SATURDAY, July 15, 2023 | 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Now in its 13th year, Artpark’s Fairy House Festival welcomes visitors of all ages to marvel at a celebration of Ukrainian culture: its mystic and ancient traditions as well as its vibrant modern art.  

Featured acts and artists: 

Mucca Pazza

Artpark Fairy Orchestra

Artpark Fairy ensemble directed by Vlad Troitskyi

Art inspired by Maria Prymachenko produced by Bethany Krull

Art of costume Uta Bekaia

Art of living puppetry by Luna Gomberg

This year the festival will be directed by Vlad Troitskyi, a theater director from Kyiv, Ukraine, the founder of the CCA Dakh Theater and GogolFest, and the founder of the DakhaBrakha band. Vlad will work with 20 local actors and artists on creating a Ukrainian-inspired celebration costumed by Uta Bekaia and installations by Bethany Krull inspired by the art of Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko.

ARTPARK 13TH ANNUAL FAIRY HOUSE FESTIVAL

CREATIVE TEAM:

STAGE DIRECTOR and CONCEPT: VLAD TROITSKY

COSTUME FESTIVAL DESIGN: UTA BEKAIA
 

FEATURING:

MUCCA PAZZA

 ARTPARK FAIRY ORCHESTRA

 ARTPARK FAIRY ENSEMBLE DIRECTED BY VLAD TROITSKYI

СТРОКАТIСТЬ ENSEMBLE OF UKRAINIAN MUSIC
 

 “LION-BEAST” AND “GOAT-BEAST”
SCULPTURES PRODUCED BY BETHANY KRULL, INSPIRED BY MARIA PRYMACHENKO AND SKETCH BY MARKO HALANEVYCH

 ART OF COSTUME UTA BEKAIA

 ART OF LIVING PUPPETRY BY LUNA GOMBERG

FAIRY HOUSE TOUR ART: ARTPARK COMMUNITY OF FAMILIES AND ARTISTS

Family and group Fairy House submissions are still be accepted. Please complete this form. 

During the afternoon, special musical guests Mucca Pazza will return by popular demant to entertain the crowd with a rock & roll marching band, street theater extravaganza. WNYC described the group as “Seeing this irresistible band of horns and violins, guitars and accordion all parade in and eventually take the stage is infectious, chaotic fun. But it’s also an incredibly coordinated and choreographed performance full of cheers and bursting with energy that is easy to get caught up in.”

Vlad Troitsky,  creative and stage director:  is the founder of the CCA «DAKH», creator and president of the Festival of Contemporary Art GOGOLFEST (one of the top 5 European festivals according to EFFA), artistic director, creator of world-music quartet DakhaBrakha, intellectual freak cabaret DakhDaughters, music formation NovaOpera, director, producer, actor, playwriter, scenographer. Awards: Officer of French Order of Arts and Letters, winner of the Vasyl Stus Prize, winner of the Shevchenko Prize 2020 for the opera-requiem “IYOV". Vlad has presented more than 20 works as an actor and directed more than 60 works. He has worked as a director in theaters in Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and Germany and made 10 international productions. 

Honoring the art of Maria Prymachenko: 
Maria Oksentiyivna Prymachenko (1909-1997) was a Ukrainian folk art painter, who worked in the style of art brut. Marc Chagal and Pablo Picasso both claimed her influence in their work. A self-taught artist, she worked in painting, embroidery and ceramics. In 1966, Prymachenko was awarded the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.  Her work was reportedly destroyed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Artpark is celebrating Maria Prymachenko’s art as a part of our Festival with installations inspired by her work. We invite our public to use her inspiration for your Fairy House Festival creations this year.

Marko Halanevych (sketch concepts for Lion and Goat-beasts and “hand-held creatures”):  is a Ukrainian musician, actor, frontman and vocalist of the DakhaBrakha, ethno-haos band. Founder and former member of OY Sound System band. Actor of the CCA «DAKH». Winner of the 2020 Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine. In 2002, he joined the CCA «DAKH and was an actor and musician in Vlad Troitskyi's productions.

