I was on the road again, and this time gave a presentation at the Lombard Library about my book NOT AN ORDINARY ARTIST—A Polish Immigrant’s Challenging and Enduring Story. Approximately one in ten Lombard residents are Polish, but any one who loves art appreciates Florian Durzynski’s portraiture and murals.

You see the Cieplak family with the portrait of their grandfather and great grandfather, John Cieplak, painted by Florian Durzynski. Also, you see me, the author, with Peggy Cieplak. She and her husband Elliot and her sister Kathy helped with the research and presentation for the book.

October, 2025

It is Polish American Heritage month in October, and I was asked to present information about Florian, a gifted Chicago school muralist during the WPA days.

Besides being a gifted mural painter, Florian Durzynski did many Art Deco portraits. He liked to paint his subjects wearing their best clothes and looking confidant as well as dignified.

Below you see Elliot and Peggy Spiegel pictured with me in the middle. They had urged me to write about Florian Durzynski because they had a cherished portrait of Peggy’s grandfather by the artist and had already researched some things about him. In the presentations, they shared all the research they did before and after I began work on the project.

On June 1st, 2025, I presented an image-filled summary of the historical aspects of my historical fiction book, Not An Ordinary Artist, A Polish Immigrant’s Challenging and Enduring Story.

The setting was perfect! The museum is located in the heart of the West Town neighborhood of Chicago where the main subject of my book, Florian Durzynski, spent the most formative years of his artistic career.

I especially emphasized how Polish immigrants contributed so much to the growth and success of Chicago in the 1920s to the 1940s.

If you love reading about Chicago history and about artists like Durzynski whose personal lives are as interesting as their careers, order a copy of my book Not An Ordinary Artist, A Polish Immigrant’s Challenging and Enduring Story on Amazon or from your local bookstore.

Also, I will give more presentations at libraries and art centers in the next few months.

A PowerPoint presentation full of images that will take you to life in Chicago from 1929-1949 and the art of a Polish immigrant who accomplished much but had his share of artistic and personal challenges. 

Sunday, June 1st, at The Polish Museum of America in Chicago at 2:00PM

In my historical fiction book, a young Polish artist named Florian Durzynski immigrates by himself to the U.S. in 1929, but despite being embraced by Chicago’s Polish community and being hired by the Works Progress Administration to create murals for the Chicago public schools, Florian still searches for a home for his heart.
(still in the editing phase)

Florian Durzynski—creator of murals for the Chicago Public Schools for the Works Progress Administration

I am currently doing research about an artist who immigrated from Poland to Chicago in 1929. The book will delve into life in the Polish neighborhoods of Chicago as well as the challenges of this artist who found a sense of belonging in “Polonia” but had an impediment that made him keep questioning “Why? Why me?”