NEWS FROM THE CZECH CENTER MUSEUM HOUSTON - OCTOBER, 2014
From the Heart of Europe to the Heart of Houston, The Czech Center Museum Houston 4920 San Jacinto Street Houston, Texas 77004 713.528.2060 Open Monday - Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm
czech@czechcenter.org
www.czechcenter.org
The Annual Fall Fundraising Celebration will be held on November 15, 2014. Please support this important benefit with the proceeds applied to our Fund for Perpetuity! More details inside. The Endowment for Perpetuity Fund 2014 Advances! Join us in embracing the CCMH’s purpose of helping future generations realize the importance of heritage in their life. We connect People, Heritage, History and the World! Czech and Slovaks celebrate annually the fall of communism and rise of democratic change in government. This year marks twenty-five years of the momentous happening. View our last Newsletter:www.czechcenter.org/news/pdfs/Czech News.pdf View our Blog: http://czechcentermuseumhouston.wordpress.com/ View items for purchase:http://www.czechcenter.org/giftshop/giftshop.asp
EVENTS On Friday, October 3, 2014, the Czech Center Museum Houston hosted a public poetry reading and book signing with poet Sylva Fischerova. It was quite an honor to host this young writer, who made several stops in Houston on her North American tour to promote her new bilingual collection of poems, Stomach of the Soul. She hails from the Czech Republic, where she teaches at Charles University in Prague. Fischerova studied French at a school in Brno, and since the event took place in the CCMH’s Brno Gallery, she started off the reading with a poem from the book about the Czech town of the same name. It was quite an experience to hear the poems read in the voice of their original author, as well as one in its original Czech version. While signing copies of the book for audience members, Fischerova graciously gifted an additional copy to CCMH’s Comenius Library. The author and guests stayed after the signing to mingle and enjoy drinks. During her introduction, the poet mentioned that she grew up in the town of Oloumouc, where her father had been a Rector at Palacký University. As a dissident during communist rule, her father was also a close friend of Václav Havel, the playwright, poet and philosopher who played a huge role in the Velvet Revolution and would later become President of Czechoslovakia. In attendance were members of the Houston poetry community, including Fischerova’s Houston representative, Robin Davidson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of Creative Writing at the University of Houston-Downtown. Also in the audience was poet William Guest. Mr. Guest hosted his own reading and memorial service at the Czech Center on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 2pm in honor of the late Robin McCorquodale. The reading was open to the public and very well attended, bringing in many of the McCorquodale’s friends and family and filling the Czech Center’s Brno Gallery. Guests heard poems from McCorquodale’s new book of poetry from Ink Brush Press, Falling into Harmony, which was available for sale at the event. We are touched that Mr. Guest chose to honor his good friend in this way.
November 1, 2014 at 10:00am - Czech Buttons Presentation Did you know that Czechoslovakians made and manufactured wonderful buttons? Did you know that the Czechs brought the pearl button business to America? Have you heard of Moonglows? Come hear Carolyn Hubenak talk about the history of the button industry in Czechoslovakia and how the Czechs brought this craft – and art – to America. Examples of Czech buttons will be displayed.
November 1, 2014 at 7:00pm Film Screening Join the Czech Center Museum for a screening of the new Czech film, Listopad! Based on the events and protests of the historic Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic, Listopad tells a story of living under Communism in 1989 from the perspective of students, artists and dissidents. You can read the synopsis here: http://listopadfilm.com/synopsis.html, and we are very pleased to announce that the film's producer will be in attendance. Admission is $10. 713.528.2060 or czech@czechcenter.org for more info
November 8, 2014 at 5:00pm Alphons Mucha Exhibit and Lecture Visit Brno Gallery in the Czech Center Museum for a talk on artist Alphons Mucha, Czech Art Nouveau painter. The Museum’s Mucha prints will be on display along with special Mucha-related pieces from the Prague International Gift Shop. A cash bar will be available.
November 15, 2014
“Ten Years – Ten Million” Celebration Held in November to commemorate the 25th year since the start of the Velvet Revolution to end communism in the Czech Republic, this celebration honors the 10 Year Anniversary of the Czech Center Museum Houston in Houston’s beautiful Museum District. Dinner and drinks will be served, and the entertainers of the night are the very talented big band Jazz Medics. You can also look forward to a ceremonial re-unveiling of our beloved Charles Bridge mural on the north side of our building, as well as live and si-
November 19, 2014 at 7:30pm Apollo Chamber Players Concert Enjoy the sounds of the Apollo Chamber Players, the chamber music organization with a mission to explore the rich intersection of Western classical and folk/ethnic music. Admission is $25 per person and includes a glass of wine, and a cash bar will also be available. This event was underwritten by Czech Center Museum Houston member Beryl Hogshead.
