Czech Center Museum Houston

Greetings from the Czech Center Museum Houston and Happy Easter Week!
Many of the lands of our Heritage have much evidence of the season. Besides beautiful church services,
Easter egg trees, ornamentation with flowers and old traditions prevail.

Just a brief recap of the first quarter of our year 2011:
January 2nd we held a reception for Prague organist, Pavel Kohout with Houston's Bach Society in Brno Gallery and January 22nd we were participating with Museum Educators Day. In January, CCMH finally completed its air conditioning our third floor, the ceiling spray painted white to stabilize the insulation in readiness for someday having a ceiling installation. The next phase was build out of an 11' x 14' art exhibit gallery immediately in front of the elevator now holding some early 1800's Karel Spillar artworks (giclees), a Czech Moravian master painter and some costume pieces of 1700 – 1800's textiles. The entire main room is dressed to accommodate the beautiful Ottervik Czech art glass/pottery/porcelain collection.

The Comenius Library (for Czech Moravian Jan Amos Komensky known as Father of Education of the World) was emptied of stored items disposing of some, using some for display or relocated for further conservation to the fourth floor and completely partitioned utilizing sheetrock that had remained from the building's construction in 2004! The earlier purchased Rosewood Library units were transferred from the Conference Room to the Library and placed on order three additional units comprised of three sections in order to shelve books in storage and relocate books shelved in the new exhibition gallery (named donations to pay for these units gladly accepted).

The entire area was electrified updating it from the raw storage area that remained until funds were collected to underwrite this timetable set to make the Hall in readiness to use by the afternoon of the Saturday of our 17th Annual Members Friends Evening Festival Dinner March 12th so we could hold our reception there before dinner and the theatre Tin Trunk production (about Czech immigrant family premiering in Round Top Festival Hall July 30, 31 and August 6 and 7) in Prague Ballroom. The third floor named Plzen Galleries further awaits underwriting of sixteen thousand dollars to carpet to complete its venue space. That is we hope to harvest the funds in the very near future; eventually it must have restrooms, catering kitchen and small offices for curating and conservation.

In February we held a great Moravian Archival Wines Tasting and Dinner. There is a great deal to learn about the ancient art of wines and how to drink them appropriately.

Recently we lectured via a translator and toured a group of Nepal refugees sponsored by Catholic Charities who are in Houston two years or less. All were dressed beautifully, most gracious and conducted with great dignity.

We continue with the Mayor's International Affairs Trade Development Council Europe. We were asked to give a Leadership Lecture to the senior graduating classes at Awty International School. On introduction hearing of the dignitaries and Nobel prize winners who had preceded me as speakers in previous years, I truly wondered what I was doing there. The Headmaster told me it was to talk about what we had been doing at CCMH and so I spoke about how history, culture and heritage relate to art and education, about how we as volunteers built a beautiful Baroque Palace Museum, how we teach heritage, who we are is important to know from where we come to know to where we are going, to teach community outreach and how to give back to the community. I ended by enumerating the incredible resources for education young people have today, but to realize when they go into the world of reality they can't just text and tweet but must write business letters, spell and add and subtract. We understand some universities of today have remedial courses for graduating seniors! Awty is awesome!

We have served Child Protective Services Cultural Event, numerous heritage groups and Westchester High School's Model United Nations group besides general operations.

Our welcome to Houston for the Prague Shakespeare Festival Theatre group was so delightful. I never dreamed Shakespeare was such fun, great song, dance and emoting. Did you know Shakespeare visited Prague and they have an active Shakespeare association ever since? We had Sicilian wine tastings, Czech Pilsner Urquell and Czechvar from Ceske Budejovice beer tasting with Bits and Bites. It was a fun event. We met Czech film star Pavel Kriz and I regret if you missed it but the troupe is performing at Main Street Theatre – Chelsea Market April 13 through May 1 then two weeks May 18 – 28 in Prague at Vysehrad. Tickets are relatively inexpensive. For tickets and information, go to www.pragueshakespeare.org or call 281-635-3557. Board members who attended were Rev. Paul Chovanec who underwrote ten admission tickets and Security for the evening and Sally Miller. All event proceeds went to the Prague Shakespeare Festival organization.

Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Plzen Galleries we enjoyed the "Young and Young at Heart" event with Brno artists, children's book author and illustrator, Pavel Cech, a guitarist/singer Lucie Bystronova and professional story teller Sabina Seidlova. Sally Miller underwrote an array of desserts for the reception of food and drink. We certainly appreciate the assistance from our Board members and the adults who donated fifteen dollars towards the library and other expenses. It was a wonderful Dr. Tom Sovik program.

The Czech Trade Mission Czech Embassy holds its Breakfast Business Seminar at the CCMH on April 26, 2011. We are excited to have this opportunity to host "Investing and Doing Business in the Czech Republic."

Please keep the date Sunday, May 29, 2011 (yes, it is Memorial Day weekend) open for a welcome visit of H.E. Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech government First Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

We are grateful to Henry and Barbara Hermis for chairing the upcoming 2011 Annual Benefit Gala. We will all work towards another great fun fundraiser! Hope you will join us in this effort.

Important Notice. Congress has extended several tax cuts for investors, small business owners and families for 2011 and most important for the non-profit sector is that Charitable Contributions from IRAs will be allowed. Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts towards an annual "required minimum distribution." Several of you have used this method to contribute or donate to the Czech Center Museum Houston. Please consider this method to contribute to this organization. Contact the firm holding your IRA and request the necessary form sent to you.

The latest round of inscriptions has been etched and gilded on the marble tiles in the Czech Center Museum Houston's Courtyard Honor and Memorial Wall. The already etched tiles will be regilded and after completion should be an awesome site to view. If you have not made a contribution to secure one of these beautiful etchings we will be glad to take your order to the next round. Its fun to listen to visitors pointing out relatives or friends or just interest.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Honorary Board, Volunteers and Staff with warmest regards.
Effie M. Rosene, Chair/CEO