Blogs

By Kayla Harris

On June 7, the University Libraries welcomed Kettering City Council member Jyl Hall to give a talk about preserving Ukrainian culture in connection with the Marian Library exhibit, East Meets West. 

Hall has been active in the greater Dayton community with fundraising efforts to provide food and other supplies to those in Ukraine impacted by the current war. Community members, including members from the Ukrainian Society of Greater Dayton, listened to Hall discuss some of the iconography traditions in Ukraine and the threat of cultural heritage erasure. After the exhibit, attendees were invited to view both portions of the exhibit.

Women Icon Makers of West Ukraine in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Gallery features contemporary iconography from eight female artists working in Lviv, Ukraine. This portion of the exhibit is on loan from the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection with assistance from the IconArt Contemporary Sacred Art Gallery and will be open through June 30.

Guests also visited the Marian Library Gallery to view Halyna Nykolyshyn’s Ukrainian Marian Legacy to learn about the establishment of the Ukrainian Marian Collection at the University of Dayton. 

Nate Brandstater, Kettering College president, attended the event along with several Ukrainian students who are studying at Kettering College. In an article for Dayton Magazine, Brandstater states, “The Ukrainian students’ grit, determination and gratitude are truly astounding.” 

The recording of Hall’s talk is now available on the exhibit homepage, go.udayton.edu/eastwest.

— Kayla Harris is an associate professor in the University Libraries and the director of the Marian Library.