March 2015 | Issue No. 27
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 Dear Friends of BBLA, There are so many excellent events going on at the Bohemian National Hall that our frequent visitors might be running out of breath from such a number of activities. Just last Friday our Dvorak American Heritage Association staged an incredible concert of The Aaron Copland School of Music Orchestra, under the direction of Maurice Peress, and the next day SVU together with our own Vit Horejs presented a program on 300-year old Czech tradition of marionette theater. Vit presented a puppet set originally owned by Madeleine Albright who recently donated it to the BBLA to be used by the Czech community in New York. Next week we are staging another Asia Art Fair at the Hall, arguably one of the most elegant events to take place here. I am also excited to report the opening of a new concept at our restaurant. This time we have engaged a dynamic duo of Eric and Adam Miller, the proprietors of their successful BKB establishment in the Hamptons. Our local BKB, to which we refer as the "Bohemian Kitchen Bar" (a play on the original "Bay Kitchen Bar"), will continue serving a combination of Czech food with the menu full of braised meats, fresh fish, and salads. There is a great selection of beer accompanying our flagship Pilsner Urquell, and the wine program will be introducing more and more quality Moravian wines. Lenka Syrovatkova remains the Maitre d' and the floor manager, and our magician, Lukas Pohl will continue spoiling our senses with his desert creations as well as helping Eric with the main dishes. Please make reservations in advance as this time around the place gets filled. I will see you at our Beseda Ball taking place on March 28.  Joseph Balaz, President Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association |
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 CHECK THIS OUT
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CELEBRATING A NEW YORK CITY LANDMARK, BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL
by Majda Kallab Whitaker  In 2014 Bohemian National Hall celebrated its 20th Anniversary as a designated New York City Landmark, and in April 2015 our city marks the 50th Anniversary of New York City Landmarks Preservation Law. In honor of these two important events, we would like to share with you some of the history and photographs of this extraordinary building at 321 East 73rd Street, as it evolved from the vibrant immigrant hall serving the Czech and Slovak community of the late 19th and 20th century to its present life as an active center of Czech cultural, commercial, and political affairs in New York. The story of its survival is rich in human endeavor and perseverance, as well as in architectural and design excellence. In the 1880s, the Czech community began to migrate from the Lower East Side to the Upper East Side to find work in cigar factories and other small-scale enterprises. A large, permanent meeting place was desired in the new neighborhood, the Yorkville section of New York, extending from Second Avenue to the East River, between East 65th Street and East 78th Street. Fundraising began in the early 1890s through various events, one of which received support from Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, then in residency in New York City. The new Narodni Budova (National Hall), designed by architect William C. Frohne and constructed between 1895 and 1897, served multiple purposes and contained, among other amenities, classrooms for language instruction, a double-story grand ballroom, a shooting gallery, a theater, a bowling alley, a vault for banking and insurance documents, and a restaurant. The building witnessed many weddings, receptions and performances; several generations of students kept their mother tongue alive in its classrooms; and wartime liberty bonds were sold by patriotic Czech and Slovak Americans.
>> in Czech only: "Podivejte se do Ceskeho domu v New Yorku" , iDnes.cz, 2011
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BBLA JOINS NYC LANDMARKS 50 ALLIANCE
 NYC Landmarks50 Alliance was created to engage, inform, and educate the public about the importance of the passage of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law, and celebrate and commemorate its 50th anniversary. In commemoration of this anniversary, BBLA presents two special guided tours of the Hall designated a New York City Landmark in 1994. >> visit www.nyclandmarks50.org
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OPPORTUNITY: CALL FOR PAPERS
Art historians, scholars, curators, and writers interested in the Central and Eastern European's fine art print tradition and its current state are encouraged to contact the Editor at celebratingprint@gmail.com to inquire about submission guidelines or other information, or to send a proposal.
The Editor is looking particularly for texts exploring the 20th century art print: in the former Czechoslovakia, the avant-garde and their relation to art print (Kupka, Capek, Toyen, Styrsky, etc.) as well as post World War II trends (1960s and 70s). Critical reviews of contemporary directions in art print are also part of the magazine's program.
