[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 103 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             GRANDPA MOSES

                                 ______


                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 22, 1995
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, ingenuity and imagination are cherished 
commodities in an era which demands that we do more with less. Our 
continued prosperity demands that we challenge our minds, see beyond 
the obvious, and extend our vision. It is our intellect that sets us 
apart.
  Mr. John Urbaszewski of Oak Park, IL, provides a very practical 
example of the creativity of the mind and the power of imagination.
  A retired, State-government employee, keenly intent on staying active 
and keeping his mind sharp, Urbaszewski, without benefit of a single 
art lesson, has become a very popular, local folk artist, 
affectionately referred to as ``Grandpa Moses.''
  What most of us identify as abandoned soda bottles, plastic coffee 
creamers, old buttons, film packs, cereal boxes, cocktail stirrers, and 
other such ``trash,'' Urbaszewski sees as the basic building blocks for 
his versions of Frank Lloyd Wright's Mile High Center skyscraper, the 
Taj Mahal, Rome's Piazza di Spagna, Brasilia's baroque opera house, and 
Disney's castles. His creations, all constructed from rubbish, also 
include birdhouses, restaurants, office buildings and cathedrals.
  Packing many of his art works into the Grandpa Moses Mobile Traveling 
Museum, Urbaszewski has visited numerous schools and shopping centers 
exhibiting his creative talents and stimulating the minds of his 
audiences. His storefront and museum exhibits are instant show stoppers 
and crowd pleasers.
  Grandpa Moses clearly demonstrates the creative powers of the mind in 
a very entertaining and practical manner.


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