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Our Life | Наше життя 3 The unification in 1925 of five Ukrainian women’s associations to form the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America had several goals: to inform the free world about events in Ukraine, to support the homeland spiritually and materially, and to promote the preservation of Ukrainian national identity, cul- tural heritage and ethnic traditions in the United States. One of the pillars of UNWLA’s 95-year history has been the initiation, development, preservation, participation in and sharing of cultural projects. Language, literature, art, music, traditional folk art and costume – all bear witness to our rich Ukrainian culture. Since the organization’s inception, the UNWLA has been both their guardian and promoter to Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians. The examples of UNWLA being proactive in this mission through the decades are limitless. One such success story that continues began almost 90 years ago. In 1932, at UNWLA’s first Ukrainian Women’s Congress in New York City, a resolution was passed to establish a Ukrainian Folk Art Chapter to purchase a collection of folk artifacts from western Ukraine. The purpose of this collection was to serve as a resource for information about Ukraine – for Ukrainian diaspora communities, specifically, as well as Ameri- can communities in general. Coincidentally, at the time, preparations were being made for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair titled “A Century of Progress.” The Ukrainians of Chicago saw this as an opportunity to familiarize potential attendees with Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture. After forming The Ukrainian American World’s Fair Exhibit Inc., organizers began to make plans to build a pavilion. The Ukrainian Pavilion was opened with a grand ceremony on June 25, 1933. This enormous accomplishment was funded entirely by individual Ukrainians, mostly from the United States but also from around the world. There were three exhibit categories at this pavilion, culture, history, and general information about Ukraine. UNWLA worked closely with the pavilion committee, and to alleviate some of the enormous finan- cial obligations facing the committee, voted to mount a folk art exhibit funded fully by the UNWLA! Based on the recommendations of the Ukrainian Folk Art Cooperative in Lviv, the UNWLA purchased 600 artifacts for $2,225 (more than $42,000 in 2020). According to reports, almost 2,000,000 people visited the Pavilion and the UNWLA exhibit drew much positive interest. After the closure of the pavilion, the UNWLA cultural exhibit traveled from Chicago to UNWLA headquarters in New York City where, for a time, the UNWLA Museum of Folk Art was housed at the Ukrainian Institute of America. The preservation of this historic collection provided the motivation for UNWLA members to commit to opening a professionally operated museum. After many years of fundraising and planning, on October 3, 1976, The Ukrainian Museum opened its doors in New York City and became an integral part of our commu- nity. An amazing accomplishment realized by amazing women filled with foresight and strength! In 2007, Lubow Wolynetz was the curator of an exhibit held at The Ukrainian Museum titled “Thread to the Past – Ukrainian Folk Art from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.” In the exhibit catalogue she wrote, “The modest investment made by the UNWLA in 1933 has truly yielded a rich harvest!” We invite you to enjoy this month’s issue of Our Life , which showcases cultural projects and organizations in our communities. Together we play an indispensable role in sharing our rich cultural heritage and keeping it a vibrant element in our community life! Marianna Zajac , UNWLA President REFLECTIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT
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