New life to Zakopane museums. New arrival?
Anna Wende-Surmiak, the new director of Tatra Museum in Zakopane has informed that she wanted to revitalize all branches of the museum, and build a museum of Witkacy, aka Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, a renowned Polish painter and writer of pre-WW II era.
- It is quite a challenge. My plans for incoming years are above all, to modernize the museum and adapt it to contemporary visitors - said Wende-Surmiak, adding that some exhibitions have been created in 1980's and need to be updated to become acceptable for the younger generation. For example, a new face will be granted to museum of Kornel Makuszynski, a popular children's author, who loved to stay in Zakopane.
Refurbishment awaits also the surroundings of particular museums and galleries, as they are to become visitor-friendly spaces. One of them is a former garden by Kulczycki art gallery, that according to the new director, will become an exhibiting space. A "noble space" alternative for Krupowki, the main street of Zakopane, will also be the space near the main building of Tatra Museum, where visitors to Zakopane will be able to mingle with art and culture.
Depending on EU and state funds, Wende-Surmiak wants also to build a new, state of the art museum of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, one of Zakopane's icons and a branch devoted to Tatra mountain exploration, tourism and skiing.
The estimated total cost of renovation is 10 - 15 million zlotys.