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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2010 23 discussion on the art of pysanka making within the context of diaspora life. The pysanka, she explained, first gained recognition and wide popularity in the United States in the 1920s , and this popularity emanated from an odd event that transpired at the Ukrainian store Surma when the store’s owner and proprieto r struck a deal with a Hutsul, which placed the Hutsul in the store’s window writing pysanky. The display soon attracted the attention of shoppers and passersby, and all of the pysanky in the store sold out — at 35 cents each. The following year, the same Hu tsul sat in the same window writing pysanky, but the price of the pysanky was now a dollar. Again, they sold out. This enterprise continued from year to year. Then, in 1934, an even odder set of circumstances made the Ukrainian pysanka an “overnight sensat ion.” That year, an editor for the New Yorker was focusing on another ethnic immigrant group — the Irish — and was planning to write a story on McSorly’s, the oldest Irish pub in New York City. His wife tagged along with him to the Lower East Side, but becaus e women were not allowed in the pub, she went next door to Surma and soon lost herself in the art of pysanka making. When her husband wandered in after fulfilling his mission at McSorly’s, he saw her diligently at work with her kistka and beeswax and was i ntrigued. And it was thus that a story about pysanky was published in the New Yorker and thus that the art form was popularized and instantaneously and inextricably paired with Ukrainians. It was with this tale that Lubow Wolynetz transitioned into her con clud ing statements on the global significance of the pysanka to diaspora Ukrainians — the means to preserve our cultural heritage and a symbol or our ethnic identi ty. Pysanky T hrough the Ages wrapped up with the presentation of door prizes to lucky winners. The prizes included individual pysanky, elaborate baskets filled with wooden pysanky and chocolate eggs, and assorted other craft items. Additional prizes, donated by the Ukrainian Selfreliance Federal Credit Union, were an HDTV, two $50 certificates, and one $25 movie pass . Attendance, despite foul weather, was high. Among the guests was Ann Marie, a woman who had discovered pysanky while participating in an outreach program to Ukraine several years ago. Hearing about the exhibit from her friend Margare t, a woman from New Jersey who has an online site that invites pysanka fans to meet and chat, Ann Marie flew in from distant New Hampshire. Among those who must be credited for the success of this event are UHSC Directo r Sister Marie Francis Walchonsky, OSBM; Sister Mary Cecilia Jurasinski, OSBM, president Manor College; UHSC curator Chrystyna Prokopovych; and Christine Shwed, who designed the event brochure and put in blood sweat and tears setting up the exhibit. – TS C Post Script. Branch 88 is already looking ahead and planning for an exhibit on gerdany for 2011. Ulana Prociuk demonstrating the art of pysanka writing . Photo Renya Ciuk.
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