>> visit www.kadsny.com
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HERE IS WHAT'S COMING IN MARCH
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THE MAGIC GARDEN, OR, THE PRINCESS WHO GREW ANTLERS  theater
venue: Theater for the New City
155 First Ave. (at E. 10th Street), East Village
Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 pm
Saturdays - Sundays at 3:00 pm
Tickets $15 general admission, $8 children
Box office (212) 254-1109
For the delight of audiences aged five to 105, Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre will perform its newest work, "The Magic Garden, or, The Princess Who Grew Antlers," an ensemble creation that is cheerfully concocted from Czech fairy tales in which antlers appear, featuring four performers, marionettes of various sizes and assorted antique moose and deer antlers. The piece is written and directed by Vit Horejs and co-created by Horejs and the cast.
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Wednesday, March 11, 6:30 pm
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS:
Czech Language and Society Mirrored in Presidential Speeches  talk
In his talk, Dr. Vaclav Cvrcek will explain the system and practical use of the national corpus, an extensive database of texts used for language analysis. He will focus on speeches delivered by Gustav Husak, the last Czechoslovak president before the collapse of Communism in 1989, as presidential speeches offer an intriguing perspective. Members of the political elite are influential speakers reflecting and causing major societal changes while being, at the same time, subject to changes as any "normal" speaker.
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Saturday, March 28, 6:00 pm
ANNUAL BESEDA BALL  traditional ball
An evening of fine food and dancing under the sparkling chandeliers of the historic Grand Ballroom of the Bohemian National Hall. The Beseda Ball is proud of its long tradition. With wonderful live music provided by the Express Orchestra, an extraordinary menu, and fabulous door prizes, the 2015 Beseda Ball is sure to have its guests welcoming spring with sophistication, grace and fun. This year the Beseda Ball will benefit the Dvorak American Heritage Association.
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Sunday, March 29, 3:00 pm
SPRING MUSICALE  concert
venue: BBLA at Bohemian National HallGeneral Admission to be paid at door: $20; Seniors, Students, Czech Center Club Members $10 An afternoon of instrumental and vocal Czech chamber music will be presented by the spirited ArtsAhimsa ensemble, returning for its sixth season. Featuring seasoned musicians and young students, the musicale evokes a tradition of late 19th century musical life, from the period when Antonin Dvorak headed the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City.
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BBLA RECOMMENDS
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ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE CZECHOSLOVAK VICTIMS OF NAZISM
The service will be led by Rabbi Norman Patz. In the Memorial Program, Cantor Hirschhorn will present a selection from contemporary liturgical music and an excerpt from "Brundibar", Hans Krasa's children's opera first performed in 1943 by the children of Therezienstadt concentration camp. Martin Dvorak, Consul General of the Czech Republic in New York, and Jana Trnovcova, Consul General of the Slovak Republic in New York, will be present at the Memorial.
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THE ASIA ART FAIR 
With over 30 dealers and galleries set to exhibit in this year's March fair there will certainly be no shortage of exquisite art works to be coveted. Joining the fair will be galleries covering fine art and objects from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, the Himalayas and the Middle East. Now in its second year, the fair is poised to become the hottest destination for Asian art during Asia Week in New York.
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T he new friendly app for learning and practicing Czech nouns and their grammatical gender is now available for FREE!Download from the App Store
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Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association | 321 East 73rd Street, 3rd floor | New York, NY 10021
(212) 988-1733 | www.bohemianbenevolent.org | info@bohemianbenevolent.org
BBLA is a not-for-profit organization established in 1891 in New York City as an umbrella organization for almost eighty Czech and Slovak immigrant organizations. The mission of BBLA is to preserve and support Czech and Slovak culture in New York City. BBLA's member organizations include American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies, Association of Free Czechoslovak Sportsmen, Czech and Slovak Solidarity Council, Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in America, Dvorak American Heritage Association and Sokol New York. BBLA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
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