December 6, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Saint Nicholas Eve Celebration
Saint Nicholas Eve Celebration with the Bishop, Angel, and Devil, A Holiday Dinner for friends, families, and children. Admission is $35 per person, dinner included. Cash Bar. Requires advanced purchase of ticket to reserve seating. Please, respond by November 21st. 2014 RSVP to: 713.528.2060 or museum@czechcenter.org for more info. Thanks to Friends of the Czech Center Museum Houston (See Table of Contributors here...) who have made a contribution to the CCMH Endowment Fund 2014 Appeal. We are grateful to these supporters who will help our museum remain one of Houston's treasured gems and who have recognized, in their generous and thoughtful gifts, this critical component of support to establish an Endowment to allow CCMH to continue its mission for future generations. The Endowment will relieve the constant striving for funds over, above and beyond basic admission and membership dues. This effort continues, so please consider Gifts to the Endowment Fund 2014 at this time. Our thanks for the contributions by: Virginia Hodge; matching donation on behave of V. Hodge by UBS , Julie Kloess; J. Barnard, L. Dulaney, Jerrie H. Collins; Henrietta & John Haessly; Virginia Hodge; Meril & Michael Markley; Cindy Miskell; Sylvester Suda; Catherine & Theodore Hajdik; and Robert Sveter, Jr., Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas, Pustejovsky Living Trust, F.Beseda, ,Margie E. Horn & Leta Middleton, and Wes Pustejovsky since our last newsletter.
NEWS FROM CZECH CENTER MUSEUM MEMBERS Robert Dvorak’s West Point Symphony Performed in Full On Sunday, September 28th, 2014, McAllister Auditorium at San Antonio College was filled with the sounds of the West Point Symphony, composed by CCMH member Robert J. Dvorak. The Heart of Texas Concert Band performed all three movements of the piece as part of their 2014-2015 Concert Season. The show, titled “Marches and Other Curiosities,” was not only a chance for audience members to hear Mr. Dvorak’s music but to see the composer present at the concert himself. The musicians and conductors say that they were honored to meet the composer and his wife and play in in their presence. An excerpt from the program notes, to give a little history on the composition and show what an integral role music has played throughout Mr. Dvorak’s life, reads: “2nd Lieutenant Robert Dvorak was appointed Assistant Bandmaster of the US Military Academy Band at West Point, New York, under Captain Francis E. Resta. This special band, in addition to regular duties at academy functions, performed at prestigious ceremonies for American Presidents, Heads of Foreign Countries, Ambassadors, Generals, and Members of Congress. Since preparations were already beginning for the West Point Academy’s sesquicentennial year of 1952, Lt. Dvorak, along with a number of composers in America and abroad was requested to write appropriate music for the band. His composition, although originally conceptualized for orchestra, was arranged for the band. It was a three-movement symphony – West Point Symphony – based on themes of the Academy. Today the third movement, Allegro Spiritoso, has become a classic in band literature.” The Alamo Plaza plans to host a performance next year of “America My Country,” another piece by Mr. Dvorak. He and wife Donna Dvorak plan to attend this event as well, and she has even been asked to play her French horn!
Composer Robert Dvorak, Conductor Mark Rogers, and Piano Soloist Darin Henry Tysdal
Our Journey Back to the Land of My Ancestors a story about reconnecting with roots from member LaVerne Nash For years I have wanted to go to the village of my grandparents, Frantiska and Alois Huml. They lived in a rural, agricultural community by the name of Cheznovice in Bohemia that is located about 80 miles southwest of Prague. This year I had the opportunity to take my son, my daughter and my granddaughter to the birthplace of their great grandparents. It was a revelation for my children who were in awe of the land and the village that was once the home of their ancestors. We saw the house, the school and chapel that my father and his sisters attended because, you see, my grandparents took their family back to Bohemia to live in 1920 after arriving in America in 1905. So in 1920 my grandfather built a home for his family in the same village of his birth. It was a sturdy home built of cement bricks and stuccoed, complete with a red tile roof. They had plenty of land to grow a big garden and many fruit trees. There was a woods close by to pick mushrooms and a pond to swim in the summer and ice skate in the winter. It was a pastoral and delightful existence. But the winds of war began to threaten Czechoslovakia, so my grandparents and children left, never to return other than to visit. never to live in the house again. The home, known as the "American House" stood vacant and abandoned, left to deteriorate until after the war when the house was transferred to my great uncle, the youngest brother of my grandfather. Unfortunately, construction materials were hard to come by after the war and even more difficult when the Communists took over, so the American house was neglected. Years later, in 1995, the house went on the market and a lovely couple from northern Czech Republic fell in love with the small village and bought the "American" house. With loving hands they restored it to its original beauty and made modern improvements. So this year, I went back to Cheznovice with my children to visit the house. Hana Srbekova greeted us and graciously allowed us to tour her home. It was an awe inspiring experience. My children, who never gave much thought to their Czech roots, suddenly were thrilled to walk and stand on the ground that their great-great grandparents lived and toiled. To touch the walls of the house, to feel the soil under their feet, to view the world in which their ancestors lived will forever be a part of the beautiful memories. And perhaps because of this lovely experience, they will one day take their children to the Czech lands and tell them the stories of their roots and pass the memories of Bohemia on for generations to come. LaVerne Nash Let us know what you’ve been up to! We’re looking for Czech, cultural and arts related stories to share in our next newsletter. Contact museum@czechcenter.org or 713-528-2060.
