Pysanky Egg Workshop with Marichka Galadza

Learn how to make etched Ukrainian eggs - Travlanky

In this workshop, Instructor Marichka will guide you through all the steps of transforming a plain egg into a work of art. Participants will learn the symbols, cultural context and lore behind this ancient Ukrainian art, while also gaining the practical skills of applying wax with a stylus and revealing their egg design through etching. This process differs from the pysanka in that it omits the use of dyes, revealing designs by gently brushing away layers of a brown chicken egg shell. Results are subtle and stunning. Each participant will take home up to three of their very own etched Ukrainian easter eggs – travlanky! This workshop is suitable for beginners ages 16 and up. Workshop duration is 2 hours, all supplies included.

About my workshops:

• My workshops are inclusive and appropriate for beginners and more experienced artists alike.
• Instruction in English with Ukrainian translation available to make it accessible to newcomers if needed.
• A portion of my proceeds support relief efforts in Ukraine.

Bio

Marichka Galadza is a community builder, newcomer and refugee advocate and folk culture keeper based in Kitchener, Ontario. Her identities as a mother, founding member of kosa kolektiv - Ukrainian diaspora women’s folk collective (2010) and Folk Camp Canada (2015) - now Kosa Arts, along with her Ukrainian heritage are continuous sources of inspiration in her community work.

She started leading pysanka workshops (an art form passed on by her mother) through kosa kolektiv in 2010, and has been sharing the beauty and mystery of the art form ever since. Since the start of the full scale invasion in Ukraine, her workshops and “pysanky for peace” pop up shops at the Kitchener Market, Laurier University and the Ukrainian Catholic Centre in Kitchener, have been offered in efforts to generate support for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. In 2022 she was awarded a grant by Pat the Dog Theatre Creation to pursue her project “Traditional Arts to Cultivate Hope: Pysanky in the face of genocide”.

Marichka is a registered social worker by profession and believes in the therapeutic benefits of ancestral craft in community. She brings this vision to her work as a leader with PLAST - Ukrainian Scouting organization in Kitchener- Waterloo. Her current creative focus is on embroidering a collaborative rushnyk - Ukrainian ritual cloth- with her community in Kitchener-Waterloo, as an act of resistance and attempt at collective healing in the face of cultural erasure.

Space is limited. Tickets must be purchased in advance for all those attending.

Information for Region of Waterloo Museums Members:

Region of Waterloo Museum members recieve a 10% discount off of workshops.

Choose the date and time for your visit, then enter “MEMCODE” into the discount field and select your membership tickets. Verify account holder information and proceed to checkout.

Please note that your membership must be valid upon booking and presented to Guest Services staff when you arrive. Memberships must be valid on date of visit or access may be denied.

To renew your membership or if you are having trouble accessing your member tickets, please call us at 519-742-7752.

Also check out other Workshops in Kitchener, Arts events in Kitchener.