The Ukrainian Museum to sponsor conference on "Ukrainian Living Heritage" (09/17/06)

The Ukrainian Museum to sponsor conference on "Ukrainian Living Heritage"

by Romana Labrosse

New York - Folk art educators, practitioners and aficionados will have an opportunity to experience first-hand the richness and beauty of Ukrainian folk art at The Ukrainian Museum's daylong conference, "Folk Art, Folk Lore, Folk Life: Ukrainian Living Heritage," on Sunday, September 24.

Prof. Natalie Kononenko of the University of Alberta at Edmonton, an expert on Ukrainian folk art, will give the keynote address during the morning session titled "Culture Keepers in Ukraine: Past, Present and Future," and will also speak during the afternoon session on "Culture Keepers in the Diaspora - the Importance of the Visual in Preserving Identity." A number of prominent folk artists will participate in the conference as well.

Culture keepers play a crucial role in the preservation of rituals and traditions, notes Prof. Kononenko. "They are the ones to whom people turn to lead off a folk song or to explain the rituals associated with weddings and other events," she said. "They teach their friends and their children traditional crafts, and they are able to explain the significance of every image and symbol." Furthermore, she added, "far away from their native land, they keep their traditions alive and share their culture with their new neighbors."

In much the same way, said Lubow Wolynetz, organizer of the conference and curator of The Ukrainian Museum's folk art collection, the museum itself fulfills the role of culture keeper. "As an institution whose goal is to preserve and promote culture - through exhibitions and educational initiatives such as this conference - the museum is one of the community's most prominent and visible culture keepers," she underscored.

"Folk Art, Folk Lore, Folk Life: Ukrainian Living Heritage" is being held in conjunction with the museum's ongoing exhibition "The Tree of Life, the Sun, the Goddess: Symbolic Motifs in Ukrainian Folk Art," which features more than 100 artifacts from the museum's extensive folk art collection. The exhibition, curated by Ms. Wolynetz, is on view through October 15.

The afternoon session of the conference will include demonstrations by prominent folk artists, and attendees will have an opportunity to try their hand at various folk crafts.

The participating artists are:

Evdokiia Sorokhaniuk, weaver, embroiderer, Hutsul folk costume specialist;
Larysa Zielyk, specialist in ritual baking;
Olha Kolodij, expert in gerdany - seed beaded necklaces;
Vira Nakonechna, weaver, embroiderer;
Marichka Panczak, embroiderer, folk costume specialist;
Sofia Zielyk, pysanka artist, ceramicist.

Admission to the conference, including lunch and a closing wine-and-cheese reception, is $30 ($25 for museum members; $20 for students). Registration is now being taken by phone, 212-228-0110; fax 212-228-1947; or e-mail, ([email protected]). Payment may be made by check, VISA or MasterCard. Please register early, as seating is limited.

The Ukrainian Museum collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets articles of artistic or historic significance to the rich cultural heritage of Americans of Ukrainian descent. The museum's folk art collection is one of the largest and most important outside of Ukraine; its fine arts collection includes works by noted Ukrainian artists in Ukraine, the United States and around the world; and its archives contain items documenting the life, history and cultural development of the Ukrainian people. Each year, the museum organizes several exhibitions, publishes bilingual catalogues and conducts a wide range of public programming.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant-making agency, supports the educational and public programs of The Ukrainian Museum.

The museum's programs and operations are funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

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