​More than Easter eggs

Mary Jo Cayley is easy to like and hard to describe. Her presence conveys enthusiasm, curiosity, joy. But she also conveys serenity and calmness. She will put you at ease in her Elm Street home studio or any place you encounter her. Warm, empathic, intelligent, and extremely talented, MaryJo is someone that it is easy to lose an afternoon with as she shows her many styles of Ukrainian eggs, cremation egg‐urns, other artwork, and recalls her experiences dancing, creating art, and exploring in her many travels around the world.

A collection of Mary Jo's eggs will display at the Spirit Room as part of the Great Crow Show reception, Saturday, March 26, from 5 ‐ 10 pm.

Her enthusiasm is palpable. As she describes her place in the world, "I feel like I'm joining the pioneers on the prairie, breaking ground. I like to gallop, cover ground, reach new territory and I want to experience the essentials of life on this journey."

She creates many types of art, but one of her current passions is the rediscovery of the ancient art of Pysanka, also known as Ukrainian egg decorating. Mary Jo has been decorating eggs in this way for over 32 years. Ukrainian eggs are typically decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a wax (batik) method. Scholars say that this art likely dates back to the pre‐Christian era. Although Mary Jo knows a great deal about the history of this art, she does not stick solely to the traditional Ukrainian images. Many of her egg designs draw on other cultures, such as Native American. She also has some more contemporary takes on the art. She decorates chicken, goose, and ostrich eggs and sells the eggs, priced based upon the artistic intricacy of the pattern.

Mary Jo explains that "traditionally, black and white decorated eggs were to honor departed souls. Today we still give thanks, we raise our hands and toast 'to all our relatives' ‐ to acknowledge and affirm those pioneers, mainly peasants, who have paved the way before us."

Mary Jo draws inspiration from many things in nature. On a recent trip to Hawaii, she swam with dolphins and sea turtles, and she explored Hawaii, taking her eggs with her. She wants to sell her eggs at The Death Store in Maui. She posits, "Who knows, maybe the ashes of my guru from the 60s, Ram Dass, the inspiring author of 'Be Here Now', will end up in a black and white ostrich egg urn of mine."

She is also inspired by the pioneer spirit and history, as she says, "My own great‐grandparents were farmers and homesteaded at Prairie Center Township in Walsh County. I feel a deep kinship to them and share a love of the soil and their daily toils of a lifetime living on the farm."

A deep curiosity and study of history, nature, and the sacred permeates Mary Jo's art, particularly her eggs. She jokingly says that she "could have a Phd in Egg Art History. Decorating eggs gives me the feeling not only of saying my prayers and reciting poems of respect but leaves me with a larger sense of the life and death cycle and a profound connection to the past. It's a sacred inexplicable reverence to something ancient we modern folks are rediscovering in our pursuit of happiness and purpose‐driven lives."

Mary Jo finds that the ancient art of Ukrainian egg decorating "gives me peace and teaches me patience." She beautifully describes the connection she feels between egg decorating and the universe: “I get to work with amazing vibrant colorful dyes and hold organic matter from nature itself. An egg is fragile, breakable and full of symbolism. The yolk of an egg is as yellow as the sun. The white of an egg is associated with the moon and the whole egg is considered the universe. Even the broken and cracked eggs are beautiful, a keepsake and talisman."

Mary Jo also gives egg oracle readings to people, where they select an egg that speaks to them: "That's the fun part, what I call storytelling, ancient art with an American twist. 2000 years ago, long before they could read or write, women told stories with pictures on the eggs."

Mary Jo's decorated Ukrainian egg display at the Spirit Room is just in time for Easter, and she welcomes people to contact her via phone or email to schedule a class in Ukrainian egg making and creating personalized custom egg urns, and also to view and purchase eggs she has created.

IF YOU GO

Great Winter Crow Show Reception, featuring MaryJo Cayley Egg Display

Reception: Saturday, March 26, 5‐ 10 p.m. and on display 25‐26

The Spirit Room, 111 Broadway N, gisselle@ideaone.net; Cell: 701‐237‐0230

Private lessons in Ukrainian Egg Making with Mary Jo Cayley

By appointment, at 702 Elm St N, Fargo

maryjocayley@yahoo.com, 701‐280‐0646