Member Ted LaPesh recently sent us a friendly update on the harvest in this Nebraska garden. He shared some great farming photos with a description: “It has been a busy week here on the farm in Nebraska. My sister came on Monday and we began harvesting some of the vegetables out of the garden. With the help of an old horse drawn plow, which we hooked to the Ford tractor; we harvested all the potatoes, as well as parsnip, carrots, turnips, and beets. It was still a lot of work but the fact that we did not dig these vegetables by hand was a great help.�
YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR CZECH FILM SCREENING The Czech Center Museum is currently accepting donations to help us bringing Listopad to the big screen here at Brno Gallery. We are asking for your kind donation of the funds needed in order for us to bring the movie to our Museum, have the film's producer present, and rent the appropriate equipment it will take to project and share Listopad with our audience. You can play a tremendous part in bringing this important piece of Czech culture to the attention of people of all heritages and backgrounds! Follow this link: http://www.power2give.org/Houston/Project/Detail?projectId=8609 to donate through our Power 2 Give project page!
MUTUAL INSPIRATIONS FESTIVAL IN WASHINGTON D.C. The Mutual Inspirations Festival is an annual program by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, focusing on the mutual inspirations between Czech and American cultures and featuring each year an extraordinary Czech personality who has greatly influenced and inspired others through his or her work. This year, the Mutual Inspirations Festival is celebrating the life of Prague-born Franz Kafka. His works transcend time and even foreshadow the future. This year marks the 90th anniversary of his passing. This exhibition is on view and includes several events happening September 3rd - October 31st. Attend if you happen to be in D.C.!
CZECH NAME DAY In the Czech Republic, you don’t just get a birthday – you could also have a name day. Each day of the year except national holidays corresponds to a personal name, and in Czech this is called "svátek" or more formally "jmeniny”. The name day calendar tells what name falls on which day, and you can use it as a reason to celebrate. The name day calendar was used in the past by parents to pick a name for their child, and highly unusual names had to be approved by a special office. Although this has changed, it is not uncommon in the present day to use the calendar to pick a name. Here is the November 2014 Name Day Calendar, including Czech national holidays on November 2nd and 17th:
Did you know that the Czech week starts with Monday instead of Sunday? Pondeli is Monday Utery is Tuesday Streda is Wednesday Ctvrtek is Thursday Patek is Friday Sobota is Saturday Nedele is Sunday
MEMORIAL TILES STILL AVAILABLE The sixth etching of the Honor and Memorial Tiles has just been completed. Four hundred and fifty tiles of sizes 4 x 12 ($250), 6 x 12 ($500), 8 x 12 ($750) and 12 x 12 ($1,000) have been etched displaying approximately 850 names. We will be soliciting donors for the seventh round of etchings. Your contribution to honor or memorialize a loved one will be considered a contribution to the Endowment Fund. Names will proudly be displayed at the Czech Center Museum Houston and will be considered payment for membership the length appropriate to the amount of the donation. A $1,000 contribution will classify you and your family with lifetime status. Please see the following link for more information. http://www.czechcenter.org/support/honorwall.asp
CHARLES BRIDGE MURAL AT THE CZECH CENTER
The Charles Bridge over the river Vltava is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Prague. It is the oldest bridge in the city, built between the 14th and 15th century, and it spans the river with 16 pillars. It is lined with statues and lamps and this scenery, together with the Gothic bridge towers on both ends, makes the Charles Bridge a breathtaking historical monument. There is no better place in Prague for a walk in the evening. Our mural of this bridge is on view outside on the north side.
