EXHIBITIONS
Ferdinand’s nativity art has been displayed in numerous venues over the years. Articles and photos about some of these exhibitions are described below.
In 1964, the Pribyl Bethlehem was displayed at the McNamara O'Connor Museum in Victoria, Texas. Edwin Pribyl, Ferdinand's grandson, owned a dry-cleaning business in Victoria and he would also display it in the window of his establishment during the holiday season. The Staha scene was displayed in 1965 at the Parish Hall of Sacred Heart Church in Halletsville. Monsignor Morkovsky, of that parish also transported it to display at at Church conference in the northeast US around this time. In 1968, the Staha scene was displayed at Nazareth Academy, a Catholic girl's school in Victoria, Texas. During this same period another (as yet unlocated) scene was displayed during Christmas in the Community Grocery in West, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stockbauer viewed it several times. Also during this period, Mary Lou Green owned the Bethlehem that is now in the possession of Helen Matriasciani of Houston. She would display it in her home in Victoria during the Christmas season and invite the public to view it. Unfortunately, most of the background scenery and baseboard for this Nativity have been lost and only the figures remain.
The Stockbauer Nativity scene has been displayed in their home during many holiday seasons and was on public display at the Nave Museum in Victoria in 1979. It was subsequently displayed at the Nave Museum during the 2006 Christmas Holiday season in the "Victoria Region Collects Folk Art" exhibition. The profile in the exhibition program written about Ferdinand Pribyl can be viewed here.
In 2007, during the Christmas Holiday season, The Museum of the Coastal Bend in Victoria, Texas exhibited the Pribyl Family Nativity Scene, as described in this press release. The Stockbauer Nativity Scene was also displayed during the 2007 Christmas Holiday Season at The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC). In December 2008, the recently restored Staha Nativity was set up at the Friench Simpson
Memorial Library in Halletsville, Texas.
The Stockbauer and Staha Nativity Scenes were displayed in full at The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) in San Antonio, Texas, during the 2009 Christmas Holiday season. Also included was the manger painting owned by Helen Matrisciani of Houston, Texas, and some nativity figures from the Pribyl Nativity Scene and additional figures owned by Mary Lou Urban. The exhibit was titled, "The Nativity Art of Ferdinand Pribyl", and was open from Nov. 21, 2009 through Jan. 3, 2010. The ITC has a Facebook photo album of the exhibit setup here. An opening reception on Nov. 21 was highlighted by a slide presentation on Ferdinand's life and art by Bette Stockbauer. The curator chose to play "The New World Symphony" by Czech composer, Antonin Dvořák, during the exhibition. A video pan of the exhibition hall may be viewed here.
The Stockbauer, Pribyl and Staha Nativity Scenes were displayed in full during the Christmas seasons of 2010 and 2011 at the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange, Texas. Also included were some figures of people from Mary Lou Urban of Victoria. The Stockbauer scene was loaned courtesy of Elizabeth N. Stockbauer, the Pribyl scene courtesy of the descendants of Anton Pribyl, and the Staha scene courtesy of Mary Ann Staha of Hallettsville. In 2010, the exhibition was open from Nov. 21, 2010 through Jan. 6, 2011. In 2011, the dates for viewing were from Nov. 21, 2011 through Jan. 20, 2012.