NEWS FROM THE CZECH CENTER MUSEUM HOUSTON APRIL 2015 From the Heart of Europe to the Heart of Houston, Texas in the Museum District
Free Movie Night is the 2nd Friday of every month! Next movie night is May 8th, 2015 at 7:30pm
Database Updates If you are currently a member of the Czech Center Museum Houston and have changed your mailing address, phone number or email address in the past two years, please contact events@czechcenter.org with your new information and the subject line “Member Update.�
April 25, 2015 Zone 2 Museum Experience 10am - 4pm, All floors
Live polka music by Bob and Mike from Texas Legacy Czech Band Polka dancing lessons Czech animated cartoon for children ..and more 1
April 25, 2015 at CCMH!
10:00 am to 4:00 pm, All Floors !
Come to CCMH and enjoy the day full of fun with us! Brno Gallery-1st Floor The last day of the Texas Czechs: Rooted in Tradition exhibit !
Prague Hall-2nd floor Polka music and Polka dancing lessons 1.00pm to 4.00pm Live polka music by Bob and Mike from Texas Legacy Czech Band
Pilsen Hall-3rd Floor Cartoons, Pexeso, and other activities for children What else? Famous Melange Creperie 2
Good wine and Czech beer
NEWS March was Book Month On March 5th we celebrated World Book Day. In the Czech and Slovak Republic, March is known as ” Book Month”. Book Month began in 1995 and continues today. Some publishers provide substantial discounts on selected titles and prepare launches of new publications. Most books are published in the UK - about 100,000 titles a year (compared to 60,000 titles in the U.S.). The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. A passionate reader will find in it some 119 million books. In the Middle Ages, the book Codex Gigas was compared to the Seven Wonders of the World. It weighs 75 kg. The Czech Republic is a small country, but its book publishing is flourishing more and more every year. Last year, another record fell in post-communist Czech history: local publishers produced 18,029 new books. CCMH’s Comenius Library is in its final stage of reorganizing and will be open to the public soon. Library members will gain access to our books, reading space and WIFI. Meanwhile, you can check our museum shop for interesting books.
April 7 - Education Day The seventh day of April in the Czech calendar is marked as "Education Day" and belongs to the category of parliament-approved "important days". Education Day commemorates the release of the founding charter of Charles University, which occurred on April 7, 1348. It was the first university of its kind in Central Europe. The existence of the university was of great importance for Czech education and cultural contacts of the Czech country with the rest of Europe. The founding of Charles University is a symbol of the flourishing education, the importance of which April 7 is to commemorate. Charles University is one of the oldest universities in the world. It currently consists of 17 faculties and other institutions. It offers degrees in more than six hundred fields of study, covering a broad spectrum of disciplines, from medical sciences and natural sciences to the social sciences and humanities to theological studies, including the study of teaching. 3
21st Annual Members and Friends Dinner On Saturday night, March 28 at 5:30pm, outside the Baroque Palace building the Czech Center Museum Houston, advertised the 21st annual Members & Friends Dinner with world renowned string ensemble Skampa Quartet from Prague performing an evening concert. Twinkling chandeliers welcomed an already enthusiastic crowd in Prague Hall where the ensemble had begun the first few minutes of their music repertoire while guests mingled over wine, hors d’oeuvres and conversation. Then continuing in Brno Gallery, toe tapping to lively music from the Czech Maestros Suk, Janacek, Dvorak and Fisher with the prominent professor of classical music himself Dr. Tom Sovik from the University of North Texas at the microphone with his delightful commentary, introducing the brilBrno Gallery 1st floor - Concert liant musicians and the various scores they were playing. I looked around this beautiful setting asking myself, where are the representatives from the Houston Chronicle, who normally describe just such elegant scenes as this, but they were not present to our sorrow. The city of Houston missed this in the Sunday paper. It was indeed a magnanimous evening with a great dinner. We were humbled at the beauty of it all and we thank our partners’ caring and continuous support of our mission to touch people’s lives with beauty, music, art, history, and heritage here at the Czech Center Museum Houston. Just once again, how appropriate to be the setting for the