Saturday, January 26, 2019

Artist statement - CARE at Hudson Hall at the Historic Opera House, Hudson, NY


Opening reception on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring a 6:30 p.m performance by pianist Michael S. Jaynes. 
The exhibition runs through Sunday, March 17
Hudson Hall, 327 Warren St., Hudson.

Artist statement  
Maryna Bilak


CARE

The reality of caring for someone with advanced Alzheimer's is more insane than any work of fiction. I tried to convince myself that my studio was my “happy place” and that art-making was my rescue. But my thoughts all focused on the everyday experience of sharing an intimate space with someone who is physically and mentally disabled. When the energy of denial exhausted itself, I decided to embrace my reality and consciously navigate and dedicate my creativity. Suddenly everything made sense. I stared and began to see patterns in my artwork from the last five years—the time I have lived with my mother-in-law. She became my model, and the body I watched and touched so many times became an inspiration for the active studio process.

The work I have done for this project is only a tiny expression of my experience which is as complex as it is difficult to define. The verities of the materials speak to the endless cycle of care. Using different media allowed me to work through different emotions. Clay, plaster, charcoal, acrylic, wood, cloth, nails, lime, pigments among others learned to coexist.

There are no words and there are no colors to represent the tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease and the impact it has on people providing care. But no matter what the subject is, for an artist, good form comes first. Without a good form there is no content.

This show is a resolution: to decline to be a hero and refuse to be a victim. Every piece contributed to my process of releasing strong, repressed emotions as a caregiver, as a daughter-in-law and as a wife. Preparation for this show provided relief and served as catharsis of all the struggle and frustration.




Sunday, January 20, 2019

Maryna Bialk and Molly McCann on The Roundtable Show at WAMC

https://www.wamc.org/programs/roundtable



January 29th at 10.30am artist Maryna Bilak will be interviewed by Joe Donohue on WAMC’S “The Roundtable” show. This show hosted Madeleine Albright, Jimmy Carter, John McCain, Bob Dole, Steve Martin, Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut, Maya Angelou, Stephen King, Melissa Etheridge among other A-list newsmakers, authors, artists, sports figures, actors, and people with interesting stories to tell.


Tune in on January 29th at 10:30am and listen to Maryna and Molly McCann, Alzheimer’s Association of Northeast NY Associate Director, discussing Maryna’s upcoming show CARE at Hudson Hall at the Historic Hudson Opera House, which opens on February 2nd. Show curated by Emily O'Leary.



WAMC's The Roundtable is an award-winning, nationally recognized eclectic talk program. The show airs from 9 a.m. to noon each weekday and features news, interviews, in-depth discussion, music, and much (much) more! Hosted by Joe Donahue and produced by Sarah LaDuke, The Roundtable tackles serious and lighthearted subjects, looking to explore the many facets of the human condition with civility, respect and responsibility.

www.marynabilak.com
maryna bilak artist
марина білак

Maryna Bilak at Hudson Hall at the Historic Hudson Opera House, NY

ps://hudsonhall.org/2016/12/17/maryna-bilak-care

EXHIBITION ON VIEW FEBRUARY 2 – MARCH 17, 2019

Hudson, New York 

OPENING RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST: Saturday, February 2, 5 – 7pm

Through charcoal drawings, fresco, sculpture, and painting, artist Maryna Bilak documents what it means to be a caretaker for someone with Alzheimer’s and delves into the varied roles each person involved plays, including the patient herself. The exhibition is curated by Emily O’Leary.
At the opening reception, Tennessee-based pianist and composer Michael S. Jaynes will perform Curvature of the Mind, a piece inspired by his experience caring for his own mother, an Alzheimer’s
 sufferer.


ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in the Carpathian Mountains in West Ukraine, Maryna Bilak received her first MFA from Subcarpathian National University (Ukraine).  After, she studied at Balassi Bálint Hungarian Cultural Institute in Budapest (Hungary), Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), and in 2014 received her second MFA from New York Studio School. Since 2001 Maryna has exhibited her work in Ukraine,Hungary, Slovakia, Russia, and USA. Her recent solo show Buon Fresco/Fresh was featured at John Davis Gallery. Maryna lives in Hudson, NY, with her husband Maurice Haughton, daughter Irina and her mother-in-law Dorothy. 

марина білак
maryna bilak
www.marynabilak.com 

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Maryna Bilak - CARE

MARYNA BILAK
Solo show - CARE

Hudson Hall at the Historic Opera House
February 2nd - March 17th
Reception with the artist February 2nd, 5-7pm


An exhibition documenting the unseen process of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s—in this case, the artist’s mother-in-law, Dorothy. Through charcoal drawings, fresco, sculpture, and painting, Bilak’s installation delves into the different roles that the act of caretaking requires from each person involved, including the patient herself. The exhibition opens with a reception with the artist on February 2nd, 2019 from 5 to 7pm, featuring a performance of an original song composed for the exhibition by Memphis-based pianist Michael S. Jaynes. The piece is inspired by Jaynes’ own experience caring for his mother, also an Alzheimer’s sufferer.  
Molly McCann, MHA, Associate Director of Programs and Services: Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, at the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York will also be speaking.
Show is curated by Emily O'Leary. 







www.marynabilak.com
artist maryna bilak
марина білак