Art On TheMART Will Debut Ukrainian-Themed Holiday Projection Next Week

Art on theMART, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today announced a special addition to Fall 2022 programming. In recognition of the cultural contributions Ukraine has made to the world throughout its history, Art on theMART is hosting an eight-day showing of Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells: Unwrap the Holiday Magic, a holiday-themed projection spotlighting the work of Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who arranged the melody of "Carol of The Bells" in 1916. Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells premieres on Art on theMART Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 8:30 p.m., and will be on view nightly through November 17.

Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells recounts the history of Shchedryk (the original Ukrainian title of "Carol of the Bells"), from the ancient origins of Ukrainian caroling culture through to the world-renowned "Carol of The Bells" tune. The animated holiday-themed projection relays the original Ukrainian lyrics, which tell a story of a swallow returning home for spring. The roots of the song go back to pre-Christian times in Ukraine when Ukrainians sang folk songs in the spring and asked the gods for abundance in the new year. The projection's lead artist, Max Robotov, is currently enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and stationed near the front lines of the conflict. The core team includes:

Max Robotov - Lead Artist
Ivan Svitlychnyi - Lead Creative Director

Oleksiy Sai - Lead Animator; Creative Director

Georgiy Potopalskiy - Composer

Tina Peresunko - Narrative Curator

Sofiya Dzhurynska - Lead Project Coordinator

"Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine," said Cynthia Noble, executive director of Art on theMART. "As the world's largest ongoing digital public art installation, we are proud to cooperate with Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to amplify Ukraine's cultural contributions during the holidays."

"We'd like to extend our gratitude to Art on theMART for accommodating our Ukrainian-made projection in their fall programming," said Yevgeniy Drobot, project coordinator for Shchedryk and deputy Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago. "As the war in Ukraine nears its eighth month, our country's proud defenders continue to preserve our independent nation, and we are gracious of the support given by the people of Chicago thus far."

The father of more than 150 musical compositions, Mykola Leontovych was born in the city of Vinnytsia, Ukraine in 1877. Leontovych attended a seminary in Kamianets-Podilskyi but decided against the priesthood, instead choosing to teach voice and music lessons. His passion for music brought him to St. Petersburg in 1903 to pursue a formal education in the field. By 1916, Leontovych had finished his masterpiece: Shchedryk, a choral piece composed of a simple folk melody that mesmerized audiences. Met with broad acclaim from its debut performance in Kyiv, Leontovych would go on to tour the world performing Shchedryk. A performance in Carnegie Hall in 1922 was described by the New York Times as "simply spontaneous in origin and artistically harmonized."

Shchedryk became an instrument of Ukrainian diplomacy at the beginning of the 20th century. The world tour was meant to form a positive perception of Ukraine abroad and help in the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian People's Republic, proclaimed in 1918. The Christmas-inspired English lyrics were written by American composer Peter Wilhousky after he heard Shchedryk. His version of the song, with unchanged music and the new title "Carol of The Bells," quickly became a classic once it was published and copyrighted in 1936. "Carol of The Bells" would reach the height of its popularity when it was included in the soundtrack for the blockbuster holiday movie Home Alone, and it lives on as a staple of holiday music around the world. Today, there are more than 1000 variants of Shchedryk.

Dive deeper into the history of a Ukrainian song that became a symbol of Christmas all over the world: ukraine.ua/carol-of-the-bells/.

Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells: Unwrap the Holiday Magic premieres on Art on theMART Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 8:30 p.m., and will be on-view nightly through November 17. Art on theMART is free and can best be experienced from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells Street and Franklin Street, where accompanying audio can be experienced. For more information, visit artonthemart.com or follow #ArtontheMART.

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