APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Ukrainian Easter eggs, also known as pysanky, have become a symbol of peace in Ukraine and around the world, and residents in northeast Wisconsin will have the opportunity to make their own at the Trout Museum of Art.
Facilitated by Olga Halaburda Hietpas, the purpose of the pysanka workshop is to send the proceeds to the Chalice of Mercy in its mission to help the people in Ukraine who continue to fight against the Russian onslaught.
“The pysanka is actually a Christian symbol art piece, and so there are a lot of ties to Christianity,” said Halaburda Hietpas. “The pysanka is a prayer, and there are prayers of worship, prayers of petition where you ask God for things, and with Easter coming up, we’re asking for those prayers.”
Participants will be using a kistka, a beeswax-filled ancient tool warmed over a candle fire) to draw designs on real eggs between bathing them in bright-colored dyes.
“Everything that you wax seals the color beneath it,” added Halaburda Hietpas. “We did [the] pysanka from light to dark, and as we progress in colors, we’re sealing those colors.”
In addition to designing, those attending will learn about the rich history, the meaning of the colors, and the symbols of Ukrainian art.
“When participants come to our workshop, they’ll get to write one design, and it usually takes two to three hours to do,” said Halaburda Hietpas. “We start off with very easy designs so they can get it done in two hours.”
Those interested in attending the workshop and making their very own pysanka can do so at the Trout Museum of Art in the City of Appleton on Friday, March 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
In addition, there will be three sessions on Saturday, April 1, 2023. Session one will go from 10 a.m. to noon, session two will go from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and session three will go from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.