TORONTO – The newest exhibit at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, “For Our Children,” is on view throughout the summer until mid-October.
Featuring puppets, videos and costumes from the acclaimed children’s television program “U Titky Kvitky,” renowned authors and illustrators of Ukrainian children’s books, storytellers, a vast collection of dolls and toys – from antiques to those of the modern day, as well as many other interesting and fun children’s artifacts, this exhibit is sure to awaken the child in everyone.
The idea for this exhibit, the first of its kind for the Ontario Branch, came from some of the very people who dedicated their lives to keeping Ukrainian culture alive for their children in Canada. In this case, one of the groups of dedicated parents who took on the task of producing the groundbreaking television production “U Titky Kvitky” came to the museum and donated the archives of “U Titky Kvitky.”
Along with the iconic two lead puppet characters, Smikhun and Bryzko, and their many puppet friends, the archives included story boards, video and audio tapes, as well as photographs and newspaper articles, and came with a generous financial donation in the hope that the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, would present an exhibit dedicated to children on a regular basis. “For Our Children” is the first exhibit presented with gratitude for the foresight and generosity of this group of parents.
Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch
A display about storyteller and bandura crafter Myroslav Diakowsky
In recognition of the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian settlement in Canada, guests are greeted at the museum entrance by mannequins representing a family from Bukovyna – a region that had been home to many early immigrants to this country. The family is dressed for a celebration and seems confident that their new home will value the language and culture they bring with them. This exhibit tells the stories of the extraordinary people who made sure that Ukrainian literature, art and culture would always fill the lives of our children.
Also featured in this exhibit are prolific children’s authors and illustrators Lesia Bryzhun-Shanta, Lesia Chraplyva, Oksana Laturynska, Nina Mudryk-Mryc and Roman Zavadovych, whose books many children grew up with and treasured. Visitors get a chance to see these authors as children themselves, to see what hobbies they had and what made them smile. Visitors also meet storyteller and bandura crafter Myroslav Diakowsky, and see some of the exquisite pysanky the museum’s own curator, Halya Kluchko, learned to write at her mother’s knee.
In addition, many of the beautiful and rarely seen antique toys and dolls from the Ontario Branch’s collection, as well as some treasures on loan from collectors, are sure to delight children and the young at heart.
A young visitor enjoys one of the puppets on display as part of the exhibit “For Our Children.”
The mandate of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, is to acquire, preserve, research, study, document and display representative artifacts that portray the Ukrainian heritage and its contribution to Canada and to share this knowledge with other Canadians. The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch is a proud member of both the Canadian Museums Association of Canada and the Ontario Museum Association.
For more information about the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, readers may go to www.umcontario.com.
“For Our Children” runs through October 14. The museum is located at 620 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M6S 2H4; telephone, 416-923-3318 ext. 105, Hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; plus evenings and weekends by appointment.