POLANKI INCORPORATED Information

Polanki was founded in 1953 and has been dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of Polish culture among Milwaukee Poles and non-Poles alike. Throughout the year Polanki invites speakers on Polish culture to its meetings and promotes public lectures and exhibits in the Milwaukee area. Portrait of a Living Marsh , an extensive traveling collection of paintings and sculptures by internationally recognized artists depicting a pristine marsh in eastern Poland, a performance by the Bialystok Philharmonic Orchestra at the Performing Arts Center and a concert by Cantores Minores, a boys choir from Warsaw, are but a few of the events supported by Polanki. Polanki contributes funds for local libraries. Members actively promote Polish culture by giving talks and demonstrations in schools and to various community organizations. For over 35 years the club has prepared the Polish cultural booth at the annual Holiday Folk Fair sponsored by the International Institute of Wisconsin and has been responsibly for the design and construction of the cultural exhibit for Polish Fest. Polanki also strives to gain recognition for the efforts of early Polish settlers. Generous donations from the club helped reconstruct the Kruza house, a Polish homestead, on the grounds of Old World Wisconsin , an outdoor ethnic museum in Eagle, Wisconsin and helped with the renovation of St. Josaphat's Basilica located here in Milwaukee. St. Josaphat's was the first Polish basilica built in North America. In 1999, Polanki pledged a substantial amount toward the building of the Polish Center of Wisconsin in Franklin, Wisconsin. Polanki's membership has been growing over the years and the organization looks forward to a bright future as interest in Poland and awareness of its rich cultural tradition increases among Milwaukeeans of all ethnic backgrounds.