Tag Ukrainian

The photograph depicts a Ukranian jug with a stopper, decorated in flowers and vines in shades of white, brown, green, and blue.

Ukrainian Pottery

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The photograph depicts a Ukranian pottery plate on a white plate stand. The plate depicts plants growing from the earth, with blossoms and seeds, and two birds perched on the flowers of the plant.

By Nancy T.

Preserving Culture Through Clay: Tradition, Resilience, and Artistry

Through the month of May, HCLS Miller Branch presents a beautifully curated exhibit that blends tradition, resilience, and artistry: Finding Identity and Honoring Tradition Through Ukrainian Pottery. The display highlights the intersection of heritage and contemporary creation, featuring works by Maryland-based studio potter Natalia Kormeluk, alongside pieces by resident artists from the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery in Opishne, Ukraine.

The photograph depicts an assortment of Ukranian bowls, pitchers, candlesticks and other pottery on a round white tabletop.

Opishne, a town in central Ukraine, is widely regarded as the heart of Ukrainian ceramics. Since its founding in 1986, the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery has built one of the world’s largest collections of traditional Ukrainian pottery and hosts the most extensive open-air modern clay sculpture installations anywhere on the globe. Despite the devastation brought by Russia’s 2022 invasion, the museum has remained steadfast in its mission—reopening to the public in 2023 and continuing to host artist residencies, international symposiums, and scholarly research opportunities.

The Maryland-based ceramic artist Natalia Kormeluk.

Among those who returned to support the museum’s work is Natalia Kormeluk, an experienced studio potter and educator. Natalia is the Coordinator of the Graduate Ceramics Program at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and also teaches at the Columbia Art Center. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is part of both private and institutional collections, including the University of Pittsburgh and the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery.

Artist Talk: Finding Identity and Honoring Tradition Through Ukrainian Pottery

«Пізнання ідентичності і вшанування традицій через українське гончарство»

The photograph depicts a Ukranian jug with a stopper, decorated in flowers and vines in shades of white, brown, green, and blue.

Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Time: 2 – 3:30 PM
Location: HCLS Miller Branch
Free | Registration encouraged
Register here.

Join Maryland ceramic artist Natalia Kormeluk as she shares her experiences living and working at the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery during wartime. Through stories, images, and firsthand accounts, Natalia offers insight into how artists continue to live, create, and teach amid conflict. She highlights the museum’s unwavering commitment to cultural continuity and explore how ceramics serve as a vessel for identity, connection, and hope.

The photograph depicts a display case at the Miller Branch of Howard County Library System with Ukranian pottery, including animal figurines, a plate, a teapot, and several pitchers, most of them in shades of brown and gold with colorful highlights in blue or red.

This exhibit and accompanying talk offer a rare and deeply human glimpse into the world of Ukrainian pottery—an art form rooted in history and shaped by resilience. It stands as a testament to cultural survival, creative defiance, and the enduring power of art to connect, heal, and carry traditions forward.

Includes Q&A. In partnership with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee.

Nancy T. is an instructor and research specialist and the display coordinator at Miller Branch. When she’s not in the branch, you’ll find her in the swimming pool, sitting with her cat, or out walking in the fresh air.