The Old Granary in Łąka was built in the second half of the 18th century, between 1781 and 1818. Constructed in the Baroque style, it was one of many buildings of the Łąka estate. To enter the area where the Center for Culture and Art is now located in the granary, one passes through the historic gate. On the right side, we pass the steward’s house, heading towards the impressive building that is the renovated granary. These two buildings and the gate are all that remains of the former economic courtyard that served as the technical support for the manor. In the past, it was guarded by a wall, surrounded by stables and barns. Old plans show ten buildings and small structures here, both wooden and brick. The last lord of Łańcut and also the owner of the Łąka estate was Alfred Potocki (1886 – 1958). His estate was nationalized in 1944 by the decree of the Polish Committee of National Liberation dated September 6. The land was transferred to peasants (who were to repay it). For a while, the Production Cooperative “Zwycięstwo” in Łąka operated in the former farm buildings. In the early 1950s, the former stables (barns) were taken over and converted into a pigsty by the Meat Industry in Rzeszów, and for a period, an agricultural school was located in the steward’s house. The granary was entered into the register of monuments on August 22, 1968. In 1974, the buildings became the property of the Agricultural Production Cooperative “Postęp” in Jasionka. In the early 1990s, most of the objects from the former economic part of the farm were taken over by the Trzebownisko commune.
In 2015, the architectural studio Draft from Rzeszów developed a project for the reconstruction and expansion of the granary building for cultural purposes. The architects – Agata Jasińska – Malec and Tomasz Malec – not only presented new solutions within the existing building structure but also proposed adding a wing on the north side, which would include, among other things, a staircase and an elevator. On September 3, 2015, the Rzeszów branch of the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments with headquarters in Przemyśl issued a permit for the reconstruction and expansion of the granary according to the described project. Construction works under the supervision of the monument conservator started in June 2019 and lasted until the end of 2020. Many original elements of the granary were preserved in the historic part of the building – stairs, wooden gates, which were once the main doors to the building, as well as brick walls and vaults in the basements. A mural depicting the versatile artist Józef Rys from Łąka, who lived from 1898 to 1971, was placed above the entrance to the granary, which is located on the north side. He came from a peasant family and showed artistic and musical talents from an early age. He immortalized his native village in hundreds of drawings and dozens of stories. During the interwar period, he led an excellent band that played not only folk songs but also hits of Polish popular music and jazz standards. Today, the Center for Culture and Art in Łąka commemorates, among others, the work of this exceptional artist, who is part of local tradition and history. The center serves to popularize and promote culture, tradition, and history. It also constantly expands its offer, inviting children, youth, and adults to classes in sculpture, ceramics, painting, artistic handicrafts, music and vocal classes, or analog photography. There is an Art Library and a recording studio here, with interesting collections of books and magazines from various art fields. The Auditorium can host exhibitions, concerts, and film screenings. The sense of beauty and aesthetics is developed here in many ways.
