October 16, 2015

An exhibit of student art on the Holodomor

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One of the student art works created as the result of a class on “Canadian and World Issues.”

TORONTO – At the conclusion of the 2014-2015 school year, a gallery opening of student art on the Holodomor was held at the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada Hall in Toronto. It showcased art from Nadia Guerrera’s “Canadian and World Issues” class at Michael Power/St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School. The students produced art in response to Andrea Chalupa’s book “Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm.”

The student art exhibit included poetry, paintings, sculptures and dioramas, which were accompanied with a description and an explanation of each artist’s intended meaning.

Over the course of the special evening on June 5, several speeches were given to show gratitude to Ms. Chalupa, Ms. Guerrera and her class. The evening was hosted by Alexandra Stadnyk, and included remarks by Marta Baziuk, the executive director of the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC); Ms. Chalupa; Ms. Guerrera; Ms. Marika Szkambara, representing the National Holodomor Education Committee of the UCC; and Kate, Matthew and Sofia, three students from Ms. Guerrera’s class.

The thoughtful and touching words expressed in the speeches emphasized two main themes. The first was the importance of social media for creating connections among people and producing social change. Ms. Guerrera in her address explained that through the use of Twitter and Skype the class was able to connect with Ms. Chalupa. By reading Ms. Chalupa’s book, viewing her Digital Maidan blog and speaking with her, the students began to connect, analyze and respond to the current Ukraine-Russia conflict, the events of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933, and the experiences of Ukrainian refugees in the displaced persons camps as described in Ms. Chalupa’s book.

The second theme was the importance of ensuring that truth prevails as students become active citizens and promote Canadian democratic values. Ms. Chalupa encouraged students to become master storytellers, as “stories are powerful” and shed light on the truth. She explained that George Orwell was a storyteller who told the truth about the Holodomor through his book “Animal Farm” at a time when the Soviets denied it. Students were told that by getting involved, their voices could influence global affairs.

Overall, as Ms. Guerrera pointed out, the students learned how to be leaders “who care about something, and are willing to do something about it.” It is these leaders who will serve as the voices of both past and present events in Ukraine and Canada.

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