By Jondi Gumz
Capitola has something to look forward to: A new festival, Ukrainian Art in the Park, noon to 6 p.m Saturday, Aug. 26, two days after the Independence Day of Ukraine, at the Esplanade Park with art, music and “steppe” dance.
The spark for this event is Natalia Aandewiel, an accomplished young artist who with her family fled their home in Ukraine when Russia began its assault in February 2022. Now her family is in America, safe from the war, thanks to a couple who lives in Mount Hermon.
Natalia shared her story with Capitola-Soquel Times.
Natalia Aandewiel holds her painting of Capitola Village. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
She has an impressive collection of paintings created here: Capitola Village, Capitola Wharf (before the storm broke it), ocean scenes of Pleasure Point and West Cliff Drive, and the trails at Fall Creek.
Now 27, she was identified as gifted in art at age 10.
She attended a special school where three days were devoted to art instruction, and three days to other subjects.
She was able to bring only one work of art with her– one that hangs prominently in her current home in Aptos. This depicts Ukrainian Steppe, three couples clearly engaged in joyful movement.
Her family lived in Ivano-Frankivsk, near Kyiv.
Natalia said her family has no relatives in the U.S. but she had met Peter and Janet Payne at a three-day Christian conference in Germany in 2014. Peter had retired from the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and he and Janet started the Institute for Credible Christianity, traveling to Europe to help students follow Jesus.
Natalia gave the Paynes one of her watercolors and kept in touch for two years.
That communication had paused when out of the blue, four months before the war, she got an email asking: How are you doing?
Janet had found her website http://www.nataliaaandewiel.com with her email and reconnected.
“It’s all God’s grace and care for us,” Natalia said.
When the Russians attacked, Natalia thought it would last a week.
Her family stayed with friends.
The war did not end, and the family escaped to Poland.
Janet called: “If you need a place, come to us.”
Natalia said, “We feel such love from them.”
They were embraced by Peter’s brother John and his wife Modelle, who for years led Medical Ambassadors International, and their son Josh and his wife Sarean.
Natalia Aandewiel holds her painting of Fall Creek. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Natalia’s family includes her mother, Olga Ziniak, an obstetrician-gynecologist in her homeland, her father Vasyl, an engineer who started the Ukrainian Helpline, sister Yeva, who is 12, and brother Sava, who is 8.
Vasyl initially could not join them in Poland because of the Ukrainian requirement that all men stay and fight the Russians.
But he is here now.
The family has been in the U.S. for one year and four months, surviving one of the worst winter rainstorms ever.
They were living in a house on Glenwood when the storm topped trees which trapped them temporarily.
“We’ve moved six times already,” Natalia said.
Natalia’s siblings did not speak Engllsh when they first arrived — “now they speak better than me,” Natalia said.
John and Modelle introduced them to Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, and the family discovered Twin Lakes School, which provided a scholarship.
The school had an opening in second grade for Sava, but no opening in sixth grade for Yeva.
Miraculously, a seat became available, and brother and sister attended Twin Lakes together.
Last year, Natalia heard about the Capitola Plein Air Festival last November — she loves to paint outdoor scenes outside — and she connected with Laurie Hill, who runs the festival.
“Natalia lit up my heart when I met her and her family,” Hill said.
Their conversations led to Hill proposing Ukrainian Art in the Park to the Capitola Arts and Cultural Commission, which readily agreed to the new cultural event.
Natalia connected her with Ukrainian artists and the nonprofit Ukrainian Steppe.
Arts commissioner Mary Beth Cahalen is coordinating music and dance at the event.
Two weeks ago, Natalia and her family moved into a home near Cabrillo College. They are discovering places like Caroline’s and the Cabrillo Farmer’s Market.
Both Natalia and her father have cancer.
Her father’s diagnosis enabled him to come to the U.S. for medical treatment, and he spent Christmas, reunited with his family.
Natalia was diagnosed with lymphoma in January. She has finished all 12 chemotherapy treatments.
She feels fortunate to be alive.
She knows others her age who were killed in the war and others who lost arms or legs.
Whether her family will ever be able to return, no one knows.
Still, she has her painting of the Ukrainian dancers — ”it makes me feel like home.” n
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Ukrainian Art in the Park
Sunday Aug. 26 • Noon to 6 p.m.
Esplanade Park, Capitola • Free
Presented by Capitola Arts and Cultural Commission
Art by: Natalia Aandewiel, Lyna Couture clothing by Halyna, Leon Okun, who studied at St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Kassandra Struk, Lyudmina Kirrilova, Mykola Kulish wood art, Yeva Ziniak dance, macaroons from Sugar Bakery, Ukrainian Steppe, which offers min-tutorials on YouTube, and the local chapter of the Ukrainian National Women League of America.
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Top Photo: Natalia Aandewiel with a painting she made in Ukraine and one she made in Capitola Village. • Photos Credit: Jondi Gumz