Montana artist sells works for Ukraine humanitarian aid
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“The most powerful art in life is to transform pain into a healing talisman.” – Frida Kahlo
The quote from the famous Mexican artist was made as she reflected upon the horrific bus crash that nearly took her life, and how painting helped Kahlo to endure the pain and loneliness she suffered during the long months of her recovery.
It applies equally well to the work of Svitlana Prouty, a Helena artist who is using proceeds from the sale of her art to help ease the suffering of people in her native country, Ukraine.
“They’re all in the most horrible place where it is even possible to be,” Prouty said of her friends and family who remain there, “but there’s no place to run because it is our land.”
Prouty emigrated to the United States in 2017 after marrying her husband. She’s reluctant to speak publicly about the Ukrainians she remains in contact with for fear they might become the targets of Russian reprisals.
Working from the Mountain Sage Art Gallery along Helena’s historic Last Chance Gulch, Prouty has dedicated herself to sending nearly all the proceeds from the sale of her hand-painted scarves, jewelry and watercolor paintings to buy humanitarian supplies – food, clothing, medicine – for the people and refugees in her native city of Poltava.
Known for its historic architecture and the natural beauty of its setting along the Vorskla River, Poltava has thus far escaped the worst of the fighting. But the city of roughly 300,000 has become a destination for thousands of people fleeing the war-torn city of Kharkiv, which has been mercilessly bombed by the Russian military and is now nearly encircled.
Prouty said the inspiration to donate money from the sale of her art to the people of Poltava came during a moment of desperation. As Russian tanks began rolling across the Ukrainian border on Feb. 24, Prouty began to receive a stream of emails and text messages from her friends and family still living in Ukraine. Concern for their safety blended inside Prouty with feelings of helplessness. What could she possibly do to help the people she loves, subjected to a war 6,000 miles away?
“When I woke up in the morning, I had some schedule here at the gallery,” Prouty said in her thick Ukrainian accent. “My husband was driving and all the way here I was just crying. Then I come here to an empty building. I come very early here. I am like, all my people are there. I can do nothing, I can do nothing, until – oh, I can do something.”
Prouty admits her initial reaction was an emotional one. It began with a live video post on Facebook.
“I just talk to people on Facebook, and told what I feel,” she explained. “It was completely 100% emotional. I don’t have any expectation from this. It was just my expression. And then I thought, OK, I am going to start selling my art – if you want to help my country please come and buy my art.”
“After this I immediately opened my website and made a collection called ‘Support Ukraine,’” she continued. “I said help the Ukraine, but I didn’t know if I would get any money. Then in a few minutes I receive my first sale. In a few minutes again, and again, again.”
In that first day, Svitlana sold more than $1,000 worth of her artwork, with 80% of the proceeds directed toward relief for the people of Poltava. The remaining 20% she is retaining will go to cover the income tax liability Prouty will accrue from the sale of her artwork. She does not expect it to pay the cost of her materials and art supplies.
By mid-week Prouty had raised more than $4,000 for the people of Poltava. The money is being sent via Western Union directly to personal contacts in Poltava, people who know the city and its people’s needs well, including a local Orthodox priest with deep ties to Poltava’s charitable community.
There is one caveat Prouty demands of the contributions – that the money not be used to buy weapons.
“It’s very important that this money goes where it is needed,” she said. “It’s not big money, but this amount of money can make big difference here.”
As word of Svitlana Prouty’s campaign to aid the people of Ukraine has spread, so have sources for the purchases of her art.
“I’m receiving orders from all the U.S., like Colorado, Washington State, California, Texas,” she said.
In recent days several local people have simply made cash donations to Prouty’s Ukrainian relief effort without expectation they will receive a work of art from her in exchange.
“The last two days people just come and bring to me checks, bring to me cash,” she said. “My English teacher yesterday give me envelope. This morning I open this envelope and its $300. Another artist yesterday bring me check for $500. People stop me on the street and give me $20.”
The work to record the transactions, package and ship artworks to her customers and to ensure that the money gets to her colleagues in Poltava as quickly as possible can be daunting. Now Svitlana’s friends and fellow artists are pitching in to help make sure the relief effort carries forward smoothly.
“I think now is the first time Ukraine really receive support from the world,” she said speaking in humble gratitude. “I don’t think we receive great support in 2014 (following Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.)
Svitlana Prouty wants the people who buy her art to understand she is not seeking credit for herself.
“This is not my fame story,” she said. “I don’t look any credit for myself. I seriously prefer to just sit in my studio and paint. Personally, I am not strong enough to do this, but I know it’s not an accident that I’m here. I have my voice, and my art and my courage. I pretty much feel I’m just doing what God tell me to do. It’s like not even my choice. If I will sell 100% of my art and I will give it all to Ukraine, I will be very happy.
“The values of life have so much changed in the last few days.”
To learn more about Svitlana Prouty and view some of the messages sent to her from Ukraine you may visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/svetlana.lysyak/
To see more of her original art, and to view her Support Ukraine Collection visit her website at https://www.svitlanaprouty.com/works or visit the Mountain Sage Gallery located at 433 N. Last Chance Gulch in Helena.
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