Ceramicist, Eleonora Marčiulionis

Eleonora Lukštytė was born in Tauragnai in the region of Utena on 12 April 1912.  She graduated from the Kaunas School of Art in 1937.  To further enhance her skills, Eleonora attended the School of Ceramics in Bechynė in the Czech Republic.  Returning to Lithuania in 1938, she was appointed ceramics instructor at the Kaunas School of Fine Crafts until 1944. 

She married Aleksander Marčiulionis, a fellow lecturer at the school of art and sculptor.   They had a daughter, Daiva born in 1942, and a son Ramunas in 1944, both born in Lithuania.  The family left Lithuania in 1944, making their way to Germany.  From 1946 to 1949 Eleonora worked as a lecturer at the l’Ecole des Arts et Metieres at Freiburg-im-Breisgau (School of Art), along with other artists that fled Lithuania.  During this time, she was commissioned by Lithuanians to create a vase for the British Royal family. 

The family migrated to Australia arriving in Melbourne on the ship Skaugum, on the 31 May 1949. They were taken to Bonegilla Migrant Camp in New South Wales, before being transferred to Woodside Migrant camp in Adelaide.  Another child was born in Australia in 1950.  

Eleonora spent a lifetime working in ceramics. She chose this medium early in life, participating in exhibitions since 1937.  She became known for her use of bright, vivid colours in her clay sculptures. Most of her works are three-dimensional or framed bas-reliefs. The subject matter ranges from nature to biblical themes. Her vases and figurines (which she sometimes dresses in Lithuanian folk costumes) are vehicles for expression of her ethnicity.

Although Eleonora and Aleksandras involved themselves in the Adelaide art scene and were members of the Royal south Australian Society of Arts, they were disappointed with the lack of artistic opportunities here.  The family decided to migrate to America, leaving Australia on 26 January 1956.

She passed away on 18 December 2001 in Chicago.

Believed to be the work of Eleonora.  This work is unsigned but fits her style. 

From the collection of Zamoiskis family, donated to the Australian Lithuanian Archive.

 References

Lithuanian artists in Australia 1950 – 1990, by Genovaite Kazokas (2003)

https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/eleonora-marciulioniene/

LITUANUS LITHUANIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
 Volume 34, No. 4 - Winter 1988, Editor of this issue: Antanas Klimas

Bicentenary gift to Australia

Artist Ieva Pocius with the statue

Australian Lithuanian Community Bicentenary gift to Australia

A memorial to represent Australia’s welcoming and providing a good life to the migrants.  What will remain to represent Lithuanian life in Australia.  The idea of donating a sculpture by an Australian Lithuanian sculptor was first raised by Dr Ben Vingilis in 1984 and formerly adopted by the Australian Lithuanian Federal Council in 1986.

A committee was established to raise funds and to call for expression of interstate form sculptors.

The artist chosen was Ieva Pocius, well known Adelaide sculptor.  Her piece was based on Eglė the Queen of Serpents which is considered one of the best-known Lithuanian fairy tales. The twelve foot bronze statue stands on a large piece of granite located at Glebe Park, corner of Ballumbir and Akuna Streets, Canberra.

The statue was unveiled by Hon Ros Kelly, M.P Member for Canberra, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel.

Artist: Ieva Pocius

Casted by Bruce Sutherland

Technical advice: Rimas Kabaila and engineer Romas Katauskas

Chairman of the organising committee: Victor Martisius

Artistic Advisor: Eva Kubbos

Publicity: Juras Kovalskis

Finance: Dr Ben Vingilis

Fundraising committee: Augis Zamoiskis (Adelaide)

The story

A young girl named Eglė discovers a serpent in her clothes after bathing with her two sisters. Speaking in a human voice, the serpent agrees to go away only after Eglė pledges herself to him in exchange for his leaving the clothes, not realising the possible consequences. Three days pass, and thousands of serpents come for the bride, but are tricked by her relatives each time. A goose, a sheep and a cow are given instead but the cuckoo warns about the deceit. Enraged serpents return for a final time and take Eglė with them to the bottom of the sea to their master.