Bethany Krull (“Lion-Beast” and “Goat-Beast”): is a sculptor based in Buffalo, New York working in clay (primarily porcelain) for over twenty years. Her practice is expansive and has led to explorations in many materials that make their way into the work which is rooted in love of nature, the aesthetics of form and the fears and desires surrounding the ways in which our species impacts the environment and other creatures. You can find her in her hometown teaching in both community and academic settings and maintaining an active studio alongside a boisterous family of two young boys that she’s raising with her talented artist-husband, Jesse Walp. 

Tanya Chutko (hand-held puppets scenic painter) is a Ukrainian American artist, educator and ultimately, a creative cultural investigator whose interest lies in the research of painting, cultural fairy tales and theology. With a BFA from The Art Institute of Boston @ Lesley University, Chutko's work demonstrates her extensive history with illustration and her ability to create bridges between the ethereal and earthly experiences of her subjects. Chutko primarily uses oil, acrylic, graphite and colored pencil on birch wood. Using birch wood as her canvas, a strong, un-malleable, natural foundation allows her to further investigate the underlying meaning within her work. She has a strong command for realism, and invites her viewers to see the intangible experiences of her subjects' inner world through whimsical backgrounds and compelling eyes. When Chutko is not working in her studio at Artspace Buffalo, she cultivates and fosters creative development through art education for Buffalo Public Schools. Besides her BFA in illustration and fine arts, Chutko holds a Master's in Art Education from State University of New York College at Buffalo.

Luna Gomberg: is a multimedia artist and costume designer, who has participated in productions all around the world, including several large-scale costumed performances and installations in the Berkshires and in New York City, and a show which participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017. An emigrant, Luna speaks Russian and English fluently. Her work is often based on the cultural diversity of her background; for example, her detail work and embroidery elaborates on Slavic and Jewish traditions, creating new fusion stitches and imagery. Luna’s past experience includes work in analog stop motion animation, set and costume design as well as hair and makeup for theatre and opera productions, independent sculptural and fiber-arts work, costume design for several shows by Krymov Lab NYC at the LaMaMA Theatre in the East Village, as well as installations and collaborations with other artists such as Uta Bekaia and Doug Fitch and Tommy Nguyen. 

Mucca Pazza assembled itself in a steel mill parking lot along the Chicago River in 2004. Combining marching band traditions and street theater spectacle with rock and roll sensibilities, Mucca Pazza quickly found a home for its 30-odd members in the thriving Chicago underground music scene. An unparalleled eccentric, frenetic visual presence and genre-bending original compositions earned Mucca Pazza critical praise and a loyal local following. A fearless ability to play anywhere opened up absurd opportunities in libraries, reflection ponds and escalators. Tours of North America have brought the band to half of the states and one province. Major festivals include: Lollapalooza, Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors, Festival International de Louisiane and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Preceded by the reputation of its live show, Mucca Pazza hit the airwaves and interwebs, appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, WNYC, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert while licensing music to TV’s Weeds, I Love Dick and the Golden Globe® award-winning Transparent. They’ve been busy collaborators, working with a range of artists including Chicago Sinfonietta. Mucca Pazza is…
Freaks: Hope Arthur (accordion), Nora Barton (cello), Jim Drake (mandolin), Charlie Malave (guitar), Rachel Mossburg (violin), Molly Rife, (cello) 
Saxes: Sophie Creutz (bari/clarinet), Luc Mosley (tenor/flute), Justin Past (bari/clarinet), David E. Smith (alto/clarinet), Angela Wong (tenor/flute), Airan Wright (bari & bass saxes/clarinet/bass clarinet) 
Sousaphones: Mike Hogg, Akshat Jain (sousa/tuba) 
K12 Percussion: Larry Beers (snare), John Carroll (aux), Andy Deitrich (snare), Hershyl Edwards (snare), Rick Kubes (bass), Amanda Legner (glock/aux), Brent Roman (aux) 
Trumpets: Peter Gillette, Anna Jacobson, Sam Johnson, Jim McBride, Nick Siegel 
Trombones: Melissa McNeal Adams (flute), Neil Brown, Chris Dixon, Dom Gaietto, Tom Howe, Jessica Sigur 
Cheer: Lily Emerson, Sharon Lanza, Vanessa Valliere, Rawson Vint

