Borshch of Art

On this day, we would like to highlight the work of Mykhailo Dmytrenko, a Ukrainian-American artist who lived for nine decades and left behind a tremendous artistic legacy. He was a portrait painter, graphic artist, art historian, and survivor of the Holodomor. Born in 1908 in Lokhvytsia, Poltava oblast, Ukraine, he received his art education at the Kyiv State Art Institute in 1930, where he studied under Fedir Krychevsky and taught until 1939. World War II forced him to relocate to Lviv, and then, in 1944, he moved to Munich, Germany. There, he co-founded the Ukrainian Union of Visual Artists and edited the journal "Ukrainian Art." In 1951, Dmytrenko immigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he co-founded The Ukrainian Association of Visual Artists of Canada (USOM) and became friends with Edward Kozak, among other prominent immigrant artists. In 1960, he moved to the United States and settled in Detroit, where he lived until he died in 1997. Throughout his lifetime, Dmytrenko painted over 500 portraits, illustrated books, and decorated several churches, including the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr in Toronto, the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Detroit, and Saint Constantine in Minneapolis. He also created mosaics for Saint George in New York and designed the stained-glass windows for the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Columba in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1963, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Holodomor, Dmytrenko created a painting titled "1933." Drawing from his memories of the experiences during the famine, he crafted a composition that contrasts the symbolic image of a famine victim buried underground with cheerful soldiers driving overhead, carrying sacks of grain. ?? credits: [Portrait] Mykhailo Dmytrenko, (1991), author unknown [Painting]1933, (1963), oil on canvas, size and location unknown

We are featured in the news! Check out the article about our walking tour program, during which we uncovered the places and stories of artists of Ukrainian origin that shaped the post-war New York art scene. A heartfelt thank you to Vilni Media for shining a light on our journey! Link to the article in the comments below.

This week, Borshch of Art members and friends had a memorable visit to the New York Public Library and learned about its Ukrainian collection. The library's Slavonic Division was formed in 1899, and soon after, the collection was developed through conventional book trade channels, exchanges with libraries abroad, purchases of private collections, and generous donations. The vast and diverse collection is fascinating, encompassing thousands of monographs and over a thousand periodicals in Ukrainian from all publishing periods. Our special treat was a stop at the Prints Division's reading room, where we reviewed works by Ukrainian artists, including Archipenko, Hnizdovsky, and Solovii. We are grateful to Bogdan Horbal, the Curator for Slavic and East European Collections; Deirdre Donohue, Assistant Director of Wallach Division; and Rebecca Szantyr, Specialist II, Print Collection, for welcoming our group and sharing these treasures with the Borshch of Art community. Thanks to all Borshch of Art members who participated in this fascinating experience! If you missed this opportunity, don't worry. We are planning another visit in 2025. Consider becoming a member to receive invitations to all programs and special events ahead of the general public.?

While the weather is giving us opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, we use them! Last Saturday, we had an amazing art stroll, exploring stories of American artists of Ukrainian descent. The tour led by Slava Shpigel started in Washington Square Park and finished near Cooper Triangle, with almost a dozen stops in between. The stories of the two New York Art School giants, Philip Guston and Lee Krasner, as well as noticeable artists that left their mark, were shared: Janet Sobel and John D. Graham. There was a stop at which participants saw a building where Peter Hujar had his studio. It was also a perfect location to highlight two other photography icons of the 20th century: Weegee and Diane Arbus. The group stopped by the New York Studio School and the building that housed Hans Hoffman's school in the late 1930s. It was a great opportunity to also touch upon contemporary Ukrainian-American artists Misha Tyutyunyk, Vasyl Barabash, Andriana Farmiga, and Yuri Masnyj. Do you know of a mural, sculpture, or studio of an artist we should consider for the next editions of walking tours? Please let us know in the comments below. Anastasia Gudko Slava Shpigel Photo credit: Iana Guzhyk

Borshch of Art presents a curated walking tour, Ukrainian Roots of American Art, with Slava Shpigel. Join us for a stroll through Greenwich Village and the East Village as we discover stories about artists and creatives who shaped American art in the 20th century. Saturday, November 2, 2024 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM GA $40, Members $25 RSVP https://lnkd.in/ejXEtBK5

On Wednesday night, we had a full house for the Talk & Tour with Adriana Farmiga. It was a fruitful discussion. We loved learning about the exhibition and Farmiga's close ties to the Ukrainian community and complex identity. We would like to thank Marisa Newman for her hospitality. We are grateful to all attendees for being engaged and asking great questions. Check our website to register for the upcoming programs. We will post a direct link in the comment section below.

Borshch of Art is happy to announce our inaugural Ukrainian-American Arts Research Fellow! Meet Olenka Tsyhankova – she is an artist, writer, and curator-to-be. Native to Lviv, Ukraine, Olenka is a recent graduate of Bard College, holding a BA in American and Indigenous Studies. Her Ukrainian-American Arts Research Fellowship research paper will focus on art and trauma; identifying how artists' backgrounds influence their practice, and how resilience is translated into art. Olenka says, “The illumination of artists' ancestral connections to Ukraine and the reclamation of their heritage presents Ukraine as a country that has always been entangled in global cultural processes, which not only reclaims the heritage but also positions Ukraine as an active country in an international context.” We are excited to welcome Olenka into the Borshch of Art community and are looking forward to sharing her progress with you.

Join Borshch of Art for a special talk and tour of the Adriana Farmiga: Index exhibition at Marisa Newman Projects in New York City! Date: Wednesday, October 23, 6:30-8:30 pm Location: Marisa Newman Projects,?38 West 32nd Street, Suite 1602, New York, NY 10001

Have you checked out the artist profiles on the Discover Database yet? If not, go to https://lnkd.in/ejcSMTi8 and see for yourself. Leave a comment below to share your feedback. We’d love to hear from you!?

??You are invited to join our family! Together, we can achieve more and continue to make progress. ?? “We want to create a community for art curators, writers, critics, artists, art enthusiasts, and collectors that will help raise or create interest in Ukrainian-American arts and illuminate this very specific sector of American art history.” - Anastasia Gudko, Founder and President of the Board. ?? Individual Membership/ Friend $45 - Admission to Member-only events - Early and/or discounted tickets to public programs - Newsletter digests with articles and exhibition reviews from the Creative Beetroots journal - Updates on new Discover Database Artist Spotlights highlighting the work of Ukrainian American artists ?? Sustainer $100 - All the benefits of Individual Membership - Comp invitations to art openings, studio visits, art fairs - Invitations to networking events - $55 of your contribution is tax-deductible ?? Student /senior $25 - All the benefits of Individual Membership - For students with a valid school ID; and for ages 65+ Sign up >> https://lnkd.in/eMNGJya7