, artists and ideas moved and mingled, and movements like Dada and Surrealism spread from one major city to another. Prague was a capital of these interactions and exchanges, and the Czech leftist avant-garde participated notably in the art production of the period. Encounters with visiting Dadaists in the early 1920s from Germany and Yugoslavia, and the formation of a group of Czech Surrealists in the mid-1930’s, mark but a couple of such examples.
The evening is dedicated to the legacy of this rich art historical past, as Meghan Forbes offers an overview of some manifestations of Czech Dada and Surrealism in the work of Karel Teige, Vítezslav Nezval, Jindrich Štyrský and Toyen, and the Slovak artist Gabriel Levicky presents his collage works Gablevages that carry the surrealist DNA. Moderated by Christopher Harwood, Ph.D., Columbia University, with a Q&A to follow.

Meghan Forbes is the C-MAP Fellow for Central and Eastern Europe at The Museum of Modern Art, New York and a Visiting Scholar at NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, where she completed a dissertation titled “In the Middle of It All: Prague, Brno, and the Avant-Garde Networks of Interwar Europe.” Meghan has received numerous grants and fellowships for her research, including an IIE Fulbright award for the 2015-2016 academic year. Her translations from the Czech and Slovak, book and exhibition reviews, and essays have appeared in publications such as Um?ní/Art, post at MoMA, Hyperallergic, Words Without Borders, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Literary Hub, and she is the sole editor of the volume, International Perspectives on Publishing Platforms: Image, Object, Text, forthcoming in early 2019 from Routledge. Meghan is also founder and co-editor of the not-for-profit small press imprint harlequin creature.

Gabriel Ariel Levicky, GabLev ’18 is an artist, poet, translator and NYC tour guide. His cartoons, poetry, and collages gablevages reflect a strong DaDa/Surreal influence, employing humor, sarcasm and self-mocking. Born in Humenne, Eastern Slovakia, he studied in Bratislava where he joined a dissident group opposing the communist regime and signed the Charter 77. Until 1979, his work was published in Czechoslovak and international magazines and newspapers. Later as a result of increasing persecution by the STB secret police, he was forced to leave Czechoslovakia. Before settling in New York, he lived in California where he earned his BA in international relations at San Francisco State University.

Wednesday, AUGUST 15 at 7pm
Bohemian National Hall, cinema
321 E 73 St, New York City

PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

A special screening of a Czech docudrama offering insight into the disquietingly unconflicted mind of a man who built his career on rationalizing mass killings. As a collaborator with Stalin’s secret police, Karel Vaš, oversaw the butchery of more than 1,000 German civilians. As a judge in the infamous show trials after 1948 communist coup in Czechoslovakia, he dispensed death sentences to opponents of the regime based on fabricated evidence. While his actions caused many deaths he lived to be 97!! He was the cruelest communist killer ever to speak on camera about his career. (2014, 52 min. In English )
The filmmaker and historian Pavel Palecek was present to introduce his film.

In cooperation with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York.

Pavel Palecek (1977) earned his Ph.D. in modern history and studied at the University of Vienna, Columbia University of New York and Masaryk University in Brno. He is the author of five history books and several award-winning documentaries on WWII and Cold War history. He is also a founder of the Cold War Museum “10-Z Bunker” in Brno (www.10-Z.cz).

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 8:00pm
at Bohemian National Hall, 3rd fl.
321 E 73 St, New York City

An opening of two exhibitions, “Remembering Alexander Dubcek” and “The Story of an Image: Bare-Chested Man in Front of a Tank,” accompanied by a screening of the documentary film Dubcek 70 (Sedemdesiatnik Alexander Dub?ek, 24 min., 1991, English subtitles). In the interview, made one year before his tragic death, the 70-year old Alexander Dubcek reflects on events that affected his personal journey as one of the protagonists of the “Prague Spring.”

Where were you on Aug 21, 1968? Come to share your memory for our oral history video project!

Organized in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York and with the support of the Consulate general of the Czech Republic.

RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org
Free and open to the public.
Suggested donation $5.00

This is a joint event with the Czech Center. Its program will start at 7pm.
A light wine and beer reception will follow the screening on the 3rd fl.

