William
Kurelek: The People’s Painter
Award-winning filmmaker
Halya Kuchmij has recently begun work on a feature length documentary film
about Ukrainian-Canadian artist William Kurelek (1927-1977).
The film, which is
entitled WILLIAM KURELEK: THE PEOPLE’S
PAINTER, has received initial funding from Bravo Television and the CTF
(Canadian Television Fund) for research and development. Additionally, St.Vladimir’s Institute (Toronto) and The Prometheus
Foundation (Toronto) have also contributed funds for
this phase of the project.
The film’s producer is
Winifred (Winn) Kuplowsky, best known for her work with “Help Us Help The
Children”, a project of the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund and “Chornobyl
20 Memorial
Concert” (2006). The Kurelek film project has received the support of Jean
Kurelek (Kurelek’s widow) and her family and Av Isaacs, William Kurelek's art
dealer.
The production of this
documentary film has been the initiative of Ms. Kuchmij, who has received the
recognition of her peers as an accomplished documentary producer and director.
With thirty years experience at the CBC and the National Film Board, she has
won over fifty awards nationally and internationally, including the Genie. In
2006, she received the Media Award from the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and
Business Club (Toronto) in recognition of her
outstanding body of work and in particular, films dealing with Ukrainian
subject matter.
William Kurelek’s story is
inherently dramatic, being that of a young impoverished prairie farm boy of
Ukrainian ancestry, who battled his personal demons to become one of Canada's most beloved and successful
artists. He is perhaps best known for his paintings depicting every day
life among many of the ethnic groups that settled this country, whether they
were Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish, Irish, Inuit or French Canadian, Kurelek’s art
had a raw intensity that reflected his own life and the ritual of family life among the founding peoples of Canada.
Kurelek was awarded
with the Order of Canada in 1976. By the time of his premature death in 1977, he had
produced over 2,000 paintings as well as numerous books and autobiographies.
His work can be found
in prominent collections at The National Gallery of Canada, The Museum of Modern Art and the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is a Canadian icon,
renowned not only nationally but also
internationally.
WILLIAM KURELEK: THE PEOPLE’S PAINTER will be shown in theatres as
well as on television with DVD’s available for personal and educational sales.
Three language versions will be made- English, French and Ukrainian. Filming will take place in Canada (Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario), England, Mexico and Ukraine, following the trajectory
of Kurelek’s life story. Completion is
slated for early 2010.
Currently, the project is
in the pre-production phase, which is in need of $80,000.
Donations in any amount will be greatly appreciated. Each donor will receive a
credit in the film as well as a charitable tax receipt from the Taras
Shevchenko Foundation. Cheques should be made out to “Shevchenko Foundation-Kurelek” and mailed to the film’s producer-
Winn
Kuplowsky, 6 Vancho Crescent, Etobicoke,
Ontario. M9A 4Z2
CANADA
More information is
available by contacting Ms. Kuplowsky at kuplowsky@rogers.com