Korczak Ziółkowski

Korczak Ziółkowski (September 6, 1908 in Boston — October 20, 1982, Crazy Horse, South Dakota) was the American designer and sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial.

Early life

No one knows whether Ziółkowski's family relates to the Polish noble clan Korczak, as his given name suggests. If there is a relationship, his surname, Ziółkowski, was given this coat-of-arms in 1500, in Kraków, Poland.

Ziółkowski, a Polish American, was born almost exactly 31 years after the death of Crazy Horse, on September 6, 1908, to Polish parents in Boston. Orphaned at the age of one, he grew up in a series of foster homes. Although he never received any formal art training, his gifts as a sculptor began to show at an early age. After putting himself through Rindge Technical School, he became an apprentice to a Boston ship maker. He began to carve wood and by the age of 20 had become an accomplished furniture maker. His first marble sculpture, made in 1932, honored Judge Frederick Pickering Cabot who had inspired him as a child growing up in the rough neighborhoods of Boston.

Ziółkowski moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, to begin life as a professional artist. he began to sell commissioned sculpture throughout New England, Boston, and New York. In 1939, he assisted Gutzon Borglum in the carving of the Mt. Rushmore Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills, near Keystone.

Crazy Horse Memorial

In 1939 Ziółkowski's marble sculpture of Ignacy Jan Paderewski won first prize at the New York World's Fair. The fame as well as his familiarity with the Black Hills prompted several Lakota Chiefs to approach him about a monument honoring Native Americans. Chief Henry Standing Bear of the Lakota wrote him, saying, "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too."

Korczak met with the leaders shortly afterward and began planning a monument. Over the next few years, he conducted research and began planning the sculpture. He also met Ruth Ross, a young art enthusiast, who would later become his wife.

Korczak put the project on hold when the United States entered World War II. He volunteered for service in the United States Army and was wounded in 1944 at Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France.

In 1947 Ziółkowski moved to the Black Hills, and began to search for a suitable mountain for his sculpture. Korczak thought the Wyoming Tetons would be the best choice, where the rock would be better for carving, but the Lakota wanted the memorial in the sacred Black Hills on a convert|600|ft|m|sing=on-high mountain. The monument was to be the largest sculpture in the world. When completed, it would be convert|563|ft|m high by convert|641|ft|m long. Crazy Horse's head would be large enough to contain all the convert|60|ft|m|sing=on-high heads of the Presidents at Mount Rushmore.

On June 3, 1948, the first blast was made, and the memorial was dedicated to the Native American people. In 1950 Korczak and Ruth Ross, who had become a volunteer at the monument, were married. Work continued slowly, since he refused to accept government grants. He raised money for the project by charging admission to the monument work area.

Korczak continued his work until he died of a heart attack at the monument site in 1982. He was buried in a tomb at the base of the mountain. After his death, his wife Ruth took over the project as director of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. Seven of his ten children have continued the carving of the monument or are active in the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.

References

* Aleksandra Ziółkowska, "Nie tylko Ameryka" (Not Only America), Warsaw, 1992.
* Aleksandra Ziółkowska Boehm, "The Roots Are Polish", Toronto, 2004.
* [http://www.crazyhorse.org/story/korczak.shtml Korczak - Storyteller in Stone]
* Aleksandra Ziółkowska Boehm,"Otwarta rana Ameryki" (Open Wound of America), Bielsko Biala, 2007

Bibliography in chronological order

*Progress- News from Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, South Dakota.
*Olgierd Budrewicz, Orzel na gwiazdzistym sztandarze, Warszawa 1979, pgs. 14-28.
*Crazy Horse rides once more as world's biggest work of art, THE TORONTO STAR, July 11, 1981.
*New 13 Cent Issue Pays Tribute to Crazy Horse, THE NEW YORK TIMES, January 10, 1982.
*Carving a Dream In the Black Hills, NEWSWEEK, May 31, 1982.
*200,000 Tons Blasted Off Crazy Horse Mt. Carving, GWIAZDA POLARNA, December 10, 1983.
*Spotkanie, Mieszanka Firmowa, PRZEKRÓJ (Kraków), March 23, 1986.
*Lidia Muszyńska, Historia wykuta w kamieniu, RELAKS, February 13, 1988.
*Robb DeWall, Crazy Horse, Korczak Ziolkowski, Sculptor- Carving a Dream, Crazy Horse edition, July 3, 1990.
*A rough, wild, wonderful land, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, June 17, 1990.
*Ziolkowski honored at Polish convention. THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL, July 15, 1990.
*Crazy Horse. Dignity carved on a mountain, USA TODAY, July 19, 1990.
*Crazy Horse's journey back to Black Hills is inspiring, STAR TRIBUNE, August 28, 1990.
*Assignment. Crazy Horse, Dreams of chief, sculptor stay alive in Black Hills, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, November 21, 1990.
*Neuharth visits Crazy Horse toasts efforts, CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE, August 29, 1990.
*Korczak would have been pleased. 5 Polish dignitaries climb to summit of Crazy Horse, THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL, October 30, 1990.
*Crazy Horse eyes, THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL, December 6, 1990.
*Aleksandra Ziółkowska, Rzeźbiarz gór, AMERYKA, Fall 1990, pgs. 81-25.
*Aleksandra Ziółkowska, Rzeźbiarz gór, NOWY DZIENNIK ( New York), June 1-2, 1991.
*Monumental Hoopla, TIME, July15, 1991.
*Heads above the West, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, July 28, 1991.
*Spirit Nation, TRAVEL, Decatur, Illinois, October 8, 1991.
*Aleksandra Ziółkowska, Nie tylko Ameryka, Warszawa 1992, pgs. 97-102.
*Mother Nature Speeds Progress On Emerging Face Of Crazy Horse, POLISH DIGEST, Stevens Point, VI, June 1992.
*Pomnik Crazy Horse", NOWY DZIENNIK ( New York), June 25, 1992.
*Face it: There is more to the Black Hills, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, September 1, 1993.
*The Big Picture, Nose Job, LIFE, December 1993.
*Ryszarda Pelc, Nie zapominaj o swoich marzeniach, PRZEGLAD POLSKI (New York), June 10, 1993, pg. 6
*Zbigniew Judycki, Kronika polonijna, GłOS KATOLICKI ( Paris), 36/1994, pg. 11.
*John Dewline, Little Big Horn Battle, DEADWOOD MAGAZINE, May/June 1995.
*Kwartalnik Biograficzny Polonii (Paris), Nr 6, 1995.
*Polish writer-journalist tours Hills as part of month-long visit to U.S., THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL, October 24, 1995.
*Wieslaw Seidler, Niezłomny Indianin, szalony Polak, NOWY DZIENNIK, (New York), October 17, 1996.
*Jessica Seigel, A Head Above the Others, CHICAGO TRIBUNE MAGAZINE, October 5, 1997, pgs.12-14.
*Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm, Korczak Ziolkowski, A Storyteller in Stone, NEW HORIZON (New York), October 1998, pg. 5.
*Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm, Nadciągają Indianie, POLITYKA (Warsaw), Na własne oczy, July 22, 2000, pgs. 91-97.
*Crazy Horse sculptor's wife Ruth Ziolkowski in charge at 80, THE LAKOTA COUNTRY TIMES, Martin, SD, July 4, 2006. pg. A6.

ee also

* List of Polish Americans