Kule gift promises continued growth for Ukrainian Folklore Center (10/01/06)

Kule gift promises continued growth for Ukrainian Folklore Center

EDMONTON - Peter and Doris Kule, prominent members of the Edmonton Ukrainian community and staunch supporters of the Ukrainian Folklore Center, made another substantial gift to the University of Alberta on September 6.

In honor of their support, the center was officially renamed the Peter and Doris Kule Center for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore by University President Dr. Indira Samarasekera in a special ceremony.

Also in attendance were Daniel Woolf, dean of arts, and Andriy Nahachewsky, center director, plus numerous invited guests from various university departments and from the Ukrainian community.

The Kules are well-known to the Ukrainian Folklore Center as they provided an endowment in 2004 which created the Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography in the department of modern languages and cultural studies. Recognizing the valuable contribution the study of Ukrainian folklore plays in developing Ukrainian culture and heritage, the Kules decided to assist the further expansion of the center.

"Here Ukrainian studies flourish, and we owe this to the vision of the Kules and others like them," Dr. Natalie Kononenko, Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography, pointed out.

The Kules' gift of $2 million is being matched by the Faculty of Arts and the Province of Alberta. The Kules' initiative will allow the center to practically double in size.

"This donation is a milestone which is at least as significant as any that came before," said Mr. Nahachewsky.

The center is looking at expanding beyond specifically Ukrainian folklore. The "Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies" project, a research effort already completed, focuses on German, English and French, as well as Ukrainian cultural identity in Canada. Similar new projects are envisioned, as is increased cooperation with other parts of the university.

Research, scholarships, teaching and publications are all areas in which the new funds will be used. Expanding beyond Ukrainian folklore will allow the Kule Folklore Center to fill a significant void in western Canada. It is the center's desire to fill the need for folklore instruction by increasing the number of courses offered here at the university.

In addition to increased research projects and publications, a portion of the gift will be used to help support students. Through the newly established Kule Fellowship Fund, the center will provide scholarships and assistantships for both graduate and undergraduate students. A post-doctoral program will be established allowing young scholars a chance to do research in collaboration with local scholars and the resources of the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archive.

The Kule Folklore Center Fund will also allow expansion of the current visiting speakers series, which has brought international scholars to the University of Alberta. It will also help fund biannual conferences, bringing together some of the best minds for exploration and increased sharing between sister institutions in Edmonton, North America and the world.

"Folklore is the artistic expression of the common man and woman... Folklore expresses belief in the most satisfying and meaningful way. Folklore is what uplifts the spirit. With its spiritual power, it is no wonder that folklore is intimately tied to ethnic identity. It is that part of our heritage that the common person most wants to preserve," said Dr. Kononenko, as she expressed gratitude for the Kules' generosity.

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