Galeria Instrumentów Folkowych

About the museum

The Galeria Instrumentów Folkowych (Folk Instrument Gallery) was founded in 1997 as the idea of musician and artist Antoni Kania, founder of Poland's first folk band “Syrbacy”. For more than forty years he collected instruments, noisemakers (przeszkadzajki) and musical toys, and reconstructed some of them himself from old engravings and books. The gallery was first housed in catechism rooms at ul. Łąkowa in the Łąki district of Grodzisk, and since 2008 the exhibition has been in premises at ul. Chlewińska 19a.

After Antoni Kania's death in 2014, the gallery is run by his daughter Katarzyna Kania-Stróżewska together with her husband Paweł Stróżewski. In 2015 the Fundacja “Antek” (Antek Foundation) was established; it looks after the collection and organises concerts and meetings. The collection continues to grow and now includes over a thousand exhibits.

The collection is devoted to Polish and Slavic folk culture, but it is not limited to traditional instruments: many of them are improvised instruments, hurdy-gurdies in unusual versions, cymbals, barrel organs, basses or harmonias. The gallery's special feature is that the exhibits are within reach and can be played, and visits often end with making music together. The gallery also takes part in Museum Night and holds open days.

Highlights

• Over 1,000 instruments, noisemakers and musical toys
• Exhibits can be touched and played
• Hurdy-gurdies in unusual versions, including ones made from sieves and kneading troughs
• Cymbals, barrel organ, basses and Polish harmonia
• Visit combined with making music together

Permanent exhibition

• Galeria Instrumentów Folkowych – Collection of over a thousand instruments, noisemakers and musical toys linked to Polish and Slavic folk culture, including hurdy-gurdies, Jewish cymbals, a barrel organ and a Polish harmonia, which visitors can play.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Fundacja „Antek”

Director

Katarzyna Kania-Stróżewska

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The instruments can be touched and played, which makes the gallery well suited to families with children; the gallery also runs a programme for children outside its premises.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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