Photo (c)Ladislav Bielik

Friday, August 24, 2018 at 7:00pm
Bohemian National Hall
321 E 73 St, New York City

A recital of songs by the renowned composers Rudolf Friml (later in Hollywood), Oskar Nedbal, Rudolf Piskácek, Jirí Beneš, Roman Blahník and Jirí Steblický.
RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org

Free and open to the public.
Suggested donation $15.00

Bellissime Vocal Duo
Gabriela Miková Johnson – mezzo soprano
Anna Butkiewicz – soprano
Tána Vanecková – piano
Produced by Moart
Photo by Monika Kosanová-Zaluská

Gabriela Míková Johnson, a graduate of the Janá?ek Conservatory in Ostrava, is a singer, actress, and dancer based in New York. She has twice performed as soprano soloist in Händel’s Messiah for Gordon Stewart’s period-instrument production with the Philipstown Philharmonia. Before moving to the U.S., Gabriela performed many operatic, dramatic, and musical comedy roles in central and western Europe. Her career includes six seasons as featured soloist at Plze?’s J.K. Tyl Theatre (including Euridice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Mable in Pirates of Penzance , Roxie in Chicago, and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha), Bernstein’s Mass with the State Philharmonic of Brno, concerts with both the Janá?ek and the North Bohemian philharmonic orchestras, and three European tours of West Side Story. She teaches singing at the Storm King School in Cornwall, New York, where she has been Adjunct Instructor of Voice since 2013.

Anna Butkiewicz is a classically trained singer living and working in Warsaw, Poland, where she recently performed with Opera Kameralna. She received her Master’s degree from Ostrava University, Czech Republic, and for fifteen seasons was a featured soloist with the National Theatre of Moravian Silesia in Ostrava, where she performed many opera and light-opera roles, including Elisabeth in Land of Smiles by Franz Lehár (for which she received a Thalia Award nomination), Hana Glavari in The Merry Widow, the title role in Giuditta, and Helena in Offenbach’s Beautiful Helena. She has performed concerts with the Janá?ek Philharmonic Orchestra, and has also sung concerts in Japan and Austria. For five years she taught operatic singing at Ostrava’s Janá?ek Conservatory.

Tania Vanková is a Czech concert pianist living and working in Plze?, Czech
Republic. After graduating from the State Conservatory in Plze?, she joined the J.K. Tyl Theatre as accompanist. There she worked with the opera, light opera, and ballet divisions for twenty seasons. She teaches piano at the School of Arts in Plze?, and regularly performs with the Gala Strauss Orchestra in Austria and Germany.

* “Operetta” refers to a theatrical entertainment that, like opera, tells a story through music, but which unlike most opera treats of light subjects, usually romantic love, and in a comic style (no death or Germanic mythology here!), and whose music may be less sophisticated or complex. In the twentieth century this form gave rise to the American musical.

** https://youtu.be/mCH4Gs8Oaco

For more info, please contact Bellissime@GabrielaAnnaVocalDuo

Program

Rudolf Piská?ek – “Jen jedenkrát”; “Když Máj jde k nám” from Perly Panny Serafinky
Rudolf Friml – “Only a Rose”; “Love for Sale” from Vagabond King
“Indian Love Call”; “L’amour Toujours” from Rose Marie
Jara Beneš – “Já mám devet kanáru”; “To ti dám pi pi písemne?” from Ulicnice
R. A. Dvorský – “Slunecnice” from film Hotel Modrá Hvezda
Jaroslav Ježek – “Kytice”
Josef Stelibský – “Láska brány otevírá” from Ostrov Milování
Oskar Nedbal – “Blondýnky sladké” from Polská Krev
Rudolf Piská?ek – “Ty ceské Panenky” from Perly Panny Serafinky

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 at 11AM
(Meet at 10:30 am.)

Come to participate in the Flower Communion as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of Czechoslovakia.

Location:
First Unitarian Congregational Society
50 Monroe Place at Pierrepont St.
Brooklyn Heights, NY

The First Unitarian Church in Brooklyn Heights has historic ties with Czechoslovakia. Brooklyn-born Charlotte Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1923), later the First Lady of Czechoslovakia, was its very active member. She was instrumental in developing close ties with the Czechoslovak Unitaria and cooperation with Norbert Capek, the founder of Czech Unitarian Church in Prague and creator of the Flower Communion. Both her husband Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and her son Jan spoke from this church’s pulpit. You can see some memorabilia and photos in the church.
Free and open to the public.

About the Flower Communion:
www.uua.org/documents/zottolireginald/flowercommunion.pdf

PROGRAM
We will visit the church and participate in the Sunday Flower Communion service.
Bring a flower to exchange it for another after the ceremony.
Review the song below. It is traditionally sung at this occasion. In Czech!! Its text will be available to non-Czech speakers in a phonetic transcription.

