This was a very busy year for us, full of excitement, new ideas, new people, all promoting Tesla in the best possible way.
Right after the conference at the New Yorker in January of 2014, we started building a team that worked very hard, with weekly meetings and later on almost every day, to organize the event that happened on Jun 28th, 200 years of Serbs in America. This event, with Tesla as one of the most important Serbian people that came to the US was organized by the TSF. We had around 700 people present for the weekend, and 120 for the Gala dinner and the awards.
- We were also involved in the humanitarian fundraising and silent auction, with other organizations
to help the victims of the serbian floods that happened last May. - We organized the unveiling of a Tesla bust, donated by the TSF to the Franklin Institute of Science in
Philadelphia in June this year. This was the result of several years of relationship with the Franklin
Institute. Our organization takes part in the Science Fair that they organize in march of every year, as
special guests. We had a reception and the ceremony of a Tesla bust unveiling where the
representatives of the institute, of the city of Philadelphia, Serbian consulate, and the Prime Minister
of Republika Srpska, amongst many other guests and media were present. - One bust was donated to the the town of Rahway , NJ. Nikola Tesla was a town resident and had his
Tesla Electric Light & Manufacturing company in 1887.
Many people there remember Tesla, and we were welcomed by the town’s Mayor and the towns
representatives for the ceremony. Tesla’s bust will proudly stand where once his first electric street
lights were installed.
More busts were donated:
- To Mr. Dusan Sinadinovic and “Let’s build Tesla’s tower in Serbia” organization, in the city of Leskovac, Serbia, where the unveiling will happen for Tesla’s birthday this year.
- In the City of Cleveland, there is a large park, called Cleveland Cultural gardens, featuring small
sections that represent countries of the world. Serbia has a nice section with dozen of monuments
for important people, including Tesla. This year, unfortunately, there was some vandalism and Tesla’s
bust was stolen.
The Tesla Science Foundation decided to donate one bust of Tesla to replace the old one.
This bust will be unveiled soon and we will be present at the ceremony. - One bust will be going to Belgrade, to the American Embassy, this June, at the special ceremony, as a
gesture to connect Serbian diaspora and their Embassy in the motherland. - We are in the talks with the cities of Banja Luka, in Republika Srpska, City of Chicago, and even
Canada and Vienna, Austria, to install these monuments.
The purpose of these donations are to further promote Tesla, make him seen again, and noticed, to
provoke questions and teach people of who he was and all of the wonderful things he did for the
humanity.
The busts were a creation of a young artist, Mr. Bojan Mikulic, who graciously joined the team several years ago, and made it possible for us to make this idea come true.
We will also donate bronze plaques, our “Tesla Spirit Awards”, to every school that starts using the Tesla curriculum, and we will start with our good friends, the Tacony Academy.
- Serbian Orthodox Church in NYC will also get a plaque, for all of their help and the welcoming hands, every time we come to NYC.
- Every school named by Nikola Tesla will get a bust as a present from our foundation.
We have worked with many groups and institutions this year, and loved working with the Art Institute of Phialdelpia, creating promotional videos for the foundation.
We were also special guests with the Evolve Festival, and looking forward to the new one, in September.
We prepared this conference, connected with the teachers, book writers, scientists, artists and
others.
This year we connected with the UN, with the Unesco, while keeping in touch with old friends, like Tesla Science Center in Long Island, and the New Yorker Hotel.
We are looking forward to:
2nd of June in Belgrade, Serbia, where “Tesla’s People” will have a gathering, 10th of July in Philadelphia, also for Tesla’s people, and Tesla’s Birthday.
We are all volunteers, we are scientists, artists, musicians, teachers. JOIN US there are many positions open for all that want to help. We all work hard and we are all proud of our Nikola Tesla.