Prague Ensemble’s Music in Wenceslas Chapel. Dr. Sovik had noted we would hear the haunting hymns of Svaty Vaclav, St. Wenceslas, the Czech land’s patron seen as protector and savior of his land and its people. Indeed, that brought back memories of our South Moravian first travels. Every Sunday in whatever village, the villages sang their hearts out to Svaty Vaclav in every church between Brno and Valtice and around. I remember hearing that Annie’s Mother Hermina Drobilicova was singing His praises as her last words. A true Legend, that Svaty Vaclav, King Wenceslas, their patron. There was a festival scene of flowers, silent auction, raffle, while the Prague International Gifts with unique items from around the world beckoned as well with new selections of antiques and contemporary finds to help the success of the museum’s Benefit for Endowment for Perpetuity to sustain us for the future generations to come and for our student scholarship funding. It was heartwarming to greet friends Dr. Ervin Adam’s family, Dr. Klima and supporters from many years Cynthia Gdula and Charles Westervelt from San Antonio, Dan & Kathleen Hrna, she was our first staff employee who maintained the building and office while it was under construction those years, Dan celebrating a young 75th birthday, as he said what a way to celebrate! Also present Valerie Kerschen Mayfield with husband Price and young son Luke who purchased his first classical music CD of the ensemble Prague Hall 2nd floor -Dinner 4 from Prague – good taste!
21st Annual Members and Friends Dinner We had the Pflughaupts and group from Lodge 88 SPJST, Marek Family Companies sent a group including the Nevluds Marcel and Kathleen Frey brought Lillian Kokas who we hadn’t seen for years. She goes way back with us to the Northwest Mall gift shop, then the move to the Museum District. Then there were the regulars, the Pustejovskys, the Rosenes, Ed and Sandra Pickett in gorgeous finery. Also Kerry and Peggy Mazoch, James Ermis, Henry & Barbara Hermis, all the volunteers and staff. Terese and Gary Wagner as always provided a garden of fresh flowers for sale in take home containers at every table. It’s amazing how some people are blessed not only with goodness but so much talent. Thank you Terese and to all our people who helped make it all come together. Good job! Thanks too to Rudy Rusnak and Rev. Paul Chovanec for your usual largesse. Sharon and Ronnie Clay graced the Rosene family table. Henry Hermis, Dr. Glenn Sternes, Sandra Pickett and Lorraine Rod Green, all present, were former Board Members of CCMH. Our Robert Dvorak was greatly missed, as evident by the numerous inquiries. I told all I could only surmise he was home busy trying to sort out which of his next symphonies he should write! We have often talked with Dr. Tom Sovik and indeed even C.E.F.T. (our music underwriter) about the possibility of an online Czech Language Courses. Dr. Sovik provided us with following good news: UT Austin offers an undergraduate degree in Prague Hall 2nd floor - Dinner Slavic Studies, and the program includes Czech language classes. Good people please come again. We do interesting events continuously; bring friends and family. You will be glad you did. We will see you here. Do remember that our Texas Czechs: Rooted in Tradition exhibit closes April 25 – Houston’s Museum Experience day. Don’t miss it! -Effie M. Rosene
Visit from YES Prep
Visit from University of Houston On March 30, 2015, professor Consuelo Luisa Waight conducted her Leadership Executives class in CCMH’s Brno Gallery with dinner and a cultural-business exchange conversation with twelve students, future business executives/entrepreneurs as Effie Rosene chairman noted, “Virtually the future leaders of the world who will travel to Prague to meet Czech companies in May.”
“We are happy to be doing our cultural project at the
Czech Center Museum Houston.”
- Students from YES Prep School in Wenceslas's Chapel with Effie M. Rosene , Chairman/CEO and Co–Founder of the Museum. Brno Gallery 1st floor
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Events at CCMH Free Movie Night every 2nd Friday at 7:30pm The main goal of our movie night is to get together with friends, learn something new, enjoy the movies, and the Czech Alliance presenting various experiences, essentially getting people together. Doors open and socializing starts at 7.30pm. At 8.00pm, the movie starts, followed by more time for socializing!
Zone 2 Museum Experience April 25, 2015 10am - 4pm, All floors
Live polka music by Bob and Mike from Texas Legacy Czech Band, polka dancing lessons in Prague Hall, cartoons for children, and more. $5 general admission, $3 children 10 and under.