Aj lucka, lucka siroka,
roste na ni­ trava,
roste na ni­ trava vysoka.

After, we will walk around Brooklyn Heights and have lunch in a local restaurant.

PLEASE LET US KNOW if you will join us for lunch so we can make a reservation.
RSVP

Organized by Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in New York (SVU NY)
and The New York Czech Slovak Meet Up

Wednesday, June 20 at 7pm
Bohemian National Hall, 3rd Floor

An evening with Christopher Harwood, PhD, Lecturer in Czech at Columbia University, and Charles Sabatos, PhD, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey. They will present highlights of the past century of Czech and Slovak literature. Their talk will be accompanied by readings in English from six literary works—three Slovak and three Czech. Reading the excerpts will be Katarina Vizina and Alex Zucker. Alex will have copies of his translations for sale.

In cooperation with the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic.

Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $5.00
Light refreshments.

RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org

Christopher Harwood is a Lecturer in Czech in the Slavic Department of Columbia University. He also works occasionally as a freelance translator (from Czech and Russian to English) and interpreter (between Czech and English). His professional interests focus on methods for teaching Czech as a foreign language and on 20th- and 21st-century Czech literature and culture. He holds BA (1990), MA (1992) and PhD (2000) degrees in Russian literature from Columbia University. Chris is the President of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU), New York Chapter.

Charles Sabatos is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the author of many articles on Slovak literature, as well as on topics in Central European, Turkish, Russian and American literature and culture. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan.

Kararina Vizina a native of Bratislava, Slovakia, holds an MA in Musical Theater from The Janá?ek Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Brno, Czech Republic and an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College (CUNY). Katarina co-founded Cabaret Metropol, a band featuring many singers, each specializing in a different language. Katarina was featured with Cabaret Metropol as the pre-show for the 2014 off-Broadway production of Václav Havel’s The Pig. www.katarinavizina.com

Alex Zucker is a translator of Czech literature. His translations include novels by J. R. Pick, Petra H?lová, Jáchym Topol, Heda Margolius Kovály, Tomáš Zmeškal, Magdaléna Platzová, Josef Jedli?ka, Patrik Ou?edník, and Miloslava Holubová. From 2014 to 2016, he served as co-chair of the PEN America Translation Committee. In 2010 he won the ALTA National Translation Award for Petra H?lová’s All This Belongs to Me. You can find Alex’s database of Czech literature in English translation at bitly.com/czechlitinenglish. Visit his website at www.alexjzucker.com.

Free books courtesy of SVU NY.

Books-for-sale will include: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, by J. R. Pick; Three Plastic Rooms and All This Belongs to Me, by Petra H?lová; Angel Station, City Sister Silver, and A Trip to the Train Station, by Jáchym Topol; The Attempt, by Magdaléna Platzová; Love Letter in Cuneiform, by Tomáš Zmeškal; Innocence; or, Murder on Steep Street, by Heda Margolius Kovály; Case Closed and The Opportune Moment, 1855, by Patrik Ou?edník; More Than One Life, by Miloslava Holubová; The Drug of Art, by Ivan Blatný; plus Czech Plays: Seven New Works, an anthology of Czech drama, and The Man Between, a collection of essays on the life and work of translator Michael Henry Heim.

Wednesday, MAY 30, 2018 at 7pm
Bohemian National Hall, 3rd floor
321 E 73 St, New York City

RSVP: newyork@svu2000.org

Join us for an evening with Vít Horejš who will discuss subversive puppet activity over three centuries and demonstrate magic marionette manipulation. The presentation will be followed by a screening of the award-winning documentary film Faust on a String, which traces the history of the centuries old Czech marionettes–sleeping beauties that came back to life – at Jan Hus Church on Upper East Side in New York City.

Vít Horejš is the Artistic Director of Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) based in New York City. He is currently working on his next production “Duke Oldrich & Washerwoman Božena, the True Story”, a non-traditional staging of a traditional marionette play based on the story of love at first sight; and featuring the 11th century Duke who disregarded class boundaries in his marriage but forgot to mention some minor relationship details to his beloved. The show will run in November 2018 at the Jan Hus Playhouse. Visit czechmarionettes.org for more information.

* Czech and Slovak puppetry has been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2017.

In cooperation with the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic.

Free and open to the public.
Suggested donation $5.00
Light Refreshments

Our events are made possible by the support of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA).