Friends of Polish Art is announcing that applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Frank Filipek and the Lillian & Chester Mitchell Fine Arts Scholarships. The deadline to apply is April 25, 2025. Through the generosity of the late Frank Filipek of Battle Creek, Michigan, five scholarships are available for academic studies in areas including, but not limited to: law, medicine, architecture, engineering sciences and liberal arts. The amount of each scholarship is $2,000.

Additionally, two Lillian & Chester Mitchell Fine Arts Scholarships are available for students pursuing studies in painting, sculpture, music, drama, theatre, dance and other forms of creative expression as well as history, literature, religion, philosophy, and Polish Studies. The amount of these scholarships is also $2,000 each.

All applications and required documentation must be received no later than April 25, 2025. Previous recipients, as well as non-Michigan residents, are not eligible. Award-winning recipients will be notified on or before May 17, 2025. Awards will be made payable to the individual. All scholarships will be presented at the Friends of Polish Art General Membership Meeting scheduled the week of May 18, 2025 (tentative).

• 2025 Frank Filipek Scholarship Application (PDF)
• 2025 Fine Arts Scholarship Application (PDF)

Disclaimer: In the event, that submissions do not qualify or are unacceptable, the Friends of Polish Art Scholarship Committee reserves the right to not award a scholarship for the current calendar year.

The opening of the “2024 International Design Exhibition & Marketplace, Featuring Poland, Italy and Finland”. Detroit, Michigan. November 8th, 2024. The exhibit is an example of the excellent collaboration between three entities: the Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD), Friends of Polish Art (FPA), and the Polish Institute of Culture and Research at Orchard Lake Schools (PICROL).

In Search of Our Heroes and Time Regained (PDF)
Author: Lukasz Maciag

The story “In Search of Our Heroes and Time Regained” by Łukasz Maciąg is a reflective and imaginative narrative exploring the creative process of a writer. The protagonist, inspired by a gathering of iconic Polish Nobel laureates and literary figures like Czesław Miłosz, Olga Tokarczuk, and Wisława Szymborska, engages in a dreamlike discussion about literary inspiration and the elements of storytelling. Themes range from the essence of character creation to the exploration of genres and the intricacies of blending personal experiences with fiction.

The story unfolds as a vibrant, intellectual dialogue filled with literary references and humor, ultimately blurring the lines between reality and dreams. It concludes with a surreal twist where the protagonist wakes up, realizing the exchange was part of a dream, underscoring the mysterious and unpredictable nature of inspiration. The narrative is both an homage to literary greatness and an introspection on the challenges of writing.

In Search of Our Heroes and Time Regained (PDF)
Author: Lukasz Maciag