Upcoming Pysanka Workshops to Benefit Humanitarian Relief to Ukraine

The University of Scranton is offering a series of pysanka workshops in advance of the Easter holiday to teach the art of decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs with traditional folk designs using a wax-resist method. One hundred percent of the workshop fee will be donated to humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Participants will be taught how to write pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter eggs. All materials will be provided, and each participant will take home their own, blown-out pysanka. Anyone who attended a workshop last year is encouraged to return to develop their skills and learn more advanced folk designs.

This workshop series was first offered in spring 2022 as a series of four to support Ukraine. This year, the University is expanding to offer six workshops.

Six pysanka workshops will be offered as follows: on Monday, Feb. 27 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.; on Saturday, March 4 from 1-2:30 p.m.; on Saturday, March 4 from 3-4:30 p.m.; on Monday, March 6 from 6:30-8 p.m.; on Saturday, March 11 from 1-2:30 p.m.; and on Saturday, March 11 from 3-4:30 p.m.

All workshops will take place in the Smurfit Arts Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, on the corners of Vine St. and Madison Ave. Masks are recommended. Each workshop is limited to 10 people and children must be accompanied by an adult. The workshop cost is $25, payable by cash or check. Registration is required at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA5A822A3F5CE9-pysanka

The workshops will be led by Dr. Amelia Randich, assistant professor of Biology at The University of Scranton. Dr. Randich is a fourth-generation Ukrainian-American, and this art has been passed down through the women in her family. She has been writing pysanky for over 30 years and teaches pysankarstvo (the art of writing pysanky) at various retreats in the U.S.

“The tradition of pysankarstvo has been handed down through the women in my family and I’m tremendously proud to continue the art. I’ve been writing pysanky with my mother since before I can remember. Easter on my mom’s side has always been a treasured holiday, and the days of Lent before it a special season for writing pysanky. I now write pysanky year-round and have the honor of having some of my pysanky in the Pysanka Museum in Kolomyya, Ukraine,” said Dr. Randich.

Dr. Randich has a dedicated website, “Saving the World One Egg at Time,” to illustrate her work in pysanka along with the meaning and importance of their creation.

“It has been a terrible winter and will likely be a difficult spring for Ukraine. As I begin to make dyes this year, it is with the hope that we will have peace this year and see the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian lands. Please join me in writing these intentions in the form of folk pysanky,” said Dr. Randich.

To learn more about Dr. Randich and her work creating and teaching the art of pysanka, please visit https://pysankypower.wordpress.com/

View Dr. Randich’s work and follow her on social media on Facebook: @pysankypower & Instagram: @AmeliaRandich.

These workshops are offered by The University of Scranton and are cosponsored by the Hope Horn Gallery and the Office of Community and Government Relations. For questions, please contact community@scranton.edu.