Wycinanki: the Art of Polish Paper Cutting with Susan Urban
When: Tuesday, October 5th from 2PM until 4PM.
Where: On Zoom.
Click here to register or contact the Adams Free Library to sign up:
Phone: (413) 743-834
Email: egoerlach@town.adams.ma.us
Kits containing colored paper and glue sticks will be available at the Library.
Learn the art of Wycinanki (pronounced Vee-chee-non-kee) Polish paper cutting with Polish Craft and Culture specialist Susan Urban.
“Wycinanki are believed to have originated with Polish peasants. Farm women hung sheep skins over the window openings of their farmhouses as a way of keeping out the elements. In order to let in light and air, they used sheep shears to snip small openings in the skins. Like many folk arts, the practice was both functional and decorative. At some point, Polish women transferred their designs to paper.” – Maggie Holtzberg, Ph.D., State Folklorist, Massachusetts Cultural Council
Susan Urban taught art at Western Massachusetts Public Schools from 1978 until 2014. Now she teaches Polish folk art and culture at George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum and West Springfield Red Thread Network For The Arts.
MATERIAL LIST FOR WYCINANKI ZOOM WORKSHOP
Kits containing assorted colored paper and glue sticks will be available at the Library.
Paper
sizes- 8 1/2 x 11 sheets or 8” square sheets are fine,
quality needs to be lightweight such as copy paper or origami paper
Colors should include 1 or 2 sheets of black, 1 red and 4 additional colors of your choice
Staples has astro bright colored copy paper in assorted colors and they do home delivery. Your local craft stores also usually have origami paper sold in 8’ and assorted packages and most of them do home delivery.
If participants can not get out to purchase paper, they may use colors of their choice, although we will make a heart cutotut so red, pink or white would be preferable for that, and a rooster cutout so black, brown or red would be best for that, although I have also seen them done in one color, usually black, and white and they look fine also. I will show both color as well as black and white samples if people only have limited colors.
Other materials
small scissors embroidery scissors are best but not essential, standard school type scissors are fine
rulers, pencils and erasers
glue sticks