EVERETT, Wash. — At the Shack Art Center in Everett, there is an exhibition that features the work of Ukrainian artists called “For Ukraine: The Art of Freedom.”
“We would like to invite everyone to this exhibit because it has so much significance to the Ukrainian community,” said Tanya Zayka, public relations for the Ukrainian Association of Washington. “Especially during the time of war that our country is going through right now.”
Zayka said they want to show the other side of Ukrainian people. The passion, the love, the beauty.
“We want to show you our faces, our children, the nature, the countryside,” she said. “The way we live our lives during peaceful times.”
Due to the stressful environment created by the war, expectant mothers have been going into labor earlier, Zayka shared.
“So, about 50% of births right now are underweight,” she said.
Proceeds from the exhibit and sale of the art will go towards incubators and warming stations for premature babies.
From head pieces to jewelry, the exhibit features a lot of red.
“The costumes that you see in this room are authentic, real costumes,” Zayka said. “Some of these pieces are 150 years old, they’re all authentic.”
She noted that the color red is the color of passion and love.
“We have songs about the color red,” Zayka said. “And it’s also the color of blood which carries, again passion and love, but at the same time the struggles of war.
Without electricity, a lot of the pieces were made by candlelight or using flashlights, she explained.
“We get to show our Ukrainian art not in the shadow of Russia,” Zayka said. “As we are fighting for our freedom and our right to remain sovereign and survive as a country, we get to show our art as Ukrainian art and to show that we’re truly a separate nation, a separate country with its own culture.”
“The Art of Freedom” runs through Feb. 18. There is a special event Saturday, Feb. 4 from 2-4:30 p.m. featuring a reception with appetizers and live Ukrainian music.
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