DEAR FRIENDS

You have picked up this catalogue in order to learn not only about the private art exhibit of the Woskobijnyk [Woskob] family and its initiator, Mrs. Halyna Woskobijnyk [Woskob], an American of Ukrainian origin, but also about a young nation, Ukraine.
In my imaginary crossing of the Atlantic I always ask myself why for almost four hundred years of Russian captivity Ukrainians did not assimilate, did not perish, despite the crudest bondage in the claws of the imperial double headed eagle and the communist red hawk. And, I always pause thinking that we survived thanks to such sons and daughters of Ukraine like the Woskobijnyks [Woskobs]!
Many times Ukraine could have perished, many a time Ukraine could have disappeared from all world encyclopaedias and geographic maps. But we survived. Like eternal Phoenix we resurrected from the ashes of Chernobyl, from three genocidal famines of the twentieth century, we were reborn from the "executed renaissance" of Ukrainian intellectuals in the thirties.
We lived in our songs, in our humor, music, dances, garments, paintings, in our word and even in our ancient cosmic "pysanka" (Easter egg.)
Those of you, dear friends, who will visit this private exhibit, will make your own assessment of the artistic merits of various paintings. Let me just say that the Woskobijnyks' exhibit is but a fragment of that greatness, which reflects the images of Ukraine, mine and theirs, the Woskobijnyks [Woskobs], -to a certain degree this is the history of a nation in painting. 
Triptych of the exhibit: destruction of our ancient cathedrals and churches, genocidal famines and Chernobyl. All this is our sorrow, our pain, a blood drenched history of fifty two million people, the history of which, in the words of the great Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vynnychenko, one cannot read without bromide. But even such a tiny swallow from Ukraine, on the American soil on the eighth year of our long awaited freedom and independence, is also our joy. Because on our planet
and on all maps of the world finally a nation was reborn with its thousand year long history.

Oleh Chornohuz
Ukrainian Writer