Border Crossings Revisted Novacek Painting Exhibit Opens

As a child during World War II, I was in awe of this small Southern Moravian town on the Oslava River. It was full of historical treasures, art works and natural beauty – including a renaissance castle and a bridge lined with baroque sculptures built by Vaclav Adrian in the 1700s. It is a replica of the Charles Bridge in Prague.

I remember how wound up Charles was before the opening of his art shows. Exhausted. Exhilarated. Excited. Apprehensive. . . Here he is – 10 years ago at the opening of one of his shows. Standing proudly in front of his watercolor painting of Namest nad Oslavou, the town his family was forced to move to when the Nazis occupied his homeland. It’s where his work started in the resistance. Luckily, it was a beautiful place and even in wartime – its architecture and art inspired Charles to want to be an artist and sculptor. Hitler may have closed Czechoslovakia’s art schools, but he didn’t stop Charles.

Like Charles, I am excited. This is the first week of BORDER CROSSINGS REVISITED, an exhibit of Charles’ paintings opening at the beautiful Saline District Library, just west of Ann Arbor, MI. Come see this work and 24 other colorful and visually exciting paintings through 10/31/13 during library hours.

Check out this article in the Saline Reporter for details of the exhibit. http://heritage.com/articles/2013/09/29/saline_reporter/news/doc52435b2ede6b4771196279.txt