Строкатiсть ensemble of Ukrainian music under the direction of Myron Deputat:

Myron Deputat: grew up in Clarence NY, and has been playing music since the age of 5. Over the years he has performed in a number of ensembles, both classical and contemporary. In 1998 he formed a local rock band called “Those Idiots”. In 2001 his group was asked to play at the Adam Mickiewicz Library on the east side of Buffalo for their traditional Dyngus Day celebration. At that performance, the group adopted playing contemporary songs in the style of polka music. The band became an instant hit with audiences both young and old and has been instrumental in helping to revive Dyngus Day celebrations in Buffalo. Myron continues to develop his skills as a musician, songwriter, producer, and engineer thereby expanding his outlets for creative endeavors.

Artpark Fairy Orchestra under the director of Slava Yasser,  a creator, medium, provocateur and inspirator-in-chief channeling the grace of communion and divine connection through music, performance and multimedia arts. Born in Moldova into a Jewish family, growing up in Ukraine and Russia, Slava brought his multicultural heritage to New York in mid-90s. Through the last 30 years he performed in several collectives, co-founded a few festivals and organized hundreds of events. His mission has always been to foster and empower community connections, to heal the collective trauma of separation with integrity, trust, and intimacy. Slava and the Artpark Fairy Orchestra have been with Artpark since 2016!

Artpark Fairy Orchestra members: Adam Yasser, Mariya Vasilevskaya, Dmitry Umanskiy, Bozhena Vistman, Tatyana Nagaeva, Garik Bagdagyulyan, Dmitriy Serebryanik, Yurii Rusakov, Anna Belashchenko, Valeria Kaim. Leah Trottier, Машин сын Федя, Anton Belaschenko Elena Belaschenko

Artpark Fairy ensemble: Brianna Garcia, Katrina Copeland, Paris Moffitt, Julia Cianfrini, Ashley DiPasquale, Asha Mathis, Cynthia Vogel, Sara Jo Kukulka, Alayna Sposito, Maddy Moczerniak, Holli Simme, Becky Globus, Kaitlyn Virgilio, Emily McDonnell, Marley Judd, Rylee Luczak, Kim Vincent, Erica Cope

Fairy House Artists: Morgan Arnett, Robin Gabriella Damiano , Chavis Day, Chavis Day, John Dudley, Ada Garlapow, Linda Gale Gellman, Jeremy Grzybowski, Rachel Grzybowski, Samantha Hart, Tara Hudson, Bethany Krull, Bruce LaMantia, Hilary McAndrews, Juniper Moon, Bill Myers, Jay Oberholtzer, Grif Oberholtzer, Sabrina Parsons, Brittany Patterson, Cynthia Pegado, Gail Reinbird, Emilie Vitaris, Jesse walp, Elva Winslow, Miggie Wong
Fairy House Group Artists: Mary Maurer, Meredith Silver, Lori Elliott & Bridget Mietus, Sue Geschwender, Andrea B., Rosalie Howard, Katie Damiano, Wee Believe, Sirinapa and Travis Szewczyk, Sirinapa and Travis Szewczyk, Yulia and Daria, Stephanie, Nora Hurst, Artpark Bridges & People Inc.

Photos by Jordan Oscar and Pavel Antonov 

This event is presented in part by Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, USA