Lithuanian Christmas tree features Ursula Astras’ handmade ornaments
Although all of our folk art workshops for this year were cancelled due to the Corona virus stay at home orders, Frederik Meijer Gardens was able to open its annual Metro Health Christmas and Holiday Traditions exhibition. Meijer Gardens’ theme this year focuses on the handcrafted symbols of beloved holiday traditions, so the Lithuanian Christmas tree with Ursula Astras’ handmade ornaments is getting a prominent spot right across from the library.
Astras family nieces decorate Lithuanian Christmas tree
Don Astras’ nieces, Elizabeth Geshel and her sister Katrina Meyers, had the honor of decorating the Lithuanian Christmas tree at Meijer Gardens. Each ornament was delicately assembled out of wheat or rye straw. It was an honor for the nieces because their Močiutė (grandmother) was the artist who handmade almost every ornament.
Corona stifles growing interest in folk art workshops
When the Corona virus pandemic arrived in Illinois this year, we could not teach egg decorating classes in Chicago because of the stay at home order. Little did we know that it would affect all of the other folk art workshops scheduled for the spring. We were hopeful that they would just be postponed. Unfortunately, the pandemic meant we wouldn’t be visiting the Balzekas Museum, Benedictine University or the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campuses.
All Egg and Straw Art Workshops cancelled
April 3 – Egg Decorating at Benedictine University
April 4 – Egg Decorating at Balzekas Museum
May 7 – Egg Decorating and Straw Ornament Making at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
December 5 – Straw Ornament Making at Balzekas Museum
We declined to conduct the future workshops via video conferencing because of the difficulty to do such a hands-on craft remotely. We hope that we won’t be sidelined by the pandemic next year. Until then, Linksmų Kalėdų (Merry Christmas)!