A Letter From the Zelek Family

We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support of Paulina during her illness. It was a very dark time and how many of you got involved and wanted to help exceeded her expectations. 

Paulina didn't realize that she was so loved by everyone and that so many people were with her during her illness. She was a beautiful and humble person whose presence made everyone happy. Being near her was something beyond words. Whenever she entered a room, her joy seemed to ripple outward, filling the space with light and warmth. She was pure, full of love, and she offered it freely, without a second thought or expectation of anything in return.

Such a wonderful person can not disappear from our lives. Just because her body died does not mean that her positive energy disappeared. In memory of Paulina we as a family and close friends decided to open a non-profit organization, Polly Zee Art Foundation. The goal of this foundation is to create a platform that brings emerging artists and galleries together—helping new talent be discovered and shared with the world. 

After Paulina’s cancer diagnosis at the age of 21, she did not give up because of the disease and it did not become her subject of life; she decided that she wanted to study art. She found herself in a completely different reality: the world of art gave her invaluable comfort in life. Often pharmacological medicine is not what cures you, but where your thoughts lead you and how you conceive reality. A month before Paulina passed, despite her already poor health, it was important to go to the art museum where she found peace and comfort. Because of this experience and comfort that this brought her, we were inspired to build a foundation that creates opportunities for others to experience the healing power of art. We do this by supporting emerging artists and connecting their work with galleries and communities around the world.

We also want to thank Paulina's colleagues as well as her professors, and others from the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, all of these people were very actively involved in the establishment of the POLLY ZEE Art Foundation. If it were not for these people and their ideas, we ourselves would certainly not have found so much strength to honor Paulina in this way.

Sincerely

The Zelek Family