Ukrainian Village's St. Nicholas School celebrates 75 years of creativity

Seventy-five years of creativity by multiple generations of graduates from St. Nicholas School, 2224 W. Rice St., in Chicago's Ukrainian Village was celebrated during a three day exhibit of talent May 20-21. Attendees interacted with painters, sculptors, iconographers, poets, authors, singers, dancers, graphic and floral designers, architects, woodworkers, photographers, musical performers and artists of elaborate embroidery, as well as, stunning works of ceramics.

Entering St. Nicholas' transformed Auditorium, the community was greeted by a glorious collection of hundreds of student constructed multicolored origami cranes, interspaced with beautiful paper flowers fashioning a magnificent inviting low lying, cozy environment for the exhibit. Hundreds of various examples of art graced the walls and tables in the room coordinated expertly by Jaroslava Lialia Kuchma and Lidia Matwyshyn.

After opening remarks by Lidia Matwyshyn, Co-Chair of the 75th Anniversary Celebratory Committee, the event was launched with performances by students and graduates from St. Nicholas School and the St. Nicholas Parish School of the Arts. Audiences each day of the event commented on the beauty of the experience.

Especially captivating was the Friday performance of the St Nicholas Cathedral School Choir under the direction of Irene Dychiy. They started with an uplifting rendition of "Chicago, Chicago" and followed with a moving rendering of "De coleres", "Simejechka (family)", "Do, Re, Mi" and masterful interpretation of "We are the world". The audience was thoroughly entertained by the Hip Hop Dance Group "Veseli Moryachky - Happy Sailors" from the School of the Arts. The short program was concluded with masterful piano solos of school graduates, Alana Grelyak and Vasyl Ilchyshyn.

Another graduate, Solomiya Chuyko, graced the audience with a piano solo on Sunday. Piano performers from the School of the Arts during the remaining days included: Stefania Dembereckyj, Julia Drab, Viktoriya Kontseva, Stefania Sinrovich, Pheji Cosson, Elizabeth Dilendorf, Oleksandr Ivanyshyn-Ugryn, Artemiy Korkuchanskyy, Gabriel Radziszewski, and Adrian Petrykiv rounding off the musical performances with a spectacular trumpet recital.

A special feature of the event was Walter Monastyretsky's demonstration of drawing a classic oil portrait on canvas. Landscape, nature and classic still life are among his favorites, but the classic portrait is his forte. The works of Walter Monastyretsky, an accomplished and recognized artist, have become part of many prestigious private collections in over twenty countries and eleven museums.

Exhibitors included: Anya Antonovych-Metcalf, Artist; Orest Baranyk, Architect; Orysia Burdiak, Iconography; Anna Chaban, Art; Hanusia Dudycz Chychula, Embroidery; Christina Chychula, Pottery; Mark Datsiv, Pottery; Solomia Datsiv, Art and Pottery; Yaryna Dovhan, Art; Steve Harhaj, Artist; Volodymyr Ilchyshyn, Artist; Oksana Skrobach Jackiw, Photography; Handzia Kalymon, Artist; George Kawka, Architect; Jarema Kawka, Graphic Artist; Artemiy Korkuchanskyy, Art and Pottery; Chrystyna Kosacz, Embroidery; Alexandra Borniak Kowerko, Artist; Oleh Kowerko, Poet and Author; Daria Batorfalvy Kuchma, Ceramics and Embroidery; Harry Kuchma, Artist and Structural Engineer; Jaroslava Kuchma Babij, Artist, Photographer and Weaver; Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Author; Luba Markewycz, Artist and Photographer; Marko Markewycz, Designer; Raissa Markewycz, Artist; Tatiana Matkowskyj, Photographer; Lida Matwyshyn, Photography; Paul Matwyshyn, Civil Engineer and Woodworker; Joseph Mycyk, Architect; Martha Nalysnyk, Pottery; John Olshansky, Photographer; Lesia Palcan, Embroidery; Vladislav Pavlyuk, Art; Chrissy Pawlyshyn, Floral Designer, owner Whoopsie Daisies; Lida Petruniak-Colucci, Artist; Nestor Popowych, Architect; Patricia A. Skora, Artist; Oleksandr Shcherbyna, Art; Irene Kawka Sherman, Glass Artist; Iwan Skomoroch, Art; Christine Lushpynsky Sobol, Artist; Marie Stachiw, Embroidery; Jurij Strutynski, Artist; Viktoriya Sydor, Art; Genia Tchoryk, Artist and Embroidery; Victor Voskresenski, Art and Pottery; Irene Zabytko, Author; Yuriy Zajac, Architect; and Roman Zavadovych, Graphic Artist.

The St. Nicholas Cathedral School 75th Anniversary organizing committee would like to thank all those that helped for their significant donation of time and/or financial support of this event. Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union is especially noted for their generous support and sponsorship of the banners used during the event.