Ruslan Tracz - Voices of a Nation - a wonderful exhibition

Ruslan Tracz's exhibition, Voices of a Nation (Inside the Orange Revolution) is a tour du force. It is a photo-journalistic exhibition of the inside story - and the story in the streets - of the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine.

There can be little that is more precious than democracy. A year ago, in the Ukraine, the future of democracy hung in the balance. Ruslan Tracz was there, taking it all in, and spent seven months in the Ukraine. He lived and breathed the events of the Orange Revolution and you can see it first hand - in his photos and the captions that go along with the photos.

There are those who listen now, a year later, to what is happening in the Ukraine. Life is not perfect. Loud voices speaking up about problems and difficulties are the voices of democracy. Ruslan, in opening the show, emphasized the importance of realizing that these voices might not have been able to speak up, as they are speaking now, if the democractic process had not triumphed in the Orange Revolution.

Ruslan's exhibition can be found at the Outworks Gallery at 290 McDermot (3rd floor). It is open from December 10-20, Monday to Friday noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

I have two further notes to share here. First, Ruslan mentioned that when he was in the Ukraine, he had an opportunity at one point to meet Adrienne Clarkson, then Governor-General of Canada. It was later reported to Ruslan that Adrienne commented to a friend "If I were his mother, I would make sure he cut his hair."

The second note is this. While he was working with me this past summer, Ruslan kept pestering me and pestering me to start a blog. He kept at it until I finally started one, so Ruslan is largely responsible for all this. Ruslan, some days I thank you - and some days, when I am tired at the end of a day, I have different words.

In the top photo, Naomi admires one of Ruslan's photos. In the bottom photo, Ruslan pauses during the packed reception to pose with me and Naomi.