NEW YORK – The nonprofit organization Borshch of Art has announced the launch of the Ukrainian-American Arts Research Fellowship, which aims to support graduate students, doctoral students and scholars interested in researching American artists of Ukrainian descent.
Each fellow must write papers about the artist’s work, legacy, influences, and connections to other artists and will receive a $500 stipend upon successful completion of the 12-week fellowship. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 10.
“We want to encourage art scholars to find new research perspectives and build scholarly knowledge about artists,” said Anastasia Gudko, founder of Borshch of Art and chair of the organization’s board. “We want to create a community for art curators, writers, critics and artists, as well as art lovers and collectors, that will help spark or promote interest in Ukrainian-American art and shed light on this very specific sector of American art history.”
Borshch of Art’s newly launched Discover Database, a platform that “showcases and celebrates the Ukrainian heritage of famous American artists and highlights overlooked talent,” as the website says, can be used as a starting point for fellows’ research, Ms. Gudko said.
Borshch of Art staff will provide guidance and support to fellows in biweekly virtual meetings throughout the duration of the fellowship. Creating community and opportunities to interact will be central to the fellows, just as it has been for Ms. Gudko throughout her career.
Originally from Kyiv, Ms. Gudko moved to the United States in 2013. Having previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Ukraine for six years, Ms. Gudko had a professional epiphany while exploring galleries and museums in Manhattan. She discovered that she wanted to work in the art world and support Ukrainian art and culture as much as possible.
A pivotal moment for her focus on the art world came when she visited the Metropolitan Museum and saw that one of her favorite artists, Louise Nevelson, was incorrectly listed as being from “Kiev, Russia.” This discovery gave birth to the central idea for Borshch of Art and its motto, “Reclaiming Ukrainian Heritage.”
“When the American art world boomed after World War II and talented artists came from Europe, many of them had immigrated from Ukraine. However, many institutions misstate their origins, often falsely labeling them as Russian,” Ms. Gudko explained, comparing the error to labeling artists from India as coming from the British Empire. “We all need to work on decolonization and revisit the old narratives of the imperial powers,” she added.
“Part of our goal with Borshch or Art is to continue to raise awareness of Ukrainians’ heritage and roots,” Ms. Gudko said. “It’s about showing that Ukraine is its own country with its own unique art and language.”
After earning her Masters in Arts Administration from Baruch College, Ms. Gudko gained extensive and varied professional experience in the arts field. She worked as an account executive for a marketing and public relations agency and as part of the development team as an executive assistant at Free Arts NYC. She also worked in theater fundraising and audience engagement for the Hispanic Society Museum and Library.
She also focused on membership and development management at the Art Students League of New York. Ms. Gudko described how, as she began her career transition, she took every opportunity to expand her skills and learn from others.
“I knew that as someone entering a new industry in a new country, I needed to expand my network as much as possible,” said Ms. Gudko. “For me, it’s all about building relationships.”
The Ukrainian-American Arts Research Fellowship will span multiple cycles and will also provide opportunities for relationship building. At the end of each cycle, fellows’ research will be published and there will be an opportunity to present at a Borshch of Art event.
For fellows who wish to present their research at additional events or academic conferences, Borshch of Art staff can provide further support. As the cohorts of Ukrainian-American art research fellows grow, alumni are encouraged to stay connected with the community, attend events and help build a professional network, Ms. Gudko said.
The fellowship is open to graduate students, doctoral students, and PhD students studying fields such as arts administration, creative writing, arts journalism, art criticism, curatorial practice, and more. Work that “examines social justice and art, reinterprets the canon of art history, or discusses the role of art in uncovering erased histories is especially welcome,” Borsch of Art’s website states.
“Through the grant project and the Discover database, we hope to inspire future researchers and scholars and achieve proper recognition of the artists and their origins,” said Ms. Gudko. “There are important Ukrainian-American artists who deserve to be known.”
Information on applying for the fellowship can be found at www.borshchofart.org/fellowship. The Discover database can be found at www.discover-database.org.