Instead of seeing a serpent, Eglė meets her bridegroom Žilvinas, a handsome human - the Serpent Prince. They live together happily and bear four children, until Eglė decides to visit home and her husband denies her permission. In order to be allowed to visit home, Eglė is required to fulfil three impossible tasks: to spin a never-ending tuft of silk, wear down a pair of iron shoes and to bake a pie with no utensils. After she gets advice from the sorceress and succeeds, Žilvinas reluctantly lets Eglė and the children go.

After meeting the long lost family members, Eglė's relatives do not wish to let them back to the sea and decide to kill Žilvinas. His sons are are threatened and beaten by their uncles, in order to try to disclose how to summon their father; however, they remain silent and do not betray him. Finally, a frightened daughter discloses it:"Žilvinas, dear Žilvinas, If you are alive – may the sea foam milk. If you are dead – may the sea foam beblood…"

The twelve brothers call Žilvinas the Serpent from the sea and kill him using scythes.

The worried Eglė calls her husband, but unfortunately only foam of blood comes from the sea. When Eglė discovers that her beloved is dead, as a punishment for betrayal she turns her children and herself into trees - the sons into strong trees, an oak, an ash and a birch, whereas the daughter was turned into a quaking aspen. Finally, Eglė transformed herself into a spruce.

Adelaide supports Siberian deportees

Support Deportees from Siberia

Šalpa Sibiro Tremtiniams komiteto

The Adelaide Lithuanian community would at times organise special committees for various projects.  Formed on 24 March 1996, Support Deportees from Siberia committee was presided over by Stase Paceviciene.

During the period 1941-1953, some 132,000 Lithuanians were deported to remote areas of the USSR, in Siberia, the Arctic Circle areas and Central Asia. They were not allowed to leave the remote villages they were brought to. More than 70 percent of the deportees were women and children. Around 50,000 of the deportees were not able to return to Lithuania ever again. Those that did return to life in Lithuania, faced discrimination for jobs and social guarantees, their children were denied higher education.

Money was raised from donations, lunches, in lieu of flowers at funerals.  Money was divided and sent to different areas around Lithuania.  Each place that received funds provided a detailed list of how much and to whom it was given.

Some examples below:

Marijampolė       17 people received between 100-150 Litai
Alytus                16 people received between 100 – 200 litai
Panemė              6 people received 100 litai
Panevėžys           20 people each received 200 litai

The committee consisted of:
President:            Stase Pascevičienė
Treasurer:           Algis Zamoiskis
Members:            Marytė Neverauskienė, Henrikas Butvila, Janina Vabolienė, Ieva Pocienė, Aldona Patupiene.

The committee was active for five years until 2000, and in that time just under $20 000 was collected and distributed.

Total collected $19 189.

 

Mixed Voice Double Quartet Choir

Two quartets, one women’s ones men who sang Lithuanian folk songs.  The choir organised a one off performance on February 16th, 1951 in the Adelaide Town Hall.  From this invitation were extended the choir to perform at the ABC, Nuriootpa wine festival.
Women’s quartet consisted of Leonayda Kilikonienė, Janina Maželiene, D (probably Ona) Naudžiuvienė, E. Duchauskas (who later changed with A. Maželienė).  

Men’s choir consisted of Česlovas Zamoiskis, Jonas Abromas and Mečislovas Rudzenskas and ?.  Jonas Zdanavičius was the musical director.  Soloists were sung by Antanina Gučiuvienė, Elena Rūkštelienė and Paulius Rūtenis. 

Proceeds from the evening went in support of the Vasario 16 (February 16th) Lithuanian high school in Germany.

The group later released two folk songs produced in Chicago in 1952.

