Anxious Pink

The John David Mooney Foundation is delighted to announce Anxious Pink, an exhibition of painting and installation by Valeriia Tarasenko, Ukrainian Art Bridge Fellow.

Please join us for the Opening Reception:

114 West Kinzie Street, Chicago, IL  60654

For the opening reception: Parking, Valet and reduced evening rate, Sterling Park Garage

This exhibition presents work created by Valeriia during her four months of residency as a recipient of the Ukrainian Art Bridge Fellowship. The large-scale canvases reveal the artist's first impression of Chicago and interweave a narrative of her journey in exile after February 24, 2022.

Marking the culmination of Tarasenko's Ukrainian Art Bridge Fellowship residency at the Foundation, Anxious Pink presents the artist's unique view of Chicago - from familiar sites, to new faces, and personal moments - and couples this with personal, diaristic, and political reflections. Tarasenko deftly interweaves these personal and collective narratives in large scale canvases, fiber pieces, and works on paper, examining shifting and conflicted notions of 'home'.

Valeriya Tarasenko (b. 1988, Kyiv) studied at the Polygraphic department of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Since 2008 she has worked as a teacher at the art school. In 2013 she graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts Faculty of Painting Restoration department. Valeria is also co-founder of an organization which works with Down syndrome people - "Atelier Normalno".

Thanks to the generous support of donors, the Ukrainian Art Bridge Fellowship of the John David Mooney Foundation has hosted ten Ukrainians this past year. From our initial launch on May 5, 2022, at the Union League Club until the present, the Chicago community has generously contributed to and encouraged our combined efforts to provide respite, safety, and freedom for those artists at risk, displaced, and traumatized by the war.  Nine of our residents have been from Kharkiv. Members of their accompanying families have ranged from an 8-month-old baby to a 92-year-old grandmother. These Fellowship holders, visual artists, designers, and artist performers have produced extraordinary work, and have impacted and enriched our city's cultural landscape. Valeriia is the first to come from Kyiv.

We are seeking support to continue the Fellowship and provide opportunities for those who will join us in the fall. If you are inspired by this effort, we hope you will consider a gift. You may make a donation via PayPal (enter: jdmstudio@jdmf.org <mailto:jdmstudio@jdmf.org>  ) or by check to the John David Mooney Foundation, a not-for-profit, at 114 West Kinzie St., Chicago, IL  60654. Your support will help to sustain and protect the living culture of Ukraine and its future Renaissance. Thank you for your consideration and look forward to welcoming you to the exhibit opening!