Czech Center Museum Houston (CCMH) invites international volunteers CCMH, one of the Museum District’s nineteen fine museums, is celebrating its 10th year in the city’s Museum District. CCMH has a dedicated special but small cadre of volunteers forming an international group, i.e. Columbia, Mexico, Peru, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and numerous Texas towns including the city of Houston, who thrive on interacting with our visitors from around the world. However, our needs are for more of you (Volunteers) to meet and greet, lead docent historical tours, to show exhibits and artifacts and to extend our genuine Texas and International Hospitality while showcasing our city at the same time. Please contact us. For information, contact Effie Rosene at 713 682 4608 or czech@czechcenter.org, subject : volunteers. Thank you so much!! Gustav Mahler’s 1st Symphony April 26th at 7:00 p.m. at the Nancy Boch Center for Performing Arts at McCullough Junior High School, located at 3800 S Panther Creek Dr. in The Woodlands. The newly reorganized Woodlands Symphony will be performing Mahler's 1st symphony on April 26th. It's a wonderful 60 minute work evocative of nature and European life. Gustav Mahler is another of our Czech treasures - he was born and spent his entire childhood in Eastern Bohemia! Donna Dvorak, CCMH member, will be playing the French Horn. 6
What Makes Czech Czech? We continue with our list of 100 things that are typical for the Czech nation. Please forward you ideas for our list to events@czechcenter.org with the subject line “Newsletter.”
Phenomenal shoemaker Bata, born in Zlin, Czechoslovakia, was a model of business owners for several generations. Despite the fact that he was several times near bankruptcy, he built a shoe empire that made Czechs famous worldwide. Bata Company, founded in 1894 in Zlin, started with ten employees. At the time of Bata’s death, the company employed 16,560 people, maintained 1,645 shops and 25 enterprises. Today, it has a retail presence in over 70 countries and production facilities in 26 countries. Bata shoes were sold in Britain, Canada and even in the U.S. for a time in the British-owned K Mart stores. Some highlights of Bata’s innovations: In Zlin, Bata built housing, schools and hospitals around the factory for its workers and their families. This design was replicated in other parts of the world in years to come. In 1904 Bata became one of the first mass producers of shoes in Europe. Its first mass product, the “Baťovky,” was a leather and textile shoe for working people.
After World War I, Bata responded to post war economic difficulties by reducing the price of shoes by 50%. To keep his people employed, by mutual agreement, he temporarily reduced workers’ wages by 40% and provided them with food, clothing, and other necessities at half price. The bold move proved successful. Bata stores flooded with customers. Bata introduced one of the first profit sharing initiatives for employees. He also set what became known as Bata prices – numbers ending with a nine rather than with a whole number. His motto was: "Do not tell me it's not possible. Tell me that you cannot do it!"
Tomas Bata University in Zlín, a higher education institution comprised of six faculties, offers students the possibility of studying humanities, natural sciences, technology and art. It is one of the most prominent centers of research in the Czech Republic and abroad. 7
RECENT DONORS Cecilia Forrest, Roger Mechura, Glenn and Yvonne Sternes, John and Frances Istvan, Robert and Henrietta Freeman, Bernice Sellers, Marilyn Sikora, Humanities Texas, Kolache Factory, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, SPJST Lodge 88 Houston, Bill and Grace England, Daniel and Suzanne Kubin, Bill and Effie Rosene, The Czech Heritage Society - Harris County Chapter, Brian and Joan Vanicek, Emil and Connie Stavinoha, CĂŠsar Campo Bartosek, Chris Hlavinka, Purvis & Lynn Harper, Jeanette & Bob Gonzales, Rudolph Rusnak, Rev. Paul Chovanec, Marek Family Companies, Wesley Pustejovsky, Dick Bily, SPJST District Five
This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. We need you now! Treat yourself with membership. For more information on becoming a new member of the Czech Center Museum Houston, please visit our website at http://bit.do/czechmember or email museum@czechcenter.org. This organization is supported in part by a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and by the contributions of our Friends, Members and Volunteers.
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The Czech Center Museum Houston’s Mural of the Charles Bridge