It was interesting to note that many of those mentioned soon left Adelaide for the USA.  Leonayda and her husband Vytautas Kilikonis moved to Elgin, Illinois, leaving Australia in 1956. Elena Rūkštelienė, her husband and four children moved to San Francisco in June 1955.  Ona Naudžiuvienė   and her husband, Kostas went to live in Los Angeles, leaving in May 1955. Jonas Zdanavičius also left the Commonwealth on the 29th March 1955, but I wasn't able to find out where he migrated to.  

A write up of the event appeared in the Advertiser.

Lithuanian Music and Dancing 
A concert of Lithuanian music and dancing, given in the Adelaide Town Hall last night to celebrate the Commonwealth Jubilee, was well attended.

In the first half of the programme solos were contributed ay Pranas Matiukas (violin) Elena Rukštelė (soprano) and Vivien Tuck (piano).

National dancers, under the leadership of Maria Grėbliunas, gave three groups of dances in costume during the second half, and a double quartet, conducted by Jonas Zdanavičius, sang groups of folk songs.

A collection of Lithuanian handcrafts was also on view.

The Advertiser 17 Feb 1951

Adelaide Lithuanian Radio Program

In 1975 the Adelaide University radio station 5UV invited ethnic groups to present programs. You were able to listen to Dutch, German and Latvian.  Vytautas Neverauskas, President of the community at that time thought it would be wonderful to hear the Lithuanian language on radio.  He approached  Viktoras Baltutis, Secretary of the community to contact the radio station where he was promised a weekly half hour slot.  A committee was formed consisting of Algis Grigonis (technician), Jurgis Jonavicius, Jonas Neverauskas, Genovaitė Vasiliauskienė and Viktoras Baltutis. Algis Grigonis worked at the ABC as a radio technician, whose assistance was vital to the success of the program. 

On March 13, 1977 the first progam was produced.  The community still had no equipment and at first used the studio at the Ukrainian house.  Algis contacted the Australian Lithuanian Federal Council for finance to purchase equipment.  $2000 was required, more than the committee had, so finances from Lithuanian Freedom society was borrowed.  The Adelaide Community converted the small room behind the stage at Lithuanian house into a studio.  It wasn’t hard to fill in half an hour as many of the community groups were keen to be participate.  It didn’t take long to repay the loan.

In 1979, the Adelaide Ethnic Broadcasters Incorporated (EBI) was formed out of the Adelaide University 5UV station and  given their own frequency.   It started to broadcast ethnic programs firstly in Dutch and Italian.  All previous foreign language broadcasts had been on commercial stations.  The Adelaide Lithuanian Radio committee approached EBI to extend their broadcasting time to one hour slot each fortnight, which they were granted.  

Viktoras Baltutis managed the radio program for six years.  He would plan the program, write small plays and invite others to participate.  Jurgis Jonavicius, Genovaitė Vasiliauskienė, Jonas Neverauskas, Elena Varnienė, and the Adelaide Youth organised by Jonas Mockūnas and Paulius Dunda. 

News and other announcements were read by Genovaitė Vasiliauskiienė, Odeta Stimburienė, Marytė Neverauskienė, Elena Lomsargienė, Viktoras Ratkevicius, Bronius Rainys and Augis Zamoiskis.  Algis Grigonis assisted with the radio until he passed away.  Stepas Guščia , Augis Zamoiskis, Jonas Rupinskas and Danutė Grigonytė assisted over the years.

The main aim was to broadcast news about the world and Australian Lithuanian life. Occasional speakers included Father Spurgis and Juozas Petraitis.  Special guests have included Simas Kudirka, Vytautas Kamantas (World Lithunain President) Dr Kazys Bobelis (surgeon, Honorary Chairman of the American Lithuanian Council and President of the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania), soloists G Čapkauskienė and R Daunoras.

In 1983, the radio program was organised by Leonas Gerulaitis, assisted by Janina Vabolienė. Robert Sabeckis, Vita Bardauskaitė, Saulius Varnas, Pranas Pusdešris, Bronius Straukas, Antanina Guciuvience have been involved over the years.

The community still broadcast the one hour program, weekly on Saturdays at 9:00am on 5EBI 103.1FM.