Bernard Graf Award to Nicholas Polys
The Bernard Graf award is awarded to local musicians who show excellence in their music, who have worked for justice and equality, and have a need for a quality instrument. The award is named after and commemorates Bernard Graf, who was a German Jew who escaped from Nazi Germany around 1938. Bernard Graf later joined the United States. Air Force to return to Europe to fight the Nazis and eventually rescued his brother from a Nazi concentration camp.
Dr. Nicholas Polys has spent many days through all sorts of weather showing up as a legal observer at the Yellow Finch site to make sure
that the rights of protestors sitting up in trees are protected. Those tree-sitter protestors have put their lives on the line in an effort to stop or slow down a multi-billion dollar corporation bent on destroying the natural environment of Virginia. Nicholas sees the incredible value and heroics that the tree sitters have demonstrated and by showing up to support their right to protest day after day, he shows his unconditional and continuing commitment to protecting the Earth from those driven by greed bent on destroying the planet.
Dr. Polys works at Virginia Tech running the Visionarium Lab where scientific, engineering, agricultural and design data can be visualized with interactive, immersive 3D graphics.
Dr. Polys has played in such notable bands as The Jugbusters, The Dirty Hairies, Timewave Zero and the Chinquapin Hunters. Dr. Polys is married to the famous local musical performer Kat Mills and has a teen age daughter that is the beneficiary of the Peavy Professional Bass Guitar that comes with the award.
Once there is a return to normalcy, there will be an official presentation of the award to Dr. Nicholas Polys and also to last year’s
Bernard Graf award winner, Kari Kovick, who has not yet participated in a award ceremony due to Covid-19.