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| Ohio Heritage Fellowships | 2003
Heritage Fellowships
2003 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Recipients
Material Culture
Aka
Bohumyla Pereyma of Troy is the Ohio Heritage Fellow for Material Culture.
Her work is of the highest significance within Ohio and Midwestern Ukrainian
communities for which she has long served as a "living cultural treasure."
She also works with Ukrainian communities throughout the United States
and in Ukraine. She has served as a creative repository of the visual
symbolism of Ukranian culture, much of which was lost earlier in the 20th
century. Her work in the Ukrainian pysanky decorated egg tradition is
of the highest quality to be found anywhere in the world. Her ceramic
work is unique in that it extends the familiar religious and secular symbolism
of the pysanky tradition to a new medium. Pereyma's work has been shown
in art galleries and museums in the United States, Canada and Ukraine.
She and her sister were in a traditional crafts exhibition organized by
the Smithsonian Office of Folklife Programs. Many of her works are currently
on long-term loan to the state museum of Ukraine and two books documenting
her artistic career are in preparation. She was awarded the "Outstanding
Ukrainian Artist" medal in October 2001. Pereyma enriches the lives of
her community members and other Ohioans through her efforts to preserve
and share Ukrainian arts in the state.
Performing Arts
Tony
Ellis of Circleville is a banjo player of astounding skill and innovation
and a legend among people who know bluegrass and old-time country music.
He has composed more than 80 works and received 11 awards from the American
Society of Composers and Publishers. Ellis has been an integral part of
several influential bluegrass bands and in recent years composed, recorded
and performed new musical works for the banjo that are influencing musicians
in many folk traditions. Tony's Ohio roots and contributions to traditional
arts are strong. He has participated as a master artist in several Ohio
Arts Council funded traditional arts apprenticeships and represented Ohio
folk music in several international tours, including one produced by the
Ohio Arts Council. As an artist, Ellis helps to support and conserve traditional
music in the state, especially southern Ohio, and he has developed a grassroots
organization in Pickaway County that presents fine traditional musicians
from around the world. In recent years, Ellis has again taken up an extensive
touring schedule, performing and lecturing at numerous colleges, universities
and folk and music festivals throughout the country, Japan, Latin America,
Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. No matter
the setting, Ellis always exemplifies the finest qualities of traditional
music, respectful of the limits of the traditions, but possessing a dynamic
creativity that pushes the boundaries.
Community Leadership
Carolyn
Mazloomi of West Chester, Ohio is a strong and effective advocate for
the entire community of African American quilters, who share three traditions:
quilting, ethnicity and descent from slaves. In 1986, she established
the Women of Color Quilters Network which began with 10 members and now
has more than 1,800 nationwide and 4,350 members in 23 chapters outside
the United States. Mazloomi has brought African American quilters together
and raised their awareness of each other and their strong talents. Through
her work she has also made quilters of other ethnic backgrounds and museum
attendees aware of the Women of Color Quilters Network quilters and their
creations. Mazloomi makes beautiful quilts that are incredibly powerful
and are regularly exhibited in galleries. She teaches African American
history through her "story quilts," which are cultural documents that
vividly depict the African American life. Her 1998 book, Spirits of
the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts effectively counters
public stereotypes about African American quilt styles. In addition, she
lectures, establishes quilt exhibitions and helps quilt researchers throughout
the United States.
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