Conference January 2015, New York – Who was presenting:
Tim Eaton, Film Script Presentation
Michael R. Powel, Ph.D., Tesla Science Education in China
W. Bernard Carlson, Ph.D., Book Presentation
Phillip Baldwin, Ph.D, Tesla – Future
Jane Alcorn for Tesla Science Center in Long Island, report on what has been done and what is
planned
Yuri Blanarovich, Tesla Art and Technology Camps
Maja Herman-Sekulic, Ph.D., Book Presentation “A story of Youth Told by Age” dedicated to miss Paula Fotich, by Nikola Tesla
Children: Magdalena Frances Waters, Julian Driebeek and Kyle Driebeek
School Curriculum Program:
- Brianna Cutillo, Problem Solving and Inventions Teacher, Elementary Ed. Certified, Reading Specialist Certified
- Heather Noel, Middle School Language Arts, Special Education Certified Elementary Ed. Certified, English Language Arts Certified
- Todd Smith, Dean of School Climate, Elementary Ed Certified,
- Ashley Redfearn, Principal/CEO, Elementary Ed Certified, K-12 Principal Certification
- Ron P. Milione, Dr, Hands on Tesla Science Experiments
- Mano Divino, Music and Technology
- Brian Yetzer, Digital Art and Technology
- Craig DoVidio, Art institute, Videos
Unveiling of the Tesla bust happened in the evening, with many guests and press involved. The sign on the bust will be cast in bronze will replace the temporary one and which says: “Nikola Tesla is the Serbian American scientist and inventor who invented the AC Electrical Power System used throughout the world today and other great inventions including the radio.
Nikola Tesla occupied rooms 3327 and 3328 at the New Yorker Hotel from 1933 to 1943.
Tesla Science Foundation Logo Donated to the New Yorker Hotel by the Tesla Science Foundation on the behalf of the People’s Republic of Serbia and Srpska”
The bust was blessed by Father Djokan Majstorovic of the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church and unveiled by Nikola Lonchar, the President of the Foundation.
Tesla Exhibition was an important part of the event. This exhibition was acquired by the TSF from the Tesla Museum in Belgrade for events like this and the future Exhibit : Tesla – Past, Present and Future” and was exhibited for all to see prior to the evening event.
Tesla Spirit Awards:
After the opening remarks by Nikola Loncar, pre President, and Marina Schwabich, the director, we have heard the remarks and the speeches of • Serbian Ambassador to the U.N., H.E. Milan Milanovic
and a very important guest, • Moufida Goucha, Director, UNESCO Representative to the UN.
Tesla Spirit Awards were awarded to:
• Jane Alcorn (Tesla Science Center of Wardencliff)
• Telefonica
• Serbian Church in NYC (bronze plaque awarded)
• Marina Arsenijevic (for music in Tower to the People, film about Tesla)
• Ashley REDFEARN and TESLA CURRICULUM TEAM that started to build the curriculum -bronze
Plaque awarded for the first school that started Tesla’s curriculum
-For relentless dedication to Tesla’s legacy
Tesla Spirit President’s Award: to Mark Passio & Michael Falseta (Some of the founders and long time supporters of the TSF)
-For memorializing Tesla’ image in a bronze bust Tesla Spirit Fine Art Award to Bojan Mikulic
-Tesla Spirit Digital Education Award: to Brian Yetzer, the digital artist
-For keeping Tesla legacy alive Tesla Spirit Memorial Award- Nikola Radosevic, Posthumous
Preformances by:
-Mano Divina, Divine Hand Ensamble (Mano Divina and his ensamble were chosenn to be playing for
the Pope in Philadelphia in the summer of 2015, and he will be presenting the TSF there)
-Brit Walmsley, on gusle, Tesla’s favorite Instrument
-Ivan Bosiljcic and Jelena Tomasevic, our guests from Belgrade, velena-videos from Eurovision and Ivan was reciting. some Tesla quotes.
Trailer for the “Tower to the People” , film about Tesla, by Joseph Sikorski was played.
Zvezdana Stojanovic Scott
Tesla Science Foundation USA