On September 23, 2022, at the Africanist Museum in Olkusz, an evening of memories was held dedicated to the memory of Bożena Szczygieł-Gruszyńska (1930-2020), who, together with her husband Bogdan Szczygieł, in the 1970s donated a collection of African art to the Friends of Olkusz Region Association. This collection had been gathered during the long-term stay of Mr. and Mrs. Szczygieł in Niger, where they worked as doctors. The collection gave rise to the Africanist Museum in Olkusz, which had been supported by Bożena Szczygieł-Gruszyńska until her death in April 2020.

The closest family of Mr. and Mrs. Szczygieł participated in the event, including the couple’s daughter with her husband - Ewa and Leszek Michalscy, as well as friends and residents of Olkusz. The evening of memories was opened by the Director of the Africanist Museum in Olkusz, Mr. Wojciech Ozdoba, while the entire meeting was hosted by the curator of the Museum, the former longtime director of this institution, Mrs. Grażyna Praszelik-Kocjan, who had worked closely with Mr. and Mrs. Szczygieł. The ceremony was also attended by the Director of the Jagiellonian Research Center for African Studies, prof. dr. hab. Robert Kłosowicz, who, on behalf of the Center and the Polish Africanist community, recalled the merits of Ms. Bożena Szczygieł-Gruszczyńska in popularizing knowledge about Africa and Africans in Poland.