Vagis, Polygnotos

Sculptor of the memorial honoring the veterans of World War II which is now located at the Bethpage Community Park. Lived on Evergreen Ave. (Edith Nicholason's sister and brother posed for the memorial) Mr. Vagis was one of the 101 sculptors whose work has been admitted to the nationwide competive exhibition, American Sculpture 1951, in the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Vagis entry in the exhibit was "The Moon" in cast stone.

(from THE NATIONAL HERALD a weekly Greek American Publication, December 20-21, 2003) Vagis was born on January 14, 1894 in the village of Patomia on the Greek island of Thassos to Giorgos and Angeliki. He came to America in June 1911 with the aim of making money for his family. In 1917 after years of manual labor he earned enough money to enroll in Cooper's Union Institute. He became an American citizen after serving time in the U. S. Military. Then, in October of 1919, he enrolled in the Fine Arts Institute and studies sculpture for three years under C. Boulgon and F. Aitken well know sculptors. In 1920 a bronze, Portrait Bust was exhibited in the Brooklyn Museum, and he was introduced to Gertrude Whitney (daughter of Cornelius Whitney and an accomplished sculptor). In 1923 Vagis was awarded a Whitney Museum of Modern Art grant that was used to pay for a studio. His first studio opened on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. The Whitney Museum continued to renew the grant each year for the next ten years. From 1920 to 1922 Vagis' work appeared regularly in the annual Pennsylvania Academy exhibition. In 1927 Vagis exhibited at the Architectural League. From 1920 to 1931, Vagis' work appeared regularly at the National Academy. In 1921 the Hispanic Museum exhibited Vagis' work, which may have led to the Greek's work being included in 1924 at the Grand Central Palace of the Pan American Sculpture Exhibition.

In 1933, the year his Whitney Museum grant ended, Vagis purchased a house at 104 Evergreen Ave., in Central Park where he would work for the next 32 years. This was an area that served as a meditative retreat as well as a studio for Vagis. In 1952 he completed his monument a memorial to 'U. S. Armed Forces'. The monument is about four feet tall and carved from local black granite from Locust Valley, Long Island. A neighbor and friend, Harry Haugen, hauled the slab of granite from Locust Valley to Bethpage, not an easy task. After rendering the stone into a square block Vagis carved four faces, in profile. Vagis chose four local young people from Bethpage who were serving in each of the four chosen divisions of the military. Ruth Nicholson Haugen who modeled as a member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC); Carl Nicholson for the Navy, Robert Nicholson for the Army and Judy Lang for the Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES). The memorial first stood in front of the Bethpage Broadway School, now renamed John F. Kennedy Middle School, next to the World War I memorial. At some unidentified time both monuments were moved to the Bethpage Community Park on Stewart Ave.

In the 1950's Mr. Vagis continued to exhibit his work, some of his exhibitions were held at: Iowa University, Whitney Museum of Art, New York Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also participated at the International Exposition at the Carnegie Institute in Philadelphia.

On August 20, 1954 Polygnostis Vagis married Sylvia Bender. She was a poet, a woman of great culture, and a fine sense for the appreciation of visual arts. She died in February 1964. Vagis died on April 14, 1965 at the Manhattan Veterans Administration Hospital. At the time of his death the Greek Government brought his body back to Greece for burial. No consideration was given to his wife.

The below information from Ruth (Nicholson) Haugen January 22, 2004

The people who posed for the World War II Memorial were: Navy Veteran, the late Carl (Bud) Nicholson, sat for both servicemen. The late Judy Lang posed for the WAVE. Army Veteran, Regina Bajewski (unsure of the spelling) posed for the WAC. Ruth Haugen did a minimum of posing. (Submitted by Ruth Haugen 2/2004).