Orland Park Public Library Hosts Artist of the Month: Peter Bosy

The Orland Park Public Library will feature local artist Peter Bosy's Immigrants Journey exhibit as its November Artist of the Month. The exhibit shares the story of Bosy's parents' journey from Ukraine to Germany, Canada and ultimately the United States, documenting their experiences from 1942 through 1969.Through original government documents, photographs and personal letters, the exhibit offers a deeply personal look at one family's experiences during World War II, immigration, and the pursuit of a new life in America.

Bosy's parents, Michael Bosyj and Eugenia Lopashchuk, were born in Ukraine in 1924. As teenagers during World War II, both were forcibly removed from their homes and made to work as laborers on German farms. After the war, they independently selected Canada as their destination and eventually met in Quebec. They married in 1950 and settled in Windsor, Ontario, where they began building their life together.

Subscribe

After securing visas, the couple immigrated to Chicago in 1954 with help from relatives. They settled in the Brighton Park neighborhood, where they raised their two sons. In 1967, they became naturalized American citizens and simplified their family name from "Bosyj" to "Bosy" to make it easier to pronounce.

Bosy began organizing and cataloging his family's historical materials during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, he scanned the original documents, photographs and letters featured in the exhibit. To help interpret and translate selected handwritten German-language government documents, he also used artificial intelligence tools, combining modern technology with historical records to tell his family's story.

"This project has blended old and new technologies to result in an authentic profile of one couple's journey from immigrants to documented American citizens," Bosy explained in his artist statement.

The exhibit is dedicated to Bosy's parents and their support throughout his life. The November presentation holds special significance, as his father's birthday would have been Nov. 11, 2026, marking his 102nd birthday.

Immigrants Journey will be on display throughout November during regular library hours. A Meet the Artist event will offer community members an opportunity to connect with Bosy and learn more about the exhibition. The event is open to the public, and no registration is required.

The Orland Park Public Library is located at 14921 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. Library hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.