Last night we were lucky enough to attend the opening of the new exhibit, The Glory Ukraine at the Museum of Biblical Art here in New York City. The exhibition is indeed glorious, presenting sacred images from the 11th to 19th centuries including many ceremonial objects such as an intricately sewn robe and highly ornamented Bibles. On view until September 22nd, the exhibition will then move to the Meridian International Center in Washington, DC between early October through December 2010 and concluding at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, between February and May 2011.
This exhibition from the collection of the oldest monastery in Ukraine, the Kyiv-Pecherskaya Lavra (or Monastery of the Caves) will survey the history of Ukrainian icons and their stylistic evolution over the centuries. Ukrainian icons, unlike their Russian counterparts, incorporated noted influences from western art, particularly during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The blending of East and West in their iconography and style is unique and needs to be better known in the US. Alongside icons the exhibition will display textiles, ceremonial and altar crosses, chalices and other liturgical objects. Organized by The Foundation for International Arts and Education, Bethesda, Maryland, MOBIA will be the first venue in the United States.
The Foundation for International Arts & Education (FIAE) is presenting this exhibition, in cooperation with the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and with support from the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States.