The Ukrainian Museum in New York hosted a solemn Members’ Opening Night, which brought together members and friends of the institution to celebrate the opening of two unique exhibitions. The institution presented the first major museum exhibition in the United States by the most famous Ukrainian artist today, “Boris Mikhailov,” and “The Wreath: A Century of Ukrainian Women Beyond the Ocean,” timed to the 100th anniversary of the Union of Ukrainian Women of America (UNWLA).
This was reported by Ukrainian Museum.
The first exhibition is “Boris Mikhailov,” an exhibition of photographs by the most famous contemporary Ukrainian artist, Boris Mikhailov. He reveals to New York viewers a complex mosaic of post-Soviet life, where vulnerability coexists with resilience. Among the key sections of the selection are “Yesterday’s Sandwich” and “Parliament.”
As the Museum explained, “Yesterday’s Sandwich” is a penetrating look at the fragments of everyday life in the face of rapid change. The series shows intimate moments in the lives of people who are often ignored, and transforms the everyday into a deeply meaningful story of hope and struggle. In the series “Parliament,” Mykhaylov addresses the sphere of power, demonstrating the sharp contrast between the aspirations of the people and the realities of politics. His lens leads the viewer through the corridors of power, revealing what is human, dramatic, and contradictory in them.
The Ukrainian Museum assured that this exhibition is a call to reflection on identity, politics, and the strength of the Ukrainian spirit.
“The art of Borys Mykhaylov reminds us that it is capable of illuminating the most difficult corners of modern life, giving a voice to those who often remain in the shadows,” the Museum says.
The second exhibition, “The Wreath: A Century of Ukrainian Women Beyond the Ocean,” is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Union of Ukrainian Women of America (UNWLA). It celebrates the cultural, political, and humanitarian achievements of Ukrainian women around the world. The exhibition examines the evolution of the Ukrainian feminist tradition and celebrates the 100th anniversary of UNWLA and the contributions of its members to global diplomacy. The title refers to “Pershyi Vinok” (1887), a landmark feminist almanac that united women from Ukrainian communities under Habsburg and Tsarist rule. The project encourages the viewer to critically engage with the political landscape without losing empathy for the human stories at its center.
“Artists Alina Tenser and Sasha Topolnytska represent a generation that came to the United States in the 1990s, when the UNWLA advised global humanitarian agencies on post-Chernobyl Ukraine… Following the advocacy work of “Children of Chernobyl” in the 1990s, UNWLA’s campaigns focused on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia after its full-scale invasion in 2022,” the Ukrainian Museum noted.
Organizers urged the public not to miss these events. The museum specifically emphasizes the role of the community: opening night attendees were “the first to see landmark exhibitions,” and the season is being declared a historic one for the institution. After the opening, the exhibits are open to all visitors during regular business hours.
Background
The Ukrainian Museum is the largest Ukrainian museum in North America. The museum was founded in 1976 by the Union of Ukrainian Women of America and preserves unique collections and archives of traditional Ukrainian art, contemporary works of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each year, the institution publishes bilingual catalogs and organizes exhibitions and cultural events in collaboration with leading museums and educational centers, maintaining its role as a key center of Ukrainian art in the United States.
Author: Danylo Pievchev