Spring 2025 Pysanka Workshops To Benefit Humanitarian Relief in 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. This year, the University is  offering four workshops. Four pysanka workshops will be offered as follows: on Sunday, April 6 from 1-3 p.m.; on Sunday, April 6 from 3:30-5:30 p.m.; on Sunday, April 13 from 1-3 p.m.; and on Sunday, April 13 from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

All workshops will take place in the Smurfit Arts Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, on the corners of Vine St. and Madison Ave. Each workshop is limited to 12 people and children must be accompanied by an adult. The workshop cost is $30, payable by cash or check. Registration is required at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA5A822A3F5CE9-55597296-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.

“While we hope the Russian aggression on Ukraine will end soon, the country will be in turmoil for a long time yet. Please join us in writing pysanky and donating to humanitarian aid in 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.

To learn more about Dr. Randich and her work creating and teaching the art of pysanka, please visit https://pysankypower.wordpress.com/  or read this profile in The Scranton Journal. 

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