A Family’s Legacy

Peter and Audreen Yaremchuk

“Ukrainian tradition in my family is that you get as much education as possible, you work hard and you give back to your community,” says Audreen Yaremchuk, ’67 BCom.

Audreen and her husband Peter Yaremchuk ’67 BCom, were raised on farms in rural Alberta. Both of their grandparents were part of the initial settlers from Ukraine that came over at the turn of the century, around 1899. 

“Peter’s education, and my education, opened doors for us,” reflects Audreen. Both ran successful businesses and had many opportunities to travel the world. Over the years they saw some of the world’s most prestigious art, including pieces at the Vatican, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Prado Museum. “I love art,” says Audreen, whose dream job is to be a night watch person for an art gallery. 

Audreen’s passion for art and their family tradition of giving back inspired the Yaremchuks to give a gift of securities in support of a new gallery space at the University of Alberta. 

“Creating a gallery at the University of Alberta will fulfill a decades-long quest to have a beautiful and suitable space to exhibit the many wonderful and rich library and museum collections. Having a gallery will enable visitors to learn about how collections support and drive research. They also create moments of inspiration and wonder when seeing rare and precious art and books,” says Dale Askey, PhD, Vice-Provost (Library and Museums) and Chief Librarian.

He adds, “Galleries are key learning opportunities for students, both to support and extend their academic studies as well as to provide valuable work-integrated learning opportunities with a major cultural institution. Galleries are places where the public can encounter the research and cultural contributions of a world-class university.” 

The Yaremchuks are thrilled about seeing the new gallery come to life. In fact it has become a family legacy. One of their daughters, Carissa Shelley, has also supported “mom’s gallery” through a gift in her Will. 

“I believe that with a properly curated gallery, when a person leaves after visiting, they should leave a different person. That has happened many times to me,” says Audreen. In addition to her passion for art, Audreen also sees their gift as “an investment for the community.” Their message for fellow alumni and supporters is clear: “We’d like to encourage people to give,” says Peter.