Programs

America Presents

“America Presents” programs bring a wide array of American cultural, political, historical, and economic topics to diverse audiences in Poland.  Through this program, the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw offers free, public presentations and talks by American scholars, artists, athletes, and experts.  The events are generally designed for journalists, students, English teachers, and academic faculty (from International Relations, American Studies, and English Departments of universities and private academia). 
In addition, anyone with an interest in the United States or the event’s theme is welcome to attend. 
As a rule, all presentations are given in English, although occasional exceptions will be advertised.  Recent participants of this program have included award-winning novelist Amy Tan, photographer Robert Heller, best-selling author Steve Berry, journalist Tom Friedman, filmmaker Richard Adams and Ambassadors Chris Hill and Victor Ashe. 

Presentations at the Embassy require registration 48 hours in advance.  Please check specific announcements below for details.
Please RSVP to America Presents Coordinator at: AmericaPresents@state.gov or call: 022 504 23 95 if you like to attend.

Past America Presents Events

Alan Elsner, journalist and senior editor of Reuters, in Washington, DC, will visit Poland from March 31 to April 4, 2008. He will first travel to Krakow and Nowy Sacz  and then visit Warsaw and Bialystok speaking on the 2008 Presidential Elections and also on the state of journalism in the United States. Elsner will give presentations at the Nowy Sacz Business School, the Warsaw School of Economics, the University of Bialystok, and the Public Administration School in Bialystok. As a part of “America Presents,” Elsner will speak on “The Crisis in U.S. Journalism” at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe. (more)

America Present Distinguished Professor Gail Levin, February 27 at the Center of Contemporary Art. Gail Levin, Distinguished Professor of art history, American studies and women studies at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, visited Warsaw, Lodz and Krakow with a series of lectures on contemporary American art in February 2008.
As a part of America Presents Program on Wednesday Feb. 27 at 18:00 Distinguished Professor Levin appeared at the Center for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle under the Embassy’s “America Presents” program. She spoke on the topic: “Becoming Judy Chicago:  An Artist's Response to American Culture." (more)

Robert Bell, Senior Vice President of SAIC and former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment visited Warsaw and Krakow March 3-6, 2008. As a part of America Presents Program on Monday, March 3 at 17:00, Robert Bell appeared at the Biblioteka Publiczna m.st. Warszawy, ul. Koszykowa 26/28 (entrance III). He spoke on the topic: “Missile Defense in Europe: Past, Present and Future."(more)

African-American History Month extended beyond February when Blues musician and lecturer Khalif “Wailin’” Walter  visited Warsaw March 10-11, announced Cultural Attaché James Wolfe.  This dynamic American guitarist and singer from Chicago presented a combination performance and lecture on Urban Electric Blues on March 10 at SWPS. On March 11 he also meet students and faculty at Bednarska Music School and played a special concert there at 20:00 with Piotr Rodowicz (bass), Krzysztof Kwiatkowski (drums) and Jacek Prokopowicz (organs). Khalif “Wailin’” Walter’s appearance was made possible in part by the generous support of the Intercontinental Hotel in Warsaw. (more) (Photo gallery)

Ambassador Ashe and Allen Paul at the residence

American Author of a Book on Katyn Speaks at Ambassador’s Residence. Allen Paul, the author of KATYN: Stalin’s Massacre and the Seeds of Polish Resurrection, spoke about his publication on November 26 at the residence of Ambassador Victor Ashe as a part of a special America Presents program.  Paul was born in North Carolina and graduated from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and History and a Masters Degree in International Politics. In Katyn, Paul puts human faces on the victims by introducing us to some of them and their families before the war begins and then following the odysseys of the families and their men when both are arrested and deported as war begins and the invading Communists seek to purge Poland of class enemies and those who might in the future oppose them.

Harris Fogel

Harris Fogel an Associate Professor of Photography, Director of the Sol Mednick Gallery and Gallery 1401 and the former Chairman of the Media Arts Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia will be visiting Poland November 16 - 25. He is a documentary and fine art photographer with an extensive background in digital imaging, criticism, photojournalism, and photo history. Some of Fogel’s projects include photographs from the set of the TV series The Wonder Years; portraiture; a series on Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens; the large-format color project A Few American Cultures; the nuclear-inspired Towards Trinity conceptual project; artists books;
and digitally based work. Fogel maintains a substantial exhibition and lecture record, and his work can be found in the collections of numerous museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; The National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; the International Center of Photography in New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France; and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta; and his artist books are found in the library of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His research on the relationship between photography and the American Presidency has led to interviews with President Jimmy Carter, President Gerald Ford, and First Lady Betty Ford, and many other White House officials from numerous administrations. Fogel has directed the Sol Mednick Gallery since 1997 and he founded Gallery 1401 in 1999.