NOVEMBER 17, 1989: THE VELVET REVOLUTION On this day, November 17, 1989, the Velvet Revolution began in Czechoslovakia. Almost every day afterwards until the end of December brought more protests with more and more people participating. By November 20, an estimated half-million of peaceful protesters took to the streets, up from the 200,000 of the day before. A general two-hour strike that involved all citizens of Czechoslovakia was held on November 27th (various video clips from these protests and from the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968 can be seen at the Museum of Communism in Prague). After that, demonstrations were being held almost daily in Prague as well as in Bratislava. Within ten days, a group of dissidents known as the Civic Forum had ousted the Communist leaders and formed a new democratic government. The Forum was a mass popular movement for reforms that called for the dismissal of top officials responsible for the violent attack on the students, an independent investigation of the incident and the release of all political prisoners. Communism fell first in Poland in June 1989 and then in Hungary in October, and finally, the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. “In Poland the transition [from communism to democracy] lasted ten years, in Hungary ten months, in Czechoslovakia ten days,� wrote journalist Timothy Garton Ash, who witnessed the revolutions throughout central and east Europe. The Velvet Revolution would not have been possible were it not for the monumental events unfolding in the other Communist Bloc countries. The Estonian Singing Revolution was well on its way in Estonia, not to mention the election of Solidarity members to Poland’s government. On August 23rd, 1989, two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands along a 600km stretch of road between Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Also, on December 4th the border to Austria was opened, effectively ending the Iron Curtain division of East and West. On November 28th, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia sensed its defeat and agreed to give up their monopoly on political power. On December 10th, Communist President Gustav Husak appointed the first largely non-communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948 and resigned. Alexander Dubcek was elected speaker of the federal parliament and Vaclav Havel became the first president of a free Czechoslovakia since 1948 on December 29, 1989. With Havel as president, the students ended their strike and the Velvet Revolution ended. Afterwards, the first democratic elections since 1946 were held in June 1990, and brought the first completely non-communist government to Czechoslovakia in over forty years.
CZECH HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS November 2: All Souls' Day – On this day Czechs visit cemeteries to remember and pay respects to their deceased loved ones. The Czech name for the day is Památka zesnulých ("a remembrance of those who have passed") People visit the graves of relatives to light candles, lay flowers and contemplate about their loved ones. December 5: St. Nicholas Tradition – On this day the three characters St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (anděl) who represents the Good, and the Devil (čert) representing the Evil walk the streets. They stop children and ask if they were good in the past year. Most kids say yes and sing a song or recite a short poem. They are then rewarded with sweets, candy or other treats, which are handed out by the Angel. Bad kids only get coal instead of candy - of course this does not really happen! December 24 - 26: Christmas—Czechs celebrate Christmas for three days beginning Christmas Eve and ending the 26th (the Feast of Stephen). Presents placed under a Christmas tree by the Baby Jesus ( Ježíšek ) are opened after dinner on Christmas Eve. Potato salad and carp fish is the traditional Christmas meal, and for this reason one can see live carp sold out of huge tanks on the streets of Czech cities and towns just before Christmas.
GOOD READS AVAILABLE AT OUR PRAGUE INTERNATIONAL GIFT SHOP They called him “Žižka” - The One-Eyed. A grizzled warrior, he rose from service as a mere bodyguard at the court of King Wenceslas to lead armies of peasant men and women. By Jim Fuxa, CCMH member. Marta - A Czech girl story of surviving the Third Reich and Its Aftermath. By by Monika Koenigova
Stomach of the Soul – newest bilingual collection of poems,. These particular poems invite paradox where personal and historical forces, faith and skepticism and humor, live side by side like "mosquitoes in holy water." by Sylva Fischerova Last Flight of American bomber #118— a factual account of a bombing raid of WWII, which chronicles the last half-hour of the American bomber #118's flight over Czech territory. By Stanislav Tofel
QUOTES “Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable.” Franz Kafka "Those that say that individuals are not capable of changing anything are only looking for excuses."
Václav Havel "Once again I was doing historical painting, but this time not about Germany but a brotherly Slav nation. Describing the glorious and tragic events in its history, I thought of the joys and sorrows of my own country and of all the Slavs. And so, before I had completed the south Slav murals, I had made up my mind about my future big work which was to become 'The Slav Epic' and I saw it as a great and glorious light shining into the souls of all people with its clear ideals and burning warnings." (Alphonse Mucha, quoted in p. 62 - Mucha, 2005 Grange Books)
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.