The Romanian Centenary, a Transatlantic Celebration

We are partnering with the dynamic American Romanian Cultural Society and other Romanian-American organizations from the Pacific Northwest for an eclectic celebration of the momentous unification of all Romanian provinces in 1918, centered around the exceptional personality of the much-beloved Queen Marie of Romania. Hosted by, and co-produced with the Maryhill Museum of Art, an institution born in the admiration of the great Queen, the diverse program examines the legacy of the Romanian Royal Family and its role in the making of Greater Romania at the end of WWI through music and dance, activities for children, an exhibition and a series of talks.

Guest speakers: Anca Mizumschi, author of “My Suspended Land”, historian Anca-Beatrice Todireanu, coordinator of "The Queen and the Front", architects Augustin Ioan and Marius Marcu Lapadat, and Daniela Voitescu, Head of Public Relations, Marketing and Cultural Projects at Peles Castle Museum in Sinaia. Executive producers: Ileana Marin and Otilia Baraboi.

The one-day festival is organized in partnershipby the American Romanian Cultural Society, the Romanian American Society, the Northwest Romanian Community, and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.

Augustin Ioan is Professor of Architecture at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest as well as an accomplished architect himself. He is the author of “Architecture and Power” (1992), “Politics of Modernization in Central and Eastern European Architecture” (1999), and “Return into the Sacred Space” (2004). Professor Ioan will be joining author Anca Mizumschi in a conversation about Romanian identity as seen from afar and Professor Marius Marcu Lapadat in a dialogue about the impact of the Royal Family on Romania's built environment.

Marius Marcu-Lapadat is Professor of Architecture at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest. He is the author of various design, interior design and architecture projects, being the winner of an honourable mention at the “Schinkenchiku Residential Design Competition” in Tokyo and of the Special Prize for Excellence in Design at the Bucharest Biennale of Architecture. Professor Marcu-Lapadat was the President of the Romanian Design Foundation between 1997 and 1998, and Commissioner of the Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008 and 2010. He also authored a series of publications in the field, like “Introduction to Interior Architecture”, “Bucharest: Architecture and Modernity. An annotated guide”, and “Bucharest Architecture in the 20th Century”. Come hear from him in dialogue with Professor Augustin Ioan about the architectural legacy of the Romanian Royal Family, with a focus on Queen Marie's outstanding contribution.

Anca Mizumschi is a Romanian writer and psychologist currently living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of a series of poetry books: “East” (1993), “Capital Work” (1996), “Jagged Photos” (2008), “Noah’s Anca” (2009), “Vers(o)es” (2010), “In the Height of the Sky” (2012), “Reading Manual” (2012), “Madrugada” (2013), “Metropolitana” (2018), anthologies: “Strong. Romanian-Polish Anthology” (Polish Cultural Institute, 1997), “27 Romanian Poets / Om jag inte får tala med någon nu” (Tranan Publishing House, Stockholm, 2011), “Tranzbordare” (Max Blecher Publishing House Bucharest, 2013), “The Most Beautiful Romanian Poems in 2012” (Tracus Arte Publishing House, Bucharest, 2013), and articles on ardent social issues published in the Romanian press. Her poems were extensively translated into Spanish, German, Swedish, French, Italian, Hungarian, Czech and Albanian. Her most recent book, “My Suspended Land” (Herg Benet, 2018), is a provocative, unsettling essay about identity and exile. We are looking forward to listening to her at Maryhill Museum in conversation with Professor Augustin Ioan about the Romanian identity as seen from afar.

Historian Anca-Beatrice Todireanu is the author of “The Civilization of the Brancoveanu Era” (2014), “Vacaresti Monastery: 25 years from the martyrdom of a Bucharest monument” (2013), and more recently coordinator, together with Daniela Mihai, of the bilingual album “The Queen and the Front” (MNLR, 2017). She is a contributor to Forbes Romania and the founding President of ARC - Asociația România Culturală. Anca-Beatrice Todireanu comes to the Romanian Cultural Festival to speak about Queen Marie’s pivotal role in the creation of Greater Romania at the end of WWI.

Full program:

Sample Romania Fare | noon to 2:30 p.m.

Enjoy tastes of traditional Romanian foods. Cannon Power Plaza. Hosted by members of the Romanian community in Portland.

Music and Dance | noon to 2:30 p.m.

Watch folk dance and music performances by Seattle’s Romanian Folkloric Ensemble, Datina, St. Mary’s Youth Group from Portland and singer Romeo Cristea on the Cannon Power Plaza. Emcee will be Michael Oros, president of the Romanian American Society and member of Maryhill’s board of trustees.

Hands on Art | noon to 2:30 p.m.

Cut and decorate your own version of Queen Marie’s crown, design a dress inspired by objects in the museum’s Queen Marie Gallery, or try your hand at embroidery using traditional Romanian patterns. You can also make a Romanian flag to show your love of Romania! Outside on the Cannon Power Plaza. (Indoors if weather is problematic.)

Lectures in the M. J. Murdock Charitable Education Center:

Pelisor Castle and Queen Marie | 2:45 p.m.

Learn more about Queen Marie’s ties to one of Romania’s most stunning castles. Daniela Voitescu Head of Public Relations, Marketing and Cultural Projects, Peles Castle Museum.

Revisiting Romanian Identity from Afar | 3 p.m.

Hear from Augustin Ioan and Anca Mizumschi’s, author of the essay collection “My Suspended Land” (2018).

Queen Mary in Romanian History | 3:30 p.m.

Beatrice Todireanu, coordinator of “The Queen and the Front” (2018), who will talk about talk about the Queen’s contribution to the 1918 unification of Romanian provinces. Presentation and Q&A.

Romanian Royalty’s Impact on Architecture | 4 p.m.

Architects Augustin Ioan and Marius Marcu-Lapadat in dialogue about Royalty and Architecture and the impact of the monarchy on Romanian Architecture, with a focus on Queen Mary’s contribution.