Lyuba Prusak

There is always a sadness when an artist passes away, a remorse for what might have been had their life continued on. Who takes care of the art and the artist’s reputation after that? If the artist had a career with gallery and museum exhibitions, with scholarly assessments and critical praise, and with works in private and public collections, the job is relatively easy. Typically, heirs of the artist keep the memory of the artist alive by encouraging exhibitions and reappraisals. Many artist’s estates have more works in them than a family can display, more opportunities for surprising viewers with works new to them than can typically be managed. Full credit, then, to Bronia Nibley, the daughter of the artist Lubya Prusak, for inviting the public into her home to see the works of her mother, who died in 2010. For Utah viewers, many of these works will be new to them.

An earlier version of this article erred in retelling the story of Prusak, whose dramatic story during WWII is heartbreaking and yet powerful. A fuller, richer description of her story can be found on the artist’s website. It is easy to become swept up in drama when the facts of a life are beautiful, hopeful, and full of creative milestones, as was this artist. Lyuba Prusak’s work is largely based on the figure and is primarily sculpture. Of her work, she wrote, “…Those motifs, transformed through the individual spiritual visions concerning new aspects of the world, and blended together with echoes of poetic imagery have created an instant, direct impact on the human soul and contributed considerably to the widely enlarged picture of the present.”

An open house exhibition of her work will take place at the residence of Paul and Bronia Nibley in Provo, Utah, September 23-24.