Luba Perchyshyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luba Perchyshyn
|
|
|---|---|
Luba Perchyshyn, from a 1946 newspaper.
|
|
| Born |
Luba Procai
October 10, 1923 Minneapolis
|
| Died | September 7, 2020 (aged 96) Minneapolis
|
| Occupation | Businesswoman, folk artist |
| Years active | 1940s to 2010s |
| Known for | Pysanky eggs, classes, tools, books, and kits |
Luba Perchyshyn (born Luba Mary Procai) was an American businesswoman and artist. She was born on October 10, 1923, and passed away on September 7, 2020. Luba was famous for sharing the beautiful art of pysanky, which are traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs.
Contents
Growing Up
Luba Procai was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents, Marie Sokol and Anthony B. Procai, had moved to America from Ukraine.
Sharing Ukrainian Art
In 1947, Luba and her mother opened a Ukrainian gift shop. They started by selling traditional items like embroidery, tapestries, and ceramics from their home. Soon, their shop moved to a storefront on Hennepin Avenue.
The Art of Pysanky
At the shop, Luba Perchyshyn began putting together special kits. These kits helped people make pysanky, which are eggs decorated with amazing designs. The designs are made using a special wax-resist technique. This means wax is used to protect parts of the egg while it's dyed, creating beautiful patterns.
Luba's sister, Johanna Luciow, joined the family business in 1958. Over time, the pysanky classes, kits, tools, and supplies became the most popular items at their shop.
Reaching Many People
Luba Perchyshyn showed how to make pysanky in many ways. She appeared on television and in videos. She also gave demonstrations at different cultural events.
Her Ukrainian Gift Shop was even featured in a National Geographic magazine article in 1972. Later, in 1976, Luba's decorated eggs were shown in a short film about pysanky.
Luba also helped write several books about this art. These included Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We Make Them (1979) and The Ukrainian Design Book (1999). Her beautiful eggs were admired and sold all over the world. Some of her eggs were even used in White House holiday decorations!
Family and Lasting Impact
Luba Procai married Elko Perchyshyn in 1943, while he was serving in World War II. They had two children, Natalie and Elko. Luba's husband passed away in 1986. Luba herself lived to be 96 years old, passing away in 2020.
Her mother, Marie Sokol Procai, passed away in 1994, and her sister, Johanna Procai Luciow, in 1998. The Perchyshyn family has continued the business. As of 2020, the shop is still open! Luba's granddaughter, Ally Perchyshyn, now teaches pysanky classes in Minneapolis, keeping the tradition alive.
