Misericordia’s Pauly Friedman Art Gallery holds free Pysanky Egg Workshop

Misericordia’s Pauly Friedman Art Gallery holds free Pysanky Egg Workshop

Misericordia’s Pauly Friedman Art Gallery held a free Pysanky Egg Workshop on Friday, March 22^nd, celebrating Easter and Women’s History Month.

The free workshop, supported by a 2023-24 Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Creative Sector Flex Fund Grant, was held in the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery. Misericordia students and employees, along with the local community, could participate. Led by local artist Marianne Bump Laurie, the group crafted the beautiful eggs by applying wax and dye to a hollowed-out egg. The art gallery was adorned with eggs, including an extraordinary College Misericordia Pysanky-crafted egg with the Misericordia Crest.

“Grant funding was essential to providing this workshop for free. Marianne Lurie, our instructor, is a nationally renowned Pysanky artist; one of her creations was a Christmas Tree ornament for the White House. The setup of preparing the eggs and dyes for students entails hours of work. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts emphasizes initiatives that align with the gallery’s concerns: highlighting the crafts traditionally practiced by women and preserving cultural heritage, such as Ukrainian egg decorating. An added bonus was seeing our students working shoulder-to-shoulder with community members,” said Lalaine Little, Ph.D., Art Gallery director.

Pysanky egg decorating is a traditional Ukrainian art form with a history that spans thousands of years. It was only initially practiced by women. It involves using a wax-resist method, also known as batik, to create intricate, colorful patterns on eggshells. The process begins with drawing on the egg with wax, then dyeing it in a series of colors from light to dark, applying wax patterns between each dyeing step. After the final color, the wax is melted off to reveal the complex designs beneath.

These eggs are not only beautifully intricate but also rich in symbolism. Different patterns and colors have specific meanings and are often related to nature, health, fertility, or spiritual beliefs. Historically, pysanky were created during the spring to celebrate the earth's rebirth, making them a significant part of Easter traditions in Ukraine and among people of Ukrainian descent worldwide. Today, Pysanky accompanies Easter celebrations and humanitarian efforts to aid Ukraine in its resistance against Russian forces.

For more information on other workshops, programs and exhibits at Misericordia’s Pauly Friedman Art Gallery please contact Lalaine Little, Ph.D., at llittle@misericordia.edu, or by visiting https://www.misericordia.edu/campus-community/pauly-friedman-art-gallery.