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Ukrainian Contributions To American Culture By LUBA U. KOWALSKA Summary of Ukrainian History and Reasons For Ukrainian Emigration (Continued) Ukrainian Americans are rep-® resented in almost every high school and colege sport lineup in the country. The parents of these "boys can well be proud of the ac complishments of their sons. It is strange to note that almost no girls have become interested in sports. Perhaps the next genera tion will speak differently. * Ukrainians in American Art Probably the greatest exponent of Ukrainian art in America is Alexander Archipenko. He is considered the founder of the modern school in sculpturing. Inez Cunningham, after seeing Archipenko's works in the Uk rainian pavilion at the Century of Progress Fair in Chicago, in 1933, wrote in the Chicago Her ald and Examiner of June 7, 1944: “Name any half-dozen sculptors the world has produced since Rodin and you’ll have to include Archipenko.” Archipenko's work caused a lot of comment in the art world. Many disliked it while the mod ernists naturally lauded it. C. J. Bulliet wrote in’ the Chicago Daily News of August 19, 1933: “While Archipenko is one of the three of our greatest* “modern” sculptors, he is, curiously enough, an American best seller. More than 200 of his sculptures are owned in America by collectors from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in addition to numerous paint ings and drawings. — Archipen ko is a native Ukrainian, born in Kiev in 1887. He became a United States citizen in 1928.” At an Art Auction benefit in New York in 1940, Archipenko auctioned off 200 art objects. His works may be found in 28 art museums all over the world. A painter of note is William Panchuk, who is a product of the Carnegie Institute of Art and the National Academy of Design. He had a on^-man show at the Art Center in New York and has ex hibited at the Anderson Galleries. He is a member of the Society of Independent Artists, and of the Municipal Art Committee. His paintings are on in several museums and libraries through out the country. He is now speci alizing in church murals. John Rosol has considerable success as a cartoonist and is at present working for the Satur day Evening Post. Vladimir Tyt- lo, also a cartoonist, collaborated with Walter Disney in producing “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Not the least of Ukraine's con tributions to America are Uk rainian Easter eggs. In every place that they have been dis played, they have caused consi derable interest. Not a few Am- « ericans have taken instructions to color them in the traditional Ukrainian mariner. The U k r ainian Women's League of America has done much to sponsor the introduction of Ukrainian Art in America. It has held art exhibits of embroi deries, carvings, paintings, sculp ture and Easter eggs all over the country, the latest large-scale one being in the fall of 1944 at Madison Square Garden. Ukrainians in American Music The most recognized contribu tion to America by Ukrainians is in the field of music. Every .music lover is familiar with the compo sitions of Tschaikovsky, Mous- sorgsky and Bortniansky, all of whom are Ukrainians although commonly thought to be Rus sians. There are many other com posers whose works in the last few years have become a little more familiar to American lis teners, such as Lyssenko and Stetsenko. Ukrainian, melodies have been called by some music lovers as the most beautiful in the world. Gershwin and many other com posers utilized Ukrainian melo dies. The ‘Don't Forget Me' from “The Song of the Flame” is a very old Ukrainlian folk song. More recent usage of Ukrainian folk songs has been in “Minka* and “Mother, May I Go Out Dancing,” two popluar dance tunes of 1944. It is also interest ing to compare Stephen Foster’s “Genevieve, My Genevieve” with Ukrainian “V Hayu Zelenim.” They are practically identical. It cannot be verified who “borrow ed” from whom. The New Opera Company of New York presented Moussorg- sky’s “The Fair at Sorotchinsk” in English on Broadway with a reasonable success. A Ballet ver sion of “The Fair at Sorotchinsk” was successfully presented for the first time last season with chereography by David Lichine by the Ballet Russe. The Ukrain ian opera “Mazeppa'” by Tschai- kowsky was sung at the Mecca Temple in the Ukrainian lan guage and was greatly appreciat ed by the audience. Ukrainian choruses have be come especially well known ir America. There seems to be al most no public celebration of an American holiday or event with out the participation of the local Ukrainian chorus which usually “brings down the house” because of its precision of execution and colorfullness of costumes. The most fimous Ukrainian chorus toured America for two years from 1918 to 1920 under the bat on of Alexander Koshetz, about whom more will be stated later. Of recent years the Ukrainian Chorus under the leadership of George Benetzky of Chicago has been winning prizes with mono tonous regularity, with other choruses of different nationali ties scarcely daring to compete against it. For three successive years it won the coveted Tribune Festival First prize, while other years it was a close second to the winners. The soloist of the Cho rus, Alexander Kulpak, now with the Chicago Civic Opera Company, walked off with the first prize for male voices in the soloist competition. Ukrainian choruses are a ne cessity to community life among Ukrainians. There seems to be no age limit if you can sing, be you 14 or 74, you are always wel come. It was amusing, to see this exemplified at Radio City on Easter morning of 1944, when a Ukrainian Chorus, conducted by George Kirichenko, sang Ukrain ian songs at the Sunrise Service to a packed house. It is probable that many of the listeners had never before heard Ukrainian choral music. Their appreciation was shown by the ovation ac corded to the chorus and con ductor. (To be concluded) JOHN HODIAK TO SPEAK FOR UKRAINIAN RELIES John Hodiak, M-G-M film star of Ukrainian descent, has con sented to speak at a huge con cert to be held May 10th at the Chicago Civic Opera House. The concert, arranged by the organ ized Ukrainian citizens of Chica go, will be held for the relief of Ukrainian Displaced Persons. Guest musical artists at the con cert will be Donna Grescoe, vio linist and Mary Lesawyer, sopra no, both of New York. Accompa nying the artists will be Olya Dmytriw, -.pianist, also of New York. UKRAINIAN VETERANS (Continued from page 6) ready to join it and in our locality since there is no post we are de legating ourselves and our good comrades to organize the Post under the charter of Ukrainian American War Veterans of the United States. Now that you, Ukrainian Vet eran, have completed reading this missive, we are expecting you to make further inquiries as we know that you will want to know further details. Additional information can be obtained from Ann Bilyi (Temporary Nat9l Adj.) t Ukrainian American War Veterans, 907 N. Orianna Street». Philadelphia, Pa. Ukrainian Youth Rally sponsored by N. Y. METROPOLITAN AREA COMMITTEE for UYL-NA at HOTEL NEW YORKER* 34th St. & 8th Ave., N. Y. C. May 30th to June 1st PROGRAM Fri. Eve. May 30th: Registration, Bowling Tournament Sat. A. M.: Registration. Hotel New Yorker. Sat.: Rally Sessions. Hotel New Yorker Sat. 7 P. M.: Banquet and Dance. Hotel New Yorker Sun. 2 P. M. June 1st: Music and Dance Festival at School of Fashion and Design, 24th St., Between 7th and 8th Avenue. Sun. 7 P. M. June 1st: Social. Hotel New Yorker. Inquiries: N. Y. Metropolitan Area Committe, % McBumey YMCA, 23rd St., New York City
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