Luba Perchyshyn

Luba Perchyshyn (October 10, 1923 – September 7, 2020), born Luba Mary Procai, was an American businesswoman and crafter who promoted the art of pysanky (Ukrainian decorated eggs).

Luba Perchyshyn
Luba Perchyshyn, from a 1946 newspaper.
Born
Luba Procai

October 10, 1923
Minneapolis
DiedSeptember 7, 2020 (aged 96)
Minneapolis
OccupationBusinesswoman, folk artist
Years active1940s to 2010s
Known forPysanky eggs, classes, tools, books, and kits

Early life

Luba Procai was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Marie Sokol and Anthony B. Procai. Both of her parents were Ukrainian immigrants.[1][2]

Career

In 1947, Perchyshyn and her mother started a Ukrainian gift shop, selling traditional embroidery, tapestries, and ceramics, as well as books. They started from home, but soon moved into a storefront on Hennepin Avenue,[3] where Luba Perchyshyn began assembling kits for making pysanky, intricately decorated eggs made with a wax-resist technique.[4] Another family member, Luba's sister Johanna Luciow, joined the business in 1958.[5]

In time, the pysanky classes, kits, tools, and other supplies became the shop's signature items.[6][7] Perchyshyn demonstrated the process on television, on videos, and at cultural events.[8][9] The Ukrainian Gift Shop was featured in a National Geographic article in 1972, and Perchyshyn's decorated eggs were featured in a 1976 short documentary about pysanky by Slavko Nowytski.[1][4]

Perchyshyn co-authored several books, including Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We Make Them (1979),[10][11] and The Ukrainian Design Book (1999).[12] Perchyshyn's eggs were admired and sold internationally,[13] and were included in White House holiday decorations and events.[5][14][15]

Personal life and legacy

Luba Procai married Elko Perchyshyn in 1943, while he was serving in World War II. They had children Natalie and Elko.[16] Luba Perchyshyn was widowed in 1986, and she died in 2020, aged 96 years.[17]

Marie Sokol Procai died in 1994,[18] and Johanna Procai Luciow died in 1998;[19] the Perchyshyn family continued the business, which remains in operation as of 2020.[1] Her granddaughter Ally Perchyshyn continues to teach pysanky classes in Minneapolis.[20]

References
  1. "Our Family". Ukrainian Gift Shop. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  2. "Mrs. Anthony Procai and her daughter, Mrs. Luba Perchyshyn". Star Tribune. 1946-11-01. p. 17. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Try Foreign Gift Shops for those Last-Minute Buys". The Minneapolis Star. 1962-12-18. p. 32. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Morgan-Wilde, R. C. (1985-04-07). "Elegant Eggs". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 57. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Jackson, Sharyn (2015-04-08). "Mother Hen, continued". Star Tribune. pp. E10. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Norrish, Dick (1977-04-02). "Make an Easter 'Pysanky'". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Ukrainian Easter Eggs". Star Tribune. 1948-05-02. p. 133. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Demonstration". The Minneapolis Star. 1963-04-06. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  9. "Television Highlights". St. Cloud Times. 1966-03-25. p. 22. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Decorated Easter eggs celebrated the sun". The Town Talk. 1993-04-02. p. 27. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Ukrainian Easter eggs and how we make them. Kmit, Ann. Minneapolis: Ukrainian Gift Shop. 1979. ISBN 0-9602502-0-4. OCLC 5051682.CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. Ukrainian design book : book 1. Perchyshyn, Natalie. (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Ukrainian Gift Shop. 1986. ISBN 0-9602502-4-7. OCLC 13380001.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. "A Ukrainian Easter Egg from the Midwest of USA". Рукотвори. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  14. Jackson, Sharyn (2015-04-08). "Mother Hen". Star Tribune. pp. E1. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "1996 Egg Artists". Clinton White House Archives. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  16. "Egg-sacting Work". Star Tribune. 1968-04-05. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Obituary for Luba Perchyshyn". Star Tribune. September 9, 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  18. "Obituary for Procai Marie S. (Aged 96)". Star Tribune. 1994-04-15. p. 28. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Luciow (death notice)". Star Tribune. 1998-03-07. p. 29. Retrieved 2020-09-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Classes". Ukrainian American Community Center. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
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