Folkways and Fantasies: Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern at the Ukrainian Institute of America

An exhibition of 29 paintings by scholar and artist Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, entitled Folkways and Fantasies, opened on Saturday, February 27, and remained on view through March 9, 2016. Employing deceptively simple Jewish folk, religious, and cultural historical scenes as his foundation, Petrovsky-Shtern’s works chronicle and illustrate complex embodiments of real human celebration, drama, tragedy, and survival.

“Invasion Redux” exhibit opens at Ukrainian Institute of America

The artist’s paintings, artistic photographs, three-dimensional panels, installations and videos depict the tragic events of the hybrid war being brutally waged by Russian and Russian-backed forces in Ukraine. Mr. Zhuravel offers the visitors a look at the current events in Ukraine not in the form of a realistic documentary but as a metaphorical and phantasmagoric reflection with elements of surrealistic grotesque.

An interview with Artist Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak

The current exhibition, Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak: Nevermore, explores historical socio-political and environmental interests through the artist’s personal search for identity, in light of the recent and prevailing political climate in Ukraine. Curated by Dr. Walter Hoydysh, this is the artist’s first solo exhibition at The Ukrainian Institute of America. On the occasion of Ms. Bodnar-Balahutrak’s exhibition, which runs through June 21, the Houston-based artist graciously answered selected questions presented by Andrew Horodysky. We are pleased to share this exchange with our friends and wider audience.