Queens Council on the Arts will host a workshop in the art of making traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs — known as “pysanky” — in preparation for the Easter holiday season. Participants will learn the techniques of this phenomenal craft
The workshop will be held Thursday, April 10, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Oak Ridge in Forest Park.
Sofika, a renowned artist who is sought after by museums, festivals, and art fairs throughout the United States, will run the workshop. Her work has been exhibited throughout New York City and Washington, D.C. Sofika’s Easter eggs are on permanent display at the Ukrainian Museum and the Embassy of Ukraine.
The art of the decorated egg, or “pysanka,” dates back to Pagan times. Eggs were considered magical objects, a source of life. Eggs decorated with symbols of nature were an integral part of spring rituals. With the acceptance of Christianity in 988, the pysanka continued to play an important role in Ukrainian rituals and was adapted to represent Easter and Christ’s Resurrection. Symbols frequently found on pysanky include flowers and birds, wheat or pine branches, hens, roosters, deer, etc., each having a different meaning, such as happiness, health, fertility, strength, and prosperity. Triangles signify the Holy Trinity, and continuous lines represent eternity.
This workshop is open to adults and children over 10. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For reservations, call Queens Council on the Arts at 718-647-3377 Ext. 17. Oak Ridge is located on Forest Parkway, across from the Forest Park Golf Course, in Woodhaven.
