PLACE

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the United States

The Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception will take place at The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the United States building – completed in 1910. The building is an exquisite example of early 20-century Beaux Art design. By visiting the Embassy you will be, in a symbolic way, entering into a piece of Polish territory in the heart of Washington, DC.

Vienna Conventions aside, it is our goal to make our Embassy a true Polish Home for friends and guests. Hospitality is an old Polish tradition, and this diplomatic mission has been carefully cultivating that tradition since 1920.

We hope that the Embassy’s remarkable interiors, combined with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, will give you a taste of Polish flavor. What could be better than combining business with pleasure? From our perspective, that’s the best mixture for success and is the guiding light for Polish-US relations today.

We hope that your visit will also encourage you to visit the country it so proudly represents.

CUISINE

Polish cuisine

Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to become very eclectic due to Poland's history. Polish cuisine shares many similarities with other Slavic countries, it has also been widely influenced by other Central European cuisines.

We encourage you to join us at the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception, so you can taste our delicious traditional appetizers, pastries, sweets, regional beer and cocktails. All the meals will be prepared in a traditional way by Polish chefs.

MUSIC

Tomasz Robak

Tomasz Robak is a Polish-American artist who continues the age-old European tradition of the "complete musician" and is active as a pianist, organist and chamber musician. During the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception he will perform a recital of famous Polish composers i.e.: Lessel, Chopin, Paderewski and Szymanowski. The concert will be played on the Steinway grand piano bestowed to the Embassy by I.J. Paderewski during World War II.

Born in Poland, Tomasz Robak spent the first ten years of his life living between Bolesław (near Tarnów) and Chicago, until his family permanently re-located to the United States. He has studied at Rice University and at the Peabody Institute, where he is currently pursuing a doctorate. A champion of the Polish piano repertoire, Tomasz Robak has received scholarships to continue his study of Polish music from the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, DC.

As a concerto soloist, he has performed with the New North Shore Chamber Orchestra, the Memphis Repertory Orchestra, the Manassas Symphony Orchestra, and the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. In 2013, he took Second Prize at the International Beethoven Sonata Competition in Memphis. He has been heard in solo recitals across the United States, in Baltimore, Austin, Chicago, and Memphis, as well as on radio at WFMT-Chicago and WKNO-Memphis. He most recently performed in five concerts at the Belvedere Chamber Music Festival in Memphis. The 2016-2017 season will feature him as a concerto soloist in performances Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra and Parma Symphony Orchestra, a return performance in Memphis, and recitals in Washington, DC and Baltimore.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Edgar Bąk

He is a visual communication designer and an author of the visual identity of the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception in Washington, DC.

In graphic design he avoids big authorial gestures, choosing to orient himself with tools at hand and their specificity. He focuses on the visual grammar and the brief of the project working towards the final effect as if solving a mathematical equation. Sensitive to context, Edgar Bąk eagerly and succinctly quotes the everyday. He considers himself an heir of Polish graphic design: the prewar period, the socialist Poland, and the newly marketized economy of the early 1990s.

Edgar Bąk Studio focuses primarily on visual identity design, working both on entire visual identity systems for buildings and events and on singular books and albums. Edgar Bąk has also illustrated children's books. He has won awards from Advertising Creators Club of Poland (KTR, 10 awards), Association of Applied Graphic Designers (STGU), Book of the Year, the Chimera, and the Society of Publishing Designers in New York. He conducted workshops in Japan, Israel and Ukraine. He teaches publishing design at the School of Form in Poznań. He co-edited "Projekt: The Polish Journal of Visual Art and Design" with Charlotte West for Unit Editions.

DESIGN

Modus Design

Modus Design is Polish ceramic studio based in Kielce from where it implements projects of local, national and international reach. The aim of the studio is to express and infuse contemporary spirit into noble materials and to continue exquisite craftsmanship in porcelain art and design. Join us for the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception and take one of the studio’s designs home.

Modus Studio was established in 1976, originally as a ceramic studio founded by Polish artist and designer Marek Cecuła in SoHo, New York. For years it created applied and decorative ceramic design alternatives. Ceramics shaped by Modus Design encourage private daily ceremonies and offers new ways of arranging the landscape of the table.

Since January 2013, it strictly collaborates with Polish “Ćmielów” and “Chodzież” Porcelain Factories where the Ćmielów Design Studio was established under Marek Cecuła’s leadership. This unique set up initiates the “artist in industry” program and revives the tradition of cooperation between the artist and industry in quest of a new ceramic product. It is also dedicated to the experimental development and adaptation of new technologies for innovative usage in industrial production.

ARCHITECTURE

Polska. Architecture

Architecture in Poland is flourishing. In recent years many significant public buildings have been created: museums and concert halls, sports facilities, educational buildings. Financed by central and local governments, with the support of EU funding, designed by outstanding architects chosen in tough competitions, they are becoming symbols of contemporary life not only on a local or national scale, but also on the international stage.

During the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception, we will introduce you an exhibition presenting 24 newly constructed or revitalized objects. In addition to public buildings present there are offices, residential construction and public space. Each of the objects, depicted by the best Polish architectural photographers, shows its exceptional nature: uniqueness of form, often multi-layered concepts, which is a result of the work of many creators – designers, builders, artists and investors. The exhibition, by its nature, is dedicated to contemporary architecture, but the present grows out of the past and is directed toward the future.

Architecture is a specialized field, but its evaluation must be left primarily to its users. This is why a young writer, Sylwia Chutnik, was asked to create an architectural “narrative,” a literary addendum to the exhibition. As she says, “Architecture is emotion.”

INVESTING

In Poland

In terms of prospective investments, Poland is often indicated as one of the most attractive European countries. It has one of the most rapidly developing economies in Europe and a population of 38 million people, which constitutes a serious potential market. Years of reforms have ensured stability and relative resistance to economic crises.

During the Poland. Where modernity meets tradition cocktail reception we will have some space to discuss certain Polish legal solutions. We will also introduce you to our publications IN POLAND.