Current Exhibit
East Meets West: Halyna Nykolyshyn’s Ukrainian Marian Legacy
May 1 – Nov. 10, 2023
Marian Library Gallery (Roesch Library, seventh floor)
Free and open to the public, this exhibit demonstrates the many facets of the Marian Library’s Ukrainian Marian Collection and the librarian, Halyna Nykolyshyn (Helen) who started the collection. It discusses the timely importance of the collection and displays newly acquired pieces that display the active Marian devotion in Ukraine today. Visit to see artwork, manuscripts, news stories and other artifacts that document devotion to Mary and highlight themes of freedom, war, resistance and devotion.
In 1981, a Marian Library cataloger reached out to Ukrainian parishes and organizations across the United States to build a collection demonstrating Ukraine's devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Read morePlan Your Visit
Visit between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday from May 1 through Nov. 10, 2023 when the Marian Library is open to the public.
Closed Aug. 15 and Sept. 4
Please check the Marian Library calendar before visiting.
If you are visiting on a weekday, a parking pass is required. For a free parking pass, drive through the main campus entrance on Stewart Street just east of Brown Street and follow the signs to visitor parking. Stop at the visitor center, and an attendant will issue a parking pass. The closest entrance to P Lot is the ground floor (Learning Teaching Center) entrance. B Lot is closest to the main entrance of Roesch Library.
Support Ukraine
If you are interested and able, please consider supporting one of these organizations.
Iconart Contemporary Sacred Art Gallery is located in the historic heart of Lviv, Ukraine, and is committed to promoting, collecting and selling contemporary sacred art.
World Central Kitchen goes directly to the front lines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises.
Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, unites volunteers around the world with a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works toward that mission by creating spaces where people meet, create partnerships and act.
The Ukrainian Red Cross is collecting blood, mobilizing volunteers and resources, and conducting emergency activities. The Red Cross is often on the front lines of war, helping those affected by armed conflict.
Future for Ukraine, founded by displaced Ukrainian women, supports those affected by the war. One of its projects is Children Hub, providing support for families that evacuated from Ukraine.
Humanity & Inclusion, an international nongovernmental organization, supports people with disabilities in areas of conflict, poverty and disaster. In Ukraine it distributes medical equipment, provides postoperative care and offers mental health support.
East Meets West: Women Icon Makers of West Ukraine
On display from May 1 through June 30, 2023, this traveling exhibit was on loan from collector John A. Kohan’s Sacred Art Pilgrim collection with assistance from the Iconart Contemporary Sacred Art Gallery in Lviv, Ukraine. It pays tribute to eight innovative women icon makers of the Lviv School who have achieved recognition in a genre traditionally dominated by men. Respectful of the theological and artistic canons of iconography, they experiment with different media, painting techniques and color palettes to create contemporary variations on time-honored themes.
The artists:
Lyuba Yatskiv • Ivanka Demchuk • Khrystyna Yatsyniak • Kateryna Shadrina • Natalya Rusetska • Ulyana Tomkevych • Hlafira Shcherbak • Kateryna Kuziv
The exhibit was housed in the Stuart in Mimi Rose Gallery on the first floor of Roesch Library. The icons on display in this photo are the work of Yatskiv.
The exhibit was housed in the Stuart in Mimi Rose Gallery on the first floor of Roesch Library. The icons on display in this photo are the work of Yatskiv.
The exhibit was designed to showcase the icons by grouping them by artist. The three three icons in the foreground are works by Tomkevych. Those seen farther back are by Shadrina.
The exhibit was designed to showcase the icons by grouping them by artist. The three three icons in the foreground are works by Tomkevych. Those seen farther back are by Shadrina.
The exhibit was visited by a group of high school students as part of their journey to explore the University of Dayton's Catholic and Marianist tradition. Here two participants use art for contemplative prayer as they reflect on works by Shcherbak.
The exhibit was visited by a group of high school students as part of their journey to explore the University of Dayton's Catholic and Marianist tradition. Here two participants use art for contemplative prayer as they reflect on works by Shcherbak.
The exhibit was buzzing with visitors and lively discussion after local Kettering Council member and advocate Jyl Hall spoke on the subject of preserving Ukrainian culture. The event, inspired by the "East Meets West" exhibit, was hosted by the Marian Library.
The exhibit was buzzing with visitors and lively discussion after local Kettering Council member and advocate Jyl Hall spoke on the subject of preserving Ukrainian culture. The event, inspired by the "East Meets West" exhibit, was hosted by the Marian Library.
These visitors point out aspects of an icon by Shadrina.
These visitors point out aspects of an icon by Shadrina.
Demchuk's icons have caught the attention of this visitor.
Demchuk's icons have caught the attention of this visitor.
This guest takes a photo of Yatsyniak's work. Thankfully we took many photos as well!
This guest takes a photo of Yatsyniak's work. Thankfully we took many photos as well!
Preserving Ukrainian Culture: A Conversation with Jyl Hall
The use of icons in Ukraine has been a symbol of resistance and resilience during times of foreign occupation and repression. Unfortunately, Ukrainian iconography faces challenges today, including the threat of cultural erasure and loss due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Through this conversation and the works in the East Meets West exhibit, Jyl Hall hopes to increase public awareness and appreciation of the most precious and sacred aspects of Ukrainian cultural and spiritual heritage.
Jyl Hall is a City Council member in Kettering, Ohio. She is an adjunct professor for Asbury University and United Theological Seminary. She has a doctorate in intercultural studies from Asbury Theological Seminary.
A recap and recording of Jyl Hall’s discussion on preserving Ukrainian culture, in conjunction with the Marian Library’s East Meets West exhibit, is now available.
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