The retrospective exhibition “Ryszard Druch – Made in the USA 1991-2021” attracted a large crowd. Cartoon – illustration – poster – promotion of Polish culture ‘of the District Museum in Nysa.
– Ryszard Druch, an extraordinary and unusual character and personality. He left for the United States about 30 years ago, did not know the language, and without a lot of money – and he probably did not have money in his pocket. However, 10 years passed, during which he sought various works, and the effect appeared relatively quickly: he became the owner of his own gallery, his own studio “Druch Studio Galery” on 920 Brunswick Street in Trenton, the state capital of New Jersey – the artist’s friend-poet began his story Harry Duda.
Ryszard Druch has announced that he will return to Poland permanently next year. – What I was supposed to test, I already tried there. The years 1991 and 2021 combined three decades of my migration to the United States. Next year I will be back to Poland for good… I came to USA as a 40 year old teacher with college degree and membership card from Polish Caricature Artists Association. I realized with the magic of the vastness of America that I was here…my mother without any profession. Not knowing English, I began to earn money through manual labor. In the years 1992-1996 Andrzej Weiss of Opole helped edit the monthly “Spójnik” in Trenton (New Jersey), making graphics, covers and writing scripts. She has published drawings in “Nowy Dziennik” and “Karier” in New York, “Relax” in Chicago, and “2BE” periodical.
My first solo exhibitions were in Yardley (Pennsylvania) and Clark (NJ). Connecting with Polish artists from New York and Philadelphia has allowed me to learn about the cultural face and needs of the Polish diaspora.
She began promoting Polish culture and art by opening a small art gallery in Trenton, in a rented house. My roommates – actor Jacek Kubik and pianist Joanna Gaj – decided to create a children’s show called “Pchła Szachrajka” by Jan Brzechwa, and they convinced me to make a poster and design. The performance took place at the small “Show Theater” in Trenton and was a Polish event in 1996. That’s how it started. Later, there was a concert by the poet Waldemar Venevsky and an exhibition of watercolors by Boleslav Polnar from Opole.
In 1997, the nightclub “Odlot” was created with Iwa Korzynowska (Sadowska) – the former singer of the “Piwnica Pod Baranami” in Krakow, pianist Wojciech Hollender and singer Ewa Wiśniewska. I’ve done an anchor and delivered monologues. Among the Polish cabarets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, has survived to this day “Departure”, which organizes the annual “Midsummer Nightclub”.
From 2000 to today I have organized 185 “art salons”, i.e. exhibitions, meetings with authors, music and theater performances and nightclubs, which have been held since 2003 at Druch Studio Gallery at 920 Brunswick Ave, Trenton. I designed stickers for them.
The exhibition presented paintings, among others, by Nikifor, Beksiński, Starowieyski and Brzozowski and drawings by Kobyliski, Jujka, Chodorowski, Ołdak, Łuczyński, Zaradkiewicz, Gnyś, and Sadurski. Exhibitions by artists from the USA were also held: KA Nowak, H. Nawrot, K. Iwaniec, E. Zeller, J.Jdrzejczyk, H. Lipa, T. Masłowski, W. Syguła, L. Barszcz and others. Among the guests of the “Salons” were Olgierd Budrewicz, Krystyna Prońko, Adam Michnik, Elżbieta Czyżewska, Beata Pawlikowska, Jacek Pałkiewicz, prof. Yehuda Nir, A.; Henrik Iwanic, Drs Alexandra Ziukowska-Bohm, Kristina Zaniuska, Stanislav Gorka, Mary Skinner and Matthew Termand. There were also Opoles: Harry Duda, Grzegorz Grunwald, Grzegorz Pielak, Henryk Zamojski.
In 2003, the “Academy of Fine Arts” was opened. The 2020 pandemic has destroyed my ‘work’ and coronavirus has put me in hospital and added to the trouble. In the spring of 2021, she was able to resume art lessons.
Made in the USA is a look at my immigration past – through a selection of cartoons, posters and paintings created during this period, as well as documents illustrating my promotion of Polish culture and art in the USA.
Ryszard Druch’s work can be seen at the Nysa Museum until the end of October. And he deserves it. Anyone who knows his signature handwriting knows it. Professor Marian Molinda, an outstanding sculptor, first met Ryszard’s work. Compliments were spared
Curators are Ryszard Zykowski and Edward Halayko.
The captain’s photo
