Events
Ukrainian Arts Philadelphia's Fairmount Arts Crawl Show
April 23rd and 25th, 2010
Ukrainian Arts Philadelphia presented an art show at the Ukrainian League at 23rd and Brown Streets as part of Fairmount Arts Crawl 2010 .
Featured Artists:
- Christina Oddo, a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design of Philadelphia, uses pastels in most of her projects, with positive and surprising results.
- Lucy Oleksyuk, from Kolomiya, Ukraine, known for incorporating Ukrainian folk art in her contemporary clothing designs, will exhibit her new spring collection.
- John Wernega, a photographer and musician, will include his photographs of nighttime scenes of Ukraine, Paris, and Philadelphia.
- Dimitri Woznyj, taps into his imagination and emotions to create complex colorful images and detailed intricate patterns with ink, watercolor, and marker.
- Maria Woznyj, a graphic artist and jewelry designer, draws her inspiration for color combinations from nature, combining contrasting textures and finishes creating one-of-a-kind, eclectic and timeless pieces.
A sample of the art featured in our April 23rd-25th show:
Christina Oddo
Media
Pastels
Artist Website
Artist Statement
“The allure of the natural world has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. It has called for me to explore it, experience it and soak in all that it has to offer. I never take it for granted and celebrate anytime I have to be in it. These strong feelings for the natural world give me the passion to explore all its nuances through my pastel paintings. Pastels are my medium of choice because I can directly apply them to paper or board, which allow me to work hands-on when applying color and blending my paintings. The unique look of my paintings is due to the thin application of pastels and the use of a dark background, which give my paintings a luminous quality. I create pastel paintings, not only for the process and the final result, but to capture a moment in time to share with the viewer. A moment in time that creates a sense of serenity and peace which can be treasured forever. I hope to bring all of nature’s splendor to you through my gift of artistic expression in my pastel paintings.”
Biography
Christina Oddo, born and raised in the Philadelphia area, has been inspired to draw and paint since childhood. With the support of her family who encouraged her creativity, she began her journey to find her path as an artist.
Her studies in the field of art began at Montgomery County Community College with an array of fine arts classes such as; painting, ceramics, drawing, 2 & 3 dimensional design, watercolors, printmaking, and black & white photography. All of these were an integral part in developing her knowledge of form, space, color harmony and composition. At this time Christina had her first introduction to the medium of pastels.
After completing her studies at Montgomery County Community College, Christina was accepted into Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia where she focused her studies on Illustration and Graphic Design. Within her Illustration classes she continued to explore the possibilities of pastels in most of her projects, with positive and surprising results.
After completing her studies at Moore College of Art and Design she began working in the field of graphic design. She still continued creating pastel paintings, which for her were an important hands-on, creative outlet. During this time Christina joined local art organizations, began participating in art exhibits and started selling her artwork.
Following a career in graphic design for thirteen years, Christina was given the opportunity to pursue being a full-time artist. Today she is represented by local galleries and has been part of many local juried exhibitions, where she continues to sell her pastel paintings.
Christina’s lifelong dream has been realized, however she adds, “There is still so much more I’d like to accomplish in my career as an artist and I’m excited and look forward to all the possibilities”.
Lucy Oleksyuk
Biography
Lucy Oleksyuk was born in Kolomiya Ukraine. In 1980 she received Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Lviv Academy of Fine Arts in Lviv, Ukraine. Lucy is a designer and creates her own unique collections by incorporating the elements of Ukrainian folk art in her contemporary designs.
John Wernega
Media
Photography
Artist Statement
John Wernega has a passion for color and form. He sees the world as art and thrives on capturing it in his photography. John’s nighttime photos capture bright, vivid colors from illuminated buildings, statues, and skylines. Many of John’s photos have a golden hue caused by the lighting of a sunset. John also finds cheer in cloudy overcasts, since they bring out the rich colors in floral shots. He often includes reflections from water in his photographs and finds satisfaction in working with puddles, since they are nearly free of ripples. John never uses Photoshop or adds colors digitally. However, he occasionally uses colored filters to embellish nighttime scenes. Most of his work represents the natural colors of the light shining at the time.
Biography
John Wernega is a resident of Williamstown, New Jersey. He received his first camera when he was in seventh grade, and from then on, photography has been part of his life. John received a bachelor’s degree in music education at Rowan College of New Jersey. He is currently working on a masters degree in music education at Westminster Choir College of New Jersey.
A trip to Poland in 2005 transformed John tremendously. He discovered the joys of nighttime photography while in Warsaw. Since then, he has photographed nighttime scenes in Ukraine, Paris, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Canada (Niagara Falls), and Philadelphia.
John is a member of the Prometej, Accolada, and Dzvin Ukrainian choirs of Philadelphia. He is the music arranger for the eight-time champion Fralinger String Band and plays trombone in the Original Pitman Hobo Band. John teaches choral and instrumental music at the Quinton Township Elementary School and directs the choir at Saint Agnes Church in Blackwood, New Jersey.
John currently exhibits photography with the Salem County Art League, Photographic Society of Philadelphia, and the Ocean City Fine Arts League.
Dimitri Woznyj
Media
Ink, watercolor, marker
Artist Statement
Dimitri Woznyj, is a Ukrainian-American from the Philadelphia area. He taps into his imagination and emotions to create complex colorful images. Utilizing a vivid color palette with detailed intricate patterns, Dimitri portrays his view of the world.
Biography
Dimitri Woznyj, is a Ukrainian-American from the Philadelphia area. He taps into his imagination and emotions to create complex colorful images that have detailed intricate patterns. The mediums he uses most frequently are ink, watercolor, and marker. Utilizing a vivid color palette, Dimitri portrays his view of the world in his pieces. His artwork is reflective of his moods along with past experiences. What Dimitri puts onto paper is truly a manifestation of his mind in its most raw form.
Maria Woznyj
Media
Semi-precious gemstones, glass, wood, sterling, brass, and textile
Artist Statement
Maria Woznyj is a graphic artist and jewelry designer.She utilizes elements from her collection of vintage and antique jewelry,as well as hand-made beads from around the world to create one-of-a-kind, eclectic and timeless pieces.
Biography
Maria Woznyj was born in Philadelphia and received her Bachelors in Art History from LaSalle University. She has spent most of her life working in the graphic arts field and is an avid collector of vintage and antique jewelry. Maria draws her inspiration for color combinations from nature, combining contrasting textures and finishes. She works with materials including wood and semiprecious stones, bone and coral, antique metal and glass, lampwork beads and silver, clay and crystal, shell, and ceramic. In designing her pieces, Maria strives to create one-of-a-kind, eclectic and timeless pieces.
For additional information e-mail ukrainianarts@gmail.com.
Past Events
Please see our photo galleries and past shows sections for information on past events.
