The Ukrainian Museum's annual meeting elects board of trustees (07/09/00)

The Ukrainian Museum's annual meeting elects board of trustees

by Marta Baczynsky

NEW YORK - The sweltering heat of Sunday, June 11, did little to discourage many members of The Ukrainian Museum from attending the institution's annual meeting.

The goal of the meeting is to provide a forum for the museum leadership as well as its members - the former to report on the completed agenda and financial state of the institution for the previous year, the latter to express their thoughts and feelings concerning various related issues. This year, as in the past several years, the main topic of interest was the new museum building project.

The meeting was chaired by Dr. Askold Lozynskyj, president of both the Ukrainian World Congress and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Barbara Bachynsky, museum board member, served as recording secretary.

Board President Olha Hnateyko asked the assembly to remember the museum members and friends who had died in 1999. A minute of silence honored their memory.

Iryna Kurowyckyj, president of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, the founders of the museum, brought greetings from the UNWLA and assurances that her organization will continue to support the institution. Mrs. Hnateyko congratulated UNWLA on its 75th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year, and led the assembly in a rousing rendition of "Mnohaya Lita."

Most of the meeting was devoted to the presentation of various reports. Mrs. Hnateyko, the first to report, said that after thoroughly examining and reviewing all options pertaining to the museum's building project, the board had decided to proceed with building a new facility on East Sixth Street. The project will utilize the design plans prepared by architect George Sawicki, but will incorporate some changes into these plans to cut costs and save money. She reiterated the continuous conscientious effort and hard work by board members in searching for the best possible outcome for the museum in the long quest for its new home. She also credited the board for successfully completing this assignment.

The process in examining the viable options before the board took some time, said the board president. She also explained the outcome of each option.

For instance, she noted the negotiations with respect to the purchase of the landmark building on East Seventh Street and Third Avenue took approximately one year. This objective, diligently and vigorously pursued by the board, was not realized due to the fact that the sellers changed their minds about selling. Other options were to build apartments over the museum facility, either with developers or alone. However, after careful study, both options were not financially optimal for the museum.

Although the board has now chosen a path of action, according to Mrs. Hnateyko, it will take some time for the development of the various phases of the project, such as the incorporation of the changes into the design of the new building and the approval of these changes by the city.

Director Maria Shust gave a detailed summary of the museum's activities during the report period. She spoke about the unique gifts the museum received to its collections and library, among them antique maps of Ukraine, many books, paintings and drawings by noted Ukrainian artists, and numerous folk art objects. The museum also received the archive of the Philadelphia branch of the Brotherhood of the 1st Division of the Ukrainian National Army.

The director spoke about the exhibitions and related programs presented during the report period (1999 and highlights of 2000), noting that the planning committee on the board, working in cooperation with the museum staff is responsible for this agenda. Ms. Shust enumerated the exhibitions that were mounted and said that they reflected the museum's celebration of the passage into a new century and millennium. The important role of collectors was acknowledged in the formation and enrichment of museum collections, in both fine arts and folk art exhibitions.

The museum honored the lifelong contributions to Ukrainian scholarship and culture of art historian Hryhorij Lohvyn in a photographic exhibition of Ukraine's architectural monuments. For a two-week span, the museum mounted a "farewell" exhibition of paintings by Mykola Krychevsky, which were en route to museums in Ukraine. And, at the moment of passage into the new millennium, the museum chose to show the art of Vasyl Hryhorovych Krychevsky, who to a great degree embodied the creative spirit of the early part of the 20th century in Ukraine.

The museum's educational programs were highlighted by a series of lectures on archaeological themes by Ukrainian American art historians and archaeologists as speakers. The lectures, presented on separate days in the English and Ukrainian languages, brought new audiences to the museum. With the aim of developing a program of events aimed at more closely involving young people in museum activities, the newly formed Public Relations Committee of Young Professionals organized a gallery talk and a reception at the closing of the Vasyl Krychevsky exhibition.

Ms. Shust spoke also about the museum's efforts to keep its programs in the public eye by utilizing the resources of the Ukrainian and American media, its homepage on the Internet, as well as its in-house publications. She said that the popular fund-raising events organized by the board's special events committee, which gives museum members and friends the opportunity to provide support for the institution in a social setting, were enriched this year with the new and very successful New Year's ball, or Malanka which, it is hoped will become a tradition with the museum family.

Both the board president and the director thanked museum members, friends, UNWLA members and members of the community for their continued, generous support.

Treasurer Oleh Sawkiw reported concisely on the financial state of the museum, inviting the audience to review the report on the pages of the annual report distributed to each member. Wasyl Sosiak, chairman of the auditing committee, reported that his committee had found the financial state of the museum sound and commended its exemplary bookkeeping.

The nominating committee's proposed list of candidates for the board was approved, re-electing Mrs. Hnateyko as board president and welcoming new board members Ulana Baczynsky, Ulana Kobzar and Rostyslaw Milanytch.

Following are the other members of themuseum's newly elected board of trustees: Vice-Presidents Iryna Kurowyckyj, Tatiana Tershakovec, Maria Tomorug; Treasurer Yar Mociuk; Secretaries Katria Czerwoniak and Vera Skop; Members-at-Large Orest Glut, Andrey Hankevych and Roman Hawrylak; Board Members Anna Alyskewycz, Sophia Hewryk, Lidia Krushelnytsky, Volodymyr Kurylo, Zenon Masnyj, Maria Pazuniak, Maria Polanskyj, Roma Shuhan, Christine Zarska Shoh, Olga Trytyak and Ireneus Yurchuk; Auditing Committee Members Wasyl Sosiak (chair), Nadia Cwiach, Ihor Hayda, Yaroslawa Luchechko and Wolodymyr Magun.

Questions from the audience reflected for the most part the museum members' interest and concern about the building project. Two years ago the project came to a halt due to the fact that not enough money had been raised to begin construction. Now that the board has decided on a course of action, and the building project on East Sixth Street has been reactivated, fund-raising will be the prime issue in this endeavor.

Mrs. Hnateyko explained that the cost of the building construction is not the only important factor within the museum's fiscal parameters. Once the new building is built the cost of its maintenance will have to be met. The other factor will be to support the expanded day-to-day programs and larger staff of an active institution. Toward that end, the new board, scheduled to meet in the early part of this summer, will design a strategy and draft a plan for a major fund-raising campaign. The campaign, both short-range (to cover construction of the new building) and long-range (to support maintenance of the new building and the activities of the museum) will target every possible funding source.

The Ukrainian Museum, presently located at 203 Second Ave., is open to the public on Wednesday through Sunday at 1-5 p.m. Telephone: (212) 228-0110; e-mail: [email protected]. For additional information about the museum please see the website at www.ukrainianmuseum.org.

Marta Baczynsky is in charge of press and public relations for The Ukrainian Museum.

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