William Kurelek: Ukrainian Pioneer Women

Last exhibited in 2022, the series is back on view for the summer season and as part of the 100th anniversary of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC), founders of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.

Commissioned by UWAC in 1965, the series consists of 12 paintings depicting the lives of immigrant women who helped build early Ukrainian Canadian communities on the prairies. Through detailed, narrative scenes, William Kurelek shows the work and contributions that shaped these communities.

Kurelek was an extraordinarily prolific Ukrainian Canadian artist whose work is held in major collections across Canada and internationally. He is also widely known for his illustrated children’s books, including A Prairie Boy’s Winter. His work often explores the lives of Ukrainian Canadians alongside other ethnocultural communities, including Polish, Jewish, Irish, and Inuit experiences.