embassy events 2009

"American Dream" Exhibit in Kraków – Virtual Tour

7 October 2009

David Parrish “Elvis & Marilyn” Oil on Canvas 1996, Louis K. and Susan P. Meisel Family Collection; copyright David Parrish. (photo gallery)

The "American Dream"  exhibition at the National Museum in Kraków closed on October 4, 2009. That Sunday, museum visitors had a chance to participate in a unique “American Dream” workshop with Michał Burdziński, enjoy a guided tour of the exhibit, and share their impressions during an afternoon panel discussion with the exhibit’s creators including Zofia Gołubiew, National Museum Director, and Magdalena Czubińska, the Museum Curator. Consul General Allen Greenberg, Public Affairs Officer Benjamin Ousley, and Iwona Sadecka, Public Affairs Specialist, who conceived the idea for the exhibit and worked with the National Museum and Jagiellonian University to make it happen, represented the U.S. Consulate in Kraków.  The “American Dream” homepage created exclusively for this event features a virtual tour of the exhibit.

Since opening day on July 1, 2009 the “American Dream” exhibit was extremely popular with Kraków residents and out-of-town visitors.  “American Dream” allowed visitors to experience a panorama of American culture with its iconic figures and events. A multimedia educational and artistic project, it also featured thirty photorealist paintings from the collection of Louis K. and Susan P. Meisel, which have never been shown in Poland before.

On July 1, 2009, a large crowd joined Ambassador Victor Ashe, Consul General Anne Hall, and National Museum Director Zofia Gołubiew for the opening of the "American Dream" exhibition and a reception in honor of America's Independence Day. Guests attending the Independence Day Celebration were the first to visit the "American Dream" exhibit and enjoy several other American-themed exhibitions including photos from the American photographer Wee-Gee, historic Coca-Cola posters, and "Pierwszy krok," which features well-known contemporary American artists such as Andy Warhol and Eric Fischl. Please click here to see a photo gallery from the event.