THE UKRAINIAN MUSEUM-ARCHIVES TO CO-SPONSOR UKRAINIAN FOLK ART EXHIBIT AT NOTRE DAME COLLEGE’S CLARA FRITZSCHE LIBRARY GALLERY.

The “Tree of Life” Motif on Embroidered Ritual Cloths-“Rushnyky”.of Central Ukraine:

Artifacts from the private collection of D. Dmytrykiw,
Curator, The Ukrainian Museum-Archives of Cleveland

Notre Dame College’s Clara Fritzsche Library will host “The ‘Tree of Life Motif’ on Embroidered Ritual Cloths-‘Rushnyky’-of Central Ukraine,” an exhibit of textiles from the private collection of Danylo Dmytrykiw, Curator of the Ukrainian Museum-Archives of Cleveland. The ritual cloths (rushnyky) are all very fine, unique examples of original embroidered textiles dating from the mid-19th to early-20th century that depict the "Tree of Life" motif and originate from the area of Central Ukraine (present-day Poltava, Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblasts).

The main decorative element of these Central Ukrainian textiles, the "Tree of Life" motif, became popular in the 17th-18th centuries as an adaptation of local archaic symbols to the Renaissance/Baroque styles of the time. They are artistic renderings of the complex belief system of ancient times and thought to represent the interrelationships of ancient trichotomies such as "underworld/earth/heavens” and/or "past/present/future." This motif is thought by some to have its origins in the ancient depictions of the pre-Christian Ukrainian goddess "Berehynia," the form of which, over time, became stylized and distorted, eventually transforming into the floral depiction that we know and recognize today.

This exhibition was developed by Danylo Dmytrykiw, Curator of Cleveland's Ukrainian Museum-Archives of Cleveland, and is being co-sponsored by the Ukrainian Museum Archives of Cleveland. Located in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, the Ukrainian Museum-Archives was founded in 1952 by displaced scholars with the mission of collecting and preserving items from Ukrainian history and culture during an era when these types of items were being deliberately destroyed in Soviet Ukraine. Today the UMA is dedicated to sharing its collections of artifacts, books and periodicals and artworks with scholars and the general public. Of particular interest is an extensive collection of materials relating to Ukraine’s national poet, Taras Shevchenko.

The exhibit will run from February 8th through March 23, 2007. An opening reception will be held on February 8th from 5 to 7 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: the exhibit has been extended to March 28th

(c)2007 Photographs by Maria Strus