Peggy Grant’s 35th Annual Exhibit will open with a public reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on January 27th in the 20 North Gallery, at 18 N. St. Clair St. The exhibit features the work of about a dozen artists. Started by Grant, a curator and artist, the yearly event has been at various venues over the years and for the last 17 years, at 20 North Gallery. Mrs. Grant’s husband, the late Adam Grant was a renowned Polish artist and Mrs. Grant has given a presentation of his life and works of art for PACT in the past. His painting are shown in many museums throughout Poland. The exhibit runs through March 10, 2012.
Born in Warsaw Poland in 1924, Adam Grant was a member of a rather well to do family. His father was a physician, who when WWII began, joined the army. Unfortunately, his father was one of the more than 12.000 Polish officers that were murdured in the Katyn forest in 1940. (see Katyn movie, under Past Events for more information on this event). During his younger days, Warsaw was a vibrant center for the arts and social events. Of course, Mrs. Grant said, that all changed for Adam at the beginning of the war. He was captured and sent to Auchwitz and later to Mauthhausen, a labor camp in Austria. His art was his salvation. His captors kept him alive to take advantage of his talent.
After he was liberated and spent several years in a refugee camp, he came to America. There he changed his name from Grachowski to Grant.
