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Art promotes Ukraine awareness

Art promotes Ukraine awareness
‘Botanical Garden Subway Station’ by Oksana Boiko, 2022, acrylic on canvas. Photo submitted

AMENIA —  To mark the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Cellmark Inc. executive Andre Wlodar and his wife, art dealer Kim Schmidt-Wlodar, launched an online art auction featuring works by both Ukrainian and local artists that will culminate in an fundraising event Sunday, Feb. 26, from noon to 3 p.m. at Troutbeck.

Similar in scope to the auction and fundraiser that the Wlodars presented last year at the start of the war, this year’s auction includes more than 80 lots, a number of which were installed for display to the public on the walls of the Re Institute in Millerton on Feb. 10.

“The commentary has been that this is such an interesting glimpse into such a faraway Eastern European culture both in terms of the palette and, obviously, the subject matter,” said Schmidt-Wlodar. “We couldn’t get away completely without some notes [about the war]. If you see the Putin references, they’re almost tongue-in-cheek and comical, but also very, very powerful.”

The art was moved to Troutbeck on Wednesday, Feb. 22, in order to be visible at Sunday’s event.

Alice Min Soo Chun, founder and CEO of Solight Design, will speak about delivering her collapsible solar lights to hospitals in Ukraine. A live auction conducted by Christie’s auctioneer Rachel Orkin-Ramey will feature experiences and other items such as a dinner for six prepared by local resident and chef Matthew Lodes, a home consulting experience with Hammertown owner and founder Joan Osofsky; a gift certificate to Stissing House; classes at Studio Lakeville, a two-hour session at the Horse Institute in Ancramdale; a case of wine from City Winery in New York City; and more.

Included in the live auction will be a small number of limited-edition prints of the artwork featured on the Dec. 7, 2022, cover of TIME magazine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine as Person of the Year, signed by artist Neil Jamieson.

Food will be provided by a number of local businesses: meat and mushroom crepes from Le Gamin in Sharon, Connecticut; Ukrainian stuffed cabbage from Champetre in Pine Plains; two types of borscht made by Sheffield, Massachusetts-based friends of the Wlodars; pizza from Four Brothers; and several different dessert options from Lodes.

Bard College grad student Terenia Kuzma will perform live music on Ukrainian bandura.

Tickets for the Feb. 26 fundraiser are $125 each. The Wlodars are also inviting community members to volunteer at the event in lieu of the ticket price. To inquire about volunteering at the event, call 786-282-2495.

The art auction will stay live online until sometime in the evening after the Troutbeck event is over.

“We don’t want it to be this incredibly somber thing,” said Schmidt-Wlodar. “We want people to realize that it’s about awareness.”

Wlodar commented, “We have to do whatever is possible.”

To see the preparations that are being made for the upcoming Troutbeck event as well as photos of previous events and Wlodar’s trips to Ukraine and Poland, go to kimschmidtfineart.com/fundraiser-for-ukraine. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com/e/art-auction-and-fundraiser-for-ukraine-tickets-5268....

Emily Edelman

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