Item #3 - Part III of III
In this article Dr. Klymasz examines trends in Ukrainian Canadian music, dance, theatre, cinema, and architecture, as well as the fine and exhibiting arts. Klymasz pays attention to the tensions between folk and non-folk creations, the relevance or irrelevance of "Ukrainian" in "Ukrainian Canadian" arts, and the "high" and "low" forms of expression and the nature of their difference.
Klymasz moves systematically through each category systematically - the Music section and first subheading of which there is the most writing - and concludes:
"Although the Ukrainian arts in Canada are experiencing a modest renaissance, not all are of equal social relevance and only a small portion will survive. Still, ethnic loyalties can generate valid artistic forms; the ethnic factor - whether rooted in Ukraine, the Ukrainian-Canadian experience, or in both - can inspire an artist's work. The result may not constitute a national art, but it can be vibrant and relevant - as meaningful as any other form of artistic expression. But needless to say, ethnicity alone does not immunize against mediocre or second-rate work, and the understanding critic, now scarce, must become more commonplace. Established and traditional materials must be reinterpreted and updated to meet new demands and requirements, and those presently committed to particular canons of Ukrainian-Canadian art must learn to judge innovation and divergence if the regenerative ability of Ukrainian fine arts is to continue and if the arts themselves are to function in the future as a viable source of cultural enrichment and pride."
Powerful and insightful words.
