Recently, a lot of interesting things have happened around the person and work of Stefan Knapp. Biłgoraj remembers his outstanding artist, and the actions carried out show that he can be popularized in various ways.
Last year we celebrated the centenary of Stefan Knapp's birth (1921-1996) – a world-famous artist from Biłgoraj – a painter who was never ashamed of his roots and proudly recalled where he was born. Regionalists and lovers of his work have been trying for years to recall the memory of Knapp and popularize knowledge of this unique man. His biography and information about works he created, easily found on the Internet, as well as printed works, however, in our town he is still "little present". Therefore, initiatives such as those undertaken by pupils and teachers of Primary School No. 5. Fr Jan Twardowski seems very important.
The school community recently implemented the project "Stefan Knapp – the man he heard about the world", to whom he received funding from the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego Foundation, as well as substantive support of people with passion – Mai Wal and Andrzej Czacharowski. The project included participation of young people in cyclical workshops concerning, among others, the creation of spatial plastic works, the construction of urban games and activities devoted to Knapp's life and work. On the basis of this knowledge, participants have created works that emphasize the importance of this character for Bilgoraj and the whole world. This created: ecological large surface mural painted entirely with paints absorbing toxic compounds from the air, information boards fixed permanently along Stefan Knapp's street, as well as an urban game dedicated to the artist, in which we learn about the places associated with it. The implementation of project activities required a lot of work from students, but it was certainly also an extremely valuable experience for them. In the end, it is not often in school to enter a scaffolding or ladder and under the artist's eye paint a wall with a total novel of several dozen square meters, including paints having an unusual property of absorbing smog. According to the manufacturer's information, one square metre covered with this specificity acts for the environment as a medium-sized tree. Anyone who walked by the youth’s workplace looked curiously at the filling colors and shapes that have not yet been distinguished as space.
Mural, who created Olga Struczko with the students, attracts attention and intrigues. The whole induces reflection, and above all clearly correspondes with the work of Stefan Knapp. Anyone who has seen the works of the artist for once will immediately see these obvious references. The Biłgoraj mural, located on one of the walls of Elementary School No. 5, is really very interesting and you just have to see it. And then stop for a long while and watch the photographs of Knapp's works placed on the boards next door. Thanks to the implementation of the project "Stefan Knapp – the man he heard about the world" another place was created in Biłgoraj, among the few, connected with this unique figure.
Dokładnie w tym momencie, gdy powstawał mural, Muzeum Ziemi Biłgorajskiej ogłosiło wspaniałą wiadomość: do zbiorów tej instytucji trafiła zaprojektowana przez Knappa cenna tapiseria. To nietypowe dzieło wykonane na wełnianym materiale, przedstawiające typowe dla artysty motywy, znajdowało się dotąd w prywatnych zbiorach w Holandii, a potem we Francji, by teraz, na wyraźne życzenie właścicieli, znaleźć się na stałe w rodzinnym mieście jego twórcy. Wszystko, co w ostatnim czasie wydarzyło się wokół Stefana Knappa pokazuje, że mieszkańcy Biłgoraja wciąż pamiętają o artyście i podejmują działania, by tę wybitną postać poznawały kolejne pokolenia.
Autor:
MARIUSZ POLOWY doktorant polonistyki UMCS, nauczyciel języka polskiego w Szkole Podstawowej nr 5 w Biłgoraju, popularyzator twórczości literackiej Wacława Żmudzkiego, miłośnik Lwowa.
Source:
https://www.bilht.bck.lbl.pl/files/ck/file/tanew/2022/Tanew_jesien_zima_2022.pdf
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