Gallery
Immigrating City
Chicago, 2007
Immigrating City puts Chicago in the limelight along with many of its notable icons: The El, Lake Michigan, the city’s diversity, and even biking culture.
Die, Mauer
(Chicago, 2009) 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall—Harper College, DANK Haus German Cultural Center
Originally commissioned by Harper College, this installation titled "Die, Mauer," commemorates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It is currently housed at Chicago's DANK-Haus German Cultural Center.
Transparency Projects
(NYC, 2011) 25th Anniversary of Chernobyl—KGB Bar, National Arts Club, New York Post
Exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl promoting active democracy and transparency as tools that empower individuals within their political systems. On display at NYC's KGB Bar through June 2011. Her portrait of Malcolm X is part of the collection at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Center in Washington Heights, in the Audubon Theater where Dr. X was assassinated.
Spoils of War: Ode to a Refusenik Mother
(NYC, 2012) Tablet Magazine, National Arts Club, Franklin Park Reading Series
“Spoils of War” is a poem illustrated by a series of panels commemorating the artist’s mother’s 1988 immigration from the Soviet Union to Chicago. The poem, published originally in Tablet Magazine and then presented together with the panels at an exhibition at the National Arts Club, is now available as an illustrated monograph at local bookstores and on Amazon.
Selections of panels below.
Imported Produce: Fruit Mural Panels
(NYC, 2023-2025) Uptown Grand Central, Harlem
“imported produce” is a metaphor for immigrants in a city. It is a kiwi, repainted at this grand scale on one panel, with an accompanying series of new original produce pieces paying homage to the fruit exported from the origin countries of uptown immigrant groups of Latin American, middle eastern, African origins—in fact all of the following fruits are grown and exported from all these origin regions, including my native Ukraine and Middle East, representing a shared identity as “immigrants.”
East harlem mural #2: approaching eachother with our hearts
(NYC, 2025-2027) Uptown Grand Central, Harlem
It is said that dogs are the only animals that make all their decisions from the heart. What can we learn from our companions to guide our interactions with each other as New York City neighbors?
This second contribution to the two-year Uptown Grand Central group art show features the artist’s two uptown and Bronx dogs: Squirt of Washington Heights and East Harlem, and Snacks of the Bronx.
magazine illustrations
(NYC, 2010-2019) Tablet Magazine and others
As contributing artist and editor at various publications in New York and Los Angeles, Margarita's art illustrates a variety of ethnic, arts and culture, and political stories.
Los Angeles' Bluecanvas Magazine, a quarterly publication now out of print, featured several of her articles during Margarita's tenure as contributing editor. Her interview with Milton Glaser was accompanied by her illustration of the graphic design guru.
National Magazine Award-winning Tablet Magazine regularly features Margarita's illustrations, including the Leonard Cohen-approved portrait of Leonard Cohen below.
From 2010 to 2012, Margarita was giving Jewcy.com the pop treatment as art director of the daily online Jewish culture site.
As 2011-2012 art director at Vol1Brooklyn.com, NYC's online literary magazine based in BK, Margarita's art appeared in the form of illustrations for the Sunday Story series as well as in daily posts.
