Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn
Director of the Kule Folklore Centre and Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography
Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn serves as the Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography at the Kule Folklore Centre. She received her BFA in Art & Design at the University of Alberta in 1981 and has become a well-known Ukrainian Canadian artist and illustrator. Many previous exhibitions and collections have been inspired by folklore themes, including Flowers of the Americas, Flowers of the Bible, Baba's Garden, and Celebrating Women. She also has an MA in Ukrainian Folklore from the University of Alberta. Her thesis, "Stitched Narratives: The Ukrainian Canadian Embroidered Pillow" is based on research conducted in communities across Canada from Victoria, BC to Sidney, NS.
Larisa's research interests are related to media and cultural studies, specifically cultural identity through textiles and fashion, family and community photographic documentation, as well as comics and graphic novels. Larisa has also been inspired by various historic events to collaborate on several modular, traveling exhibits including "Journey to Canada" and "Making a New Home" for the Kule Folklore Centre, and "Lest We Forget" for the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of Alberta. She is currently creating a new traveling installation based on her thesis entitled "The 1000 Pillow Project", as well as a future illustrated project inspired by the WWI internment of Ukrainians in Canada.
Larisa facilitates interdisciplinary, academic, and public programming for the Kule Folklore Centre including: USchool activities for elementary grades, Folklore Lunches, social media postings, publications, as well as exhibits & displays.
Cell: 780-984-8852
E-mail: cheladyn@ualberta.ca