Sibyl 2008

The distinction awarded in the Sybilla competition highlights the highest rank of a museum institution on Poland’s cultural map, say the organizers. The name “Sybilla,” after the ancient oracle, references the famed Temple of Sybilla in Puławy, the birthplace of Polish museology.

Awards are given in 10 categories, and Poland’s approximately 800 museums may each submit projects in two categories. This year, 195 entries were submitted. Under the leadership of Professor Jan Skuratowicz from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the competition committee awarded a Grand Prix as well as 40 prizes and distinctions across various categories. A total of 31 institutions from 21 cities were among the winners.

This year, in two out of the ten categories, no first place was awarded. In two categories, no second prize was given, and in three, no third prize; however, there were also categories where two first or two second prizes were awarded. Overall, the awards included 10 first prizes, 9 second prizes, 7 third prizes, and 14 distinctions.

Warsaw museums took home the most awards, with a total of six prizes. Kraków museums received four awards and four distinctions. The Grand Prix went to the Museum of Art in Łódź. Other winners were spread across Poland, including not only museums from large cities such as Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Opole, but also from smaller locations like Leszno, Bolesławiec, and Słupsk. Podkarpackie Province performed particularly well, receiving two first prizes (Łańcut and Przemyśl) and one second prize (Stalowa Wola).

The Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola won second place in the “Archaeological Exhibitions” category, tied with the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. This is the second success for Monika Kuraś in this competition—back in 2006, she received a distinction in the Scientific Work category for her publication The Archaeology of the Sandomierz Basin.

The exhibition In the Shadow of the Roman Empire brought over 500 artifacts to Stalowa Wola for the first time, significantly enhancing the understanding of the activities of two great archaeological cultures of late antiquity on Polish soil: the Przeworsk culture and the Wielbark culture (linked to the Vandals and Goths, respectively), according to the exhibition curator, Monika Kuraś, who also authored the exhibition script and catalog. “The exhibition attracted significant interest, particularly among school groups,” Kuraś said. The exhibition was co-curated by archaeologist Tomasz Tokarczyk, a recent addition to the museum staff.

This is the fourth successful entry by the Stalowa Wola Museum in the Museum Event of the Year competition. Its first success was in 2002, when the Ministry awarded second place for the adaptation and repurposing of the building at Sandomierska 1, where the museum is housed. The second success came two years ago, when Director Lucyna Mizera collected awards three times. Last year, the Stalowa Wola Museum was called up three times for accolades as well. This year’s award reinforces the museum’s place among the nation’s top institutions. To date, the museum has garnered two first prizes, two second prizes, one third prize, and two distinctions.

This year’s award ceremony was held on May 18, 2009, the International Museum Day, in the Column Hall of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. For the first time, the main awards did not include the traditional Sybilla statuettes. Among the winners were some individuals well known to regular visitors of the Stalowa Wola Museum, including Kraków residents. In the Scientific Achievement category, Docent Dr. Kazimierz Kuczman, head of the Painting, Graphics, and Sculpture Department at the Wawel Royal Castle and a member of the Stalowa Wola Museum Council, was awarded. Another award and distinction in the Art and Biographical Exhibitions categories went to art historian Anna Król from Kraków’s Manggha Museum, who has curated numerous exhibitions in Stalowa Wola.

Anna Garbacz