Memory, Myth, and the Prairie: William Kurelek’s Ukrainian Pioneer Women

Returning by popular request, we’re pleased to present this lecture for a second time for those who missed it—or would like to experience it again.

William Kurelek’s Ukrainian Pioneer Women series is one of the best-known visual interpretations of Ukrainian settlement on the Canadian Prairies. Commissioned by the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC) in 1965 for the Ukrainian Pavilion at Expo ‘67, the paintings honour the experiences of immigrant women while celebrating the resilience, labour, and determination that shaped early Ukrainian Canadian communities.

In this illustrated lecture, we’ll explore why UWAC commissioned the series and what the paintings reveal about the way Ukrainian Canadians remembered their past in the decades after settlement. We’ll examine the historical events that inspired the commission, Kurelek’s artistic approach, and the role these images have played in shaping our understanding of prairie pioneer life.

More than historical illustrations, the paintings invite us to consider how communities remember their past, whose stories are celebrated, and how art helps shape cultural identity.

Presented by Dr. Jen Budney, Executive Director & CEO of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.