In Warsaw Fogel will Chair the Jury of 2nd Biennal of Media Art Competition and open the exhibition of his works at the Academy of Fine Arts on November 19. (more)

As a part of America Presents Program Harris Fogel will speak on “Remastering the Past” at the American Embassy on November 20 at 5:30 pm (Main Lobby).

Please RSVP to America Presents Coordinator at: America_presents@state.gov, tel: 022 504 23 95 if you like to attend. Entrance from Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31.

Robert Heller

Robert Heller, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee since 1986, received his B.S. and M.A. degrees in photojournalism from Syracuse University. He taught photography and graphics for five years at the University of Miami, and was publications designer and photographer at the State University of New York at New Paltz and Elmira College in New York. Heller also taught photography at The Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York.  His photographs have been selected for numerous juried exhibitions and he continues to do freelance work in both graphic design and photography. Heller served as Photo Manager for the Ocoee Kayak and Canoe Olympic venue at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. A book of his photographs, “More Than the Game: The Tennessee Football Experience” has been published by Sports Publishing Inc., Champaign, Illinois. 

Steve Berry, the bestselling author of international suspense thrillers novels, is visiting Krakow and Warsaw May 8-11 for public appearances arranged by the American Embassy and American Consulate General.  He lives on the Georgia coast and still practices law after 27 years.  Steve has been writing since 1990, and though his undergraduate degree was in political science, and he's trained as a lawyer, it was Steve's interest in history that led to him writing international suspense thrillers. They were the kind of books he liked to read, so naturally they became the kind of book Steve liked to write. He's also active in local politics, and is currently one of five members of the Camden County Board of Commissioners.  Steve's first two books, The Amber Room and The Romanov Prophecy were both national bestsellers.  His next novel, The Third Secret, became an instant bestseller, debuting at #13 on The New York Times hardcover list and climbing to #5 on the Times paperback list.  His latest is The Alexandria Link, which debuted tied for #2 on the The New York Times hardcover list, spent 5 weeks in the top 10.  It also ranked in the top 20 for USA Today, and the top 10 for Publisher’s Weekly and BookSense bestseller lists. 

Steve Berry’s visit to Warsaw is made possible by support from the American Embassy, Sonia Draga Publishers, and the Marriott Hotel. 

Fred Ritchin is the associate chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at New York University. He is also the director of PixelPress, an organization working at the intersection of documentary, new media, and human rights. Previously he was the picture editor of The New York Times Magazine, the executive editor of Camera Arts magazine and the founding director of the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography educational program at the International Center of Photography. His book, In Our Own
Image: The Coming Revolution in Photography was the first to deal with the digital revolution's impact on photography. A Website that he created with photographer Gilles Peress, "Bosnia: Uncertain Paths to Peace," was nominated by the New York Times for a Pulitzer Prize in public service. Ritchin has curated exhibitions on subjects such as "Contemporary Latin American Photography" and "An Uncertain Grace: The Photographs of Sebastiao Salgado."
American Photo magazine recently named him one of the 100 Most
Important People in Photography. His new book, After Photography, will be published next year by WW Norton.

The Embassy is supporting the 3rd Warsaw Artistic Photography Festival which will begin March 22nd under the Honorary Patronage of Ambassador Victor Ashe, announced Cultural Attaché Jim Wolfe.  This two-month-long event is taking place in the most prestigious galleries around Warsaw and will have a strong American component this year: works of American students of photography will take part in the nation-wide competition and two distinguished guest speakers will appear at the Academy of Fine Arts to talk about American Photography. First one of them - Sandra Phillips, curator of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, will offer a lecture “John Szarkowski and American Photography” at 17:00, March 23. The lecture will take place at the Cinema Hall, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakowskie Przedmieście 5.  Sandra Philips’ visit is sponsored by the American Embassy and the Intercontinental Hotel. More info on Sandra Philips you will find under: http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/american_experts.html

Information about the program may be found on our web page, and is also disseminated via press releases and direct mailings.

America Presents Coordinator is available via e-mail: AmericaPresents@state.gov or telephone: 022 504-2362.