Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
31 НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ • Січень-Лютий 2023 Thoughts away, you heavy clouds of autumn! For now springtime comes, agleam with gold! Shall thus in grief and wailing for ill-fortune All the tale of my young years be told? No, I want to smile through tears and weeping, Sing my songs where evil holds its sway, Hopeless, a steadfast hope forever keeping, I want to live! You thoughts of grief, away! On poor sad fallow land unused to tilling I'll sow blossoms, brilliant in hue, I'll sow blossoms where the frost lies, chilling, I'll pour bitter tears on them as due. And those burning tears shall melt, dissolving All that mighty crust of ice away. Maybe blossoms will come up, unfolding Singing springtime too for me, some day. Up the flinty steep and craggy mountain A weighty ponderous boulder I shall raise, And bearing this dread burden, a resounding Song I'll sing, a song of joyous praise. In the long dark ever-viewless night-time Not one instant shall I close my eyes, I'll seek ever for the star to guide me, She that reigns bright mistress of dark skies. Yes, I'll smile, indeed, through tears and weeping, Sing my songs where evil holds its sway, Hopeless, a steadfast hope forever keeping, I shall live! You thoughts of grief, away! Marta’s calligraphy of Contra Spem Spero. Contra Spem Spero particularly pleased with the work. However, she quickly saw that it had profound energy, the swirling script, the circularity of movement all suggesting the kind of movement that hap - pens when we think, when our thoughts swirl in our mind in an infinite process that never ends. As the Ukrainian people once again face the russian menace in an invasive war, this iconic poem, with its theme of resilience in the face of enduring hardships, is as salient today as it was when it was written more than 100 years ago. Marta’s rendition of this legendary poem has a history that is only beginning. Our branch lead - ership decided that the work, which has been beautifully framed with protective glass that will keep the calligraphy and the paper from fading, should be donated to a Lesia Ukrainka Museum in Ukraine. The museum we selected is the Lesia Ukrainka Literary Memorial Muse - um in Zviahel (formerly Novohrad-Volynsky) in the Zhytomyr oblast. Lesia Ukrainka was born in the building that now houses the museum. In the meantime, this lovely work of poetic art lives with its creator. Marta submitted the work for consideration to the Letter Arts Review , a publication recognized internationally as the preeminent quarterly magazine for calligra - phers and lettering artists. Contra Spem Spero was selected and featured in the 2022 Letter Arts Review annual juried edition (the maga - zine can still be ordered from the publisher’s website). Marta’s work has been featured in this prestigious publication several times. When the war in Ukraine ends and Kyiv prevails, we plan to travel to Zviahel with Marta to de - Lesia Ukrainka; translated by Vera Rich liver this work to its natural home. In the meantime, we are considering staging a one-work exhibition at The Ukrainian Mu - seum, or presenting it to the Ukrainian Embassy for a spe - cific period of time, thus giving others the opportunity to see it; we are also think - ing of a one-painting tour through UNWLA branches. Marta Legeckis, a UNWLA member of more than 25 years, came to calligraphy in a rather indirect way. She first encountered it in college as a graph - ic arts student and soon discovered that calligraphic works sold well. Living in Flori - da with her husband and first child, Marta was asked by the Flor - ida Bar Association to redo the group’s cer - tificates. Florida State University followed with a similar request, other orders followed, and today Marta is one of the calligra - phers writing White House invitations and other official decora - tive documents. She had to save the day when White House calligraphers mistak - enly made the Post - master General a mil - itary general in the invitations to Trump election balls. She has rectified other mistakes as well but was ultimately un - successful in trying to convince the Trump team that gold letter - ing did not look very good on cream-color - ed paper.
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
