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The Ukrainian Institute of America (UIA), New York, NY, March, 2004
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The Ukrainian Institute of America is pleased to present "Ukrainian Art
through American Eyes", an exhibit featuring art from the collections of
Grace Kennan Warnecke and former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Carlos
Pascual. The exhibition will be on view through April 25, 2004.
The exhibit feature work of 22 painters, ranging by style from realistic,
impressionistic to abstract and naif. Among others the exhibit features art
of such well-known Ukrainian artists as Tatyana Yablonska (Yablonskaya)
and Mikola Hlushchenko. Paintings from both of the collections were
acquired between 1998 and 2003.
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Mykola Hlustschenko "Still Life with Wood Grouse", 1974 oil, canvas (Click on images to enlarge them)
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The idea for the present exhibition came from Ms. Warnecke. The first
paintings she purchased in Kyiv were in response to the blank walls of her
apartment and office. "One day I realized that I was building a collection,"
she recalls. After that, the idea of having a show of Ukrainian Art in the
USA for the American viewer became more and more important to her.
When she approached the Ukrainian Institute with the proposition to
organize this show, the institute immediately agreed to host the exhibit.
The Ukrainian Institute of America Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose
primary mission is to showcase and support Ukrainian culture with an
emphasis on visual arts and music. The Institute was founded more than
fifty years ago by William Dzus, a prominent Ukrainian inventor,
industrialist and philanthropist.
"We are thrilled by the opportunity to present this exhibit to the general
public, says, Walter Hoydysh, the director of Ukrainian programs at the
Ukrainian institute as well as the curator of the exhibit. "It is a
wonderful opportunity to showcase Ukrainian paintings that were chosen
by an American collector."
The work on exhibit includes social realism "Night shift at Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant", 1973, by Mamsikov, depicting the glory of construction
of the plant that opened in September, 1977, and brought to the world the
worst lesson on nuclear reactor safety. We also see the wonderfully
colored, compositionally elegant still life and landscape paintings by
Mikola Hlushchenko, a legend of Ukrainian art who also became a chief
designer of the USSR exhibits at international expos.
There is a touch of authenticity of Ukrainian spirit in primitive painting
of Anastasia Rak, who after surviving great oppressions of Stalin's Famine
of 1932 -1933 and Nazi labor camps of World War II was able to return
to her native village where she brings optimism to everyday life with her
joyous villagescapes reverse painting on glass. But above all the exhibit
presents a great academic level of art.
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A. S. Derbenev "Vydubichi" oil, panel
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Vladyslav Mamsikov "Installation Crane on Main Frame", 1973 tempera, cardboard
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Anastasia Rak "Harvest", 1998 reversed painting on glass
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Olga Kryvenko "Winter of Dreams No3", 1992 oil, canvas
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Tatyana Yablonska "By the Pier", 1947 oil, cardboard
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Olga Krylova "Winter Motif", 1973 oil, canvas
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A total of 37 works are on view. A fully illustrated catalogue of the
exhibit is available as well as a full preview on the UIA website
www.ukrainianinstitute.org/grace.html
UIA Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 2 to 6 pm; Address, 2 East 70th
Street, New York, NY 10021; Telephone: (212) 288-8660
Fax: (212) 288-2918.
NOTE: The www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS) is
pleased to have had the opportunity to know and work with Grace Kennan
Warnecke while she lived in Kyiv and was assembling her art collection.
We introduced her to the art of Anastasia Rak and Olga Krylova. It is
super Grace's collection is now on exhibit in NYC. Morgan Williams,
Publisher, ARTUIS.
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