WORKSHOPS
EXHIBITIONS
CALENDAR
EDUCATION
GENEALOGY
MEMBERSHIP
TRAVEL
"Labas" and welcome to the Balzekas Museum on line!
We are delighted that you have chosen to visit the new home of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture on the World Wide Web. Our site is a work in progress, and we thank you for your patience, as you wait to see its evolution. Links that don't open represent pages that are still under construction. Please visit us regularly to check for updates.
Growing for the future
Developing a new virtual presence is another exciting phase of growth for the Museum. We are thrilled at the prospect of reaching even more individuals who are interested in learning about Lithuania, its rich culture and language, and the contributions and activities of Lithuanians and Lithuanian communities around the world. We look forward to sharing the Museum's extensive collection of cultural artifacts, fine and folk art, maps, textiles, archival materials, armor, numismatics, philately, and numerous publications with those who may not have the opportunity to visit us in person. However, if you find yourselves in Chicago, we warmly welcome you to come in and say "Labas" and to spend some time at the Museum.
Reaching out, through on-line education and programs
Our goals are ambitious. Apart from a basic tour of our departments and regular updates on our programs, we would like to put more of our collection on line to make it accessible for anyone researching Lithuanian topics. Developing more educational outreach materials to deliver materials to teachers and students is another priority. The ability to embed audio and video clips in the web site is also very exciting, as the Museum has collected music, films and footage of many programs and events over the years. On-line interactive children's pages are another must to bring to life the museum's collections and programs for our younger visitors. A virtual Gift Shop is also being developed to make it easier to purchase amber, books, and other popular Lithuanian items on line. As we continue to grow this site, we turn again to you, our visitors, to let us know what improvements or additions you would like to see here.
Volunteers, members always welcome!
Any organization is only as great as the individuals who give it their ideas, time and energy. Over the years, the Balzekas Museum has been blessed with many talented volunteers, members and supporters who have helped grow the Museum into what it is today. If you live in the Chicago area and would like to volunteer your time at the Museum, please contact us and let us know. Wherever you are, we hope that you will consider becoming a member today.
Please visit us again soon.
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Iki pasimatymo!
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Until we see you next time
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Stanley Balzekas Jr.
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President
The traveling exhibition “Lithuania: Culture and History” visited the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in December, 2009. The exhibition provides a vivid account of the most important events in the history and culture of this country. Having already been shown in Finland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Brussels, and Paris, and the Czech Republic, this exhibition presents the most important periods in Lithuanian history: the old Lithuanian state (11th – 18th c.), the tsarist Russian occupation (19th c.), the independent Lithuanian Republic (1918–1940), fifty years of occupation (1940–1990), and the restoration of independent Lithuania (since 1990). The exhibition includes images of Lithuania, architectural masterpieces, portraits of important personalities, events, all of which convey Lithuania’s history and culture. The culmination of yearlong international festivities and events commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the first mention of Lithuania's name, this exhibition provides an overview of the historical events and figures that were instrumental to the evolution of the country.
The exhibition is based on the concept of the art historian Dr. Irena Vaišvilaitė. The authors of the exhibition are Romualdas Budrys, Dr. Vydas Dolinskas, and Mindaugas Šapoka. It was a joint project of the Lithuanian Art Museum and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. The iconography, images, and artefacts have been put together from many Lithuanian and international collections.
