Alla Rogers

My Ukrainian heritage has been a constant reminder of the gifts my ancestors gave me: love of beauty and tradition, respect for the sacrifice and endurance of my ancestors, hope, faith, and courage to face the unknown and dare to succeed, gratitude for a sense of belonging to Ukraine, the United States and humanity.

Alla Rogers

Alla Rogers is an American artist of Ukrainian descent, art critic, writer, gallery owner, and organizer of art projects and events. She is the director of the Arts & Culture Impact Fund and international relations at The Global Peace Education Network (GPEN) since 2021, President of the Art Dealers Association of Greater Washington (2002-2003), member of the Georgetown Business Association and the National Press Club’s Committee of International Correspondents.

Alla Bilyaiva (artist’s maiden name) was born on July 17, 1947, in Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany, to Ukrainians who were deported to Germany during World War II. Her father, Volodymyr Bilyaiv, was a Ukrainian poet and journalist who later became the director of the Ukrainian Service of the Voice of America. From 1949, the family lived in Australia; in 1954, they moved to the United States. In Philadelphia, Alla attended an American school, gymnasium, Ukrainian school, and ballet classes there. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts and from George Washington University with a Master of Arts. 

She worked at the Slavic Division of the Library of Congress and George Washington University for some time. She authorized several publications in leading American and diaspora magazines: Washington Post, Washington Times, Ukrainian Weekly, etc.

However, the main business of her life has been fine art, in which she has proven herself both as an artist and a manager. As an artist, Alla Rogers combines acrylic with gold and silver leaf, experimenting with geometric shapes and colors. Her works are philosophical, meditative, and reflective of life, time, and space. She had her first solo exhibition in 1989 and has participated in many group projects, including in Ukraine (she exhibited her paintings at the National Art Museum of Ukraine and had a joint exhibition with Yevgeniy Prokopov).

In 1976, she founded Rogers & Associates, a public relations and artistic company with her husband, Warren Rogers. In 1990, she opened her gallery, Alla Rogers Gallery, to promote the work of artists from Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, providing art consulting services and organizing exhibitions. During its activity (until 2020), Ms. Rogers managed hundreds of exhibitions of American and Eastern European artists.

Ms. Rogers  continues to assist American and Ukrainian artists and gallerists in creating collections, art appreciation, and cultural tourism. She actively supports Ukraine through art, humanitarian projects, and public appearances and interviews in leading American media, calling for increased assistance to Ukraine in the face of the Russian-Ukrainian war. “Putin expected to go into the Ukraine without a fight. Anyone who knows the people of Ukraine knows that’s never going to happen,” Alla Rogers said.