PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna has taken patronage of the National Museum in Kielce and became the Museum’s Patron. The cooperation agreement was signed on 12 May 2023 at the former Cracow Bishops Palace.
“As a Polish museum institution with a tradition of more than 100 years, the National Museum in Kielce is, as of today, included in the circle of museums covered by PGE Group’s patronage – together with the National Museums in Warsaw, Krakow, Lublin, and the Wawel Royal Castle. Our involvement in cultural projects includes not only financial support but above all active promotion of culture and encouragement of contact with it. Through the patronage of the National Museum in Kielce we want to bring this institution closer to a wider audience and at the same time show that smaller cultural institutions, such as the one in Kielce, have a lot to offer and their collections are on a par with those of the largest Polish cities.”,
says Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board of PGE Group
“In line with the slogan of our last year’s cultural campaign ”Everyone is welcome’, I hope that PGE Group’s patronage of the National Museum in Kielce will contribute to the dissemination of the museum’s image as a place open and friendly to the public, offering new and interesting projects.”,
adds Wojciech Dąbrowski.
“The patron’s care of PGE Group gives the National Museum in Kielce, one of the most important Polish museum institutions, a great sense of support and stability, which is extremely necessary for its work and various conceptual activities. I trust that it will become an example of cooperation based on the principles of mutual trust and joint implementation for the benefit of culture, heritage, and society.”,
says Robert Kotowski, Director of the National Museum in Kielce.
Within the framework of cooperation with the National Museum in Kielce, PGE Group will cover with its patronage all events and exhibitions organised in the headquarters of the Museum, as well as permanent exhibitions: Henryk Sienkiewicz’s Palace in Oblęgorek, the Museum of Stefan Żeromski’s School Years, the Museum of the Dialogue of Cultures and the Archaeological Museum in Wiślica. The cooperation will also include the implementation of numerous educational activities for children and young people.
One of the pillars of the PGE Group’s sponsoring strategy is the support of important cultural institutions in the country. At present, cooperation is being carried out with the National Museums in Warsaw, Lublin, Kraków, the Wawel Royal Castle, and philharmonics, including the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Józef Elsner Philharmonic in Opole, the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Kraków, and the Witold Lutosławski National Forum for Music in Wrocław. The activities carried out are conscious, thoughtful, long-term, and consistent with business activities.
Cultural activities also include encouraging everyone to have contact with art and interact with culture. To this end, last year PGE Group carried out a campaign entitled ‘Everyone is welcome’, the aim of which was to encourage the enjoyment of culture.
PGE also carries out a number of educational activities to promote the richness and potential of culture, to popularise and promote culture, and to develop artistic skills and sensitivity to art. In 2022, the PGE Foundation carried out a competition entitled ‘Encounters with Art,’ which enabled pupils from schools in smaller towns to develop their painting skills and visit the National Museums in Warsaw, Krakow, and Lublin. Nearly 2,000 pupils and teachers took part in museum lessons as part of the competition. The second edition of the competition, which will also include the National Museum in Kielce, will take place this year.
With a history spanning more than 100 years, the National Museum in Kielce has its headquarters in the former Cracow Bishops Palace, one of the finest and best-preserved residences from the Vasa period. The museum’s collection contains valuable exhibits in the fields of painting, artistic craftsmanship, folk art, literature, archaeology, and nature. Noteworthy among them are interesting collections of modern art or ceramics from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as from the inter-war period. The museum has five branches, three of which have the status of a Historical Monument. In the Palace of Henryk Sienkiewicz in Oblęgorek and the Museum of the School Years of Stefan Żeromski, visitors can travel back in time to the times of the eminent Polish writer. The Museum of the Dialogue of Cultures is a modern, interactive meeting place, enabling visitors to learn about other cultures and traditions. Meanwhile, in the newest branch of the National Museum in Kielce, the Archeological Museum in Wiślica, you can see relics of Romanesque temples and a record of orants, unique in the world. In addition, the Museum offers temporary exhibitions presenting various types of art.
