Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art to celebrate 35 years (09/17/06)

Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art to celebrate 35 years

by Laryssa Chreptowsky Reifel

CHICAGO - On October 7, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art will celebrate 35 years of community contributions in its presentation of art, music, film and literature.

Because of the work of a dedicated volunteer base, the financial commitment of a group of community advocates, and the support of Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union and the Heritage Foundation of First Security Federal Savings Bank, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art has sustained its continuous programs presenting arts exhibitions, literary evenings, musical events, film presentations and educational programs.

In addition to celebrating the multi-faceted work that UIMA has provided to the community and the city of Chicago over the last 35 years, this year the UIMA will commemorate the work of the key individuals without whom the organization could not have been born and flourished.

Four men and serendipity

In 1971 four men came together to bring to life an idea that was completely foreign to most. Their idea was to seek out, bring together and present the work of Ukrainian artists dedicated to modern art. Though, in and of itself, the idea does not sound complex, transforming the idea into reality was no small accomplishment.

The purpose of presenting Ukrainian modern art and the reason these individuals found it important was threefold:

They felt it was crucial to elevate the contributions of Ukrainians beyond the beauty of traditional folklore;
They considered it crucial to send the message to the international community that contributions to modern art coming from Eastern Europe were not simply Soviet or Russian, but that many of those contributions were specifically Ukrainian;
They believed that for a culture to continue to evolve it needs to express itself in a contemporary, innovative, creative fashion.

At the 35th anniversary celebration, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art will celebrate the accomplishments that brought the institution to life. It will be a celebration of the vision, the courage and the creativity that came together in the form of four men. They were: Dr. Achilles N. Chreptowsky, the UIMA's founder and principal benefactor; Wasyl Kacurovsky, the UIMA's first curator and principal art expert; and Konstantin Milonadis and Michajlo Urban, the UIMA's first artists.

The 35th anniversary celebration will be held at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Chicago on October 7. The evening's events will begin with a cocktail hour with music by Zorepad and will include dinner and a film presentation. For tickets please contact Helen Pryma at Helen@pryma.net or call 630-240-7112. Additional information is available at the UIMA website, www.uima-art.org.

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art was founded by Dr. Chreptowsky to preserve and promote the knowledge and appreciation of contemporary Ukrainian art and culture. It has served as an artistic anchor in Chicago's West Town community for more than 30 years, providing world-class art exhibitions, concerts, literary readings, and educational and cultural exchanges.

The UIMA is located at 2320 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago; telephone, 773-227-5522. The institute is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

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