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Item Name: Painting
Title: Shevchenko’s Dream
Maker: Molly Lenhardt
Year: n.d.
Country: Canadian
Materials: oil on canvas board
Measurements: overall: 91.4 cm x 60.9 cm
ID Number: PC88.8
Legal Status: PERMANENT COLLECTION


Extended Label Info: Molly Lenhardt's paintings were influenced by her early childhood memories and Ukrainian heritage. Her style is recognized as “folk art”, characterized by a self-taught style with strong cultural influences that expresses shared community and values. This painting depicts the famous Ukrainian poet writer, artist, folklorist and ethnographer, Taras Shevchenko, who contributed to the foundation of modern Ukrainian language. We see in the background both a tree in full bloom and one with leaves browning, which could be a metaphor of the influence Shevchenko had on the generations of artists and writers. Lenhardt has received national acclaim for her depictions of Ukrainian clothing and symbols and in 2004, Lenhardt was posthumously recognized for her contributions to the community and culture of Ukrainian-Canadians, being designated as a “Nation Builder” by the Saskatchewan Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Congress of Canada. Molly Lenhardt (1914-1995) grew up near Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba. As a child, she was encouraged to paint by her father. She moved with her family to Melville, Saskatchewan and continued to paint while studying Business in Yorkton (1930). As an adult, she and her husband ran a variety store in Melville (Fairway Confectionary), and Lenhardt often painted at the back of the store when she had time. Her paintings have been exhibited across Canada and were the subject of a retrospective organized by the Dunlop Art Gallery (Regina, 1990). Her work can be found in the collections of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Canadian Museum of Civilization (Quebec), the Mendel Art Gallery (Saskatoon), the University of Saskatchewan, and the MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina).