On November 5, the Poltava Art Museum (Art Gallery) named after Mykola Yaroshenko became a large-scale cultural and artistic venue for the All-Ukrainian Exhibition of Inclusive Art with a very eloquent and symbolic name “Spirit Strength”. The vernissage of the inclusive art exhibition was opened by the head of the Poltava regional branch of the All-Ukrainian Organization of Disabled People “Union of the Organization of Disabled People of Ukraine” Serhii Chumak; representatives of the delegation from Germany, led by the head of the public organization “Union of People with Disabilities” in Mecklenburg Hanni Rossek, who shared the main areas of cooperation with Ukrainian and German partners in science, education, and inclusive arts.
According to the director of the Poltava Art Museum (Art Gallery) named after Mykola Yaroshenko, art critic Olha Kurchakova, behind each work, each picture there is human fate, life full of challenges: “When I hear the word “inclusion”, before my eyes are living people, hundreds of exhibitions, charity events, thousands of stories that can serve as a living example for each of us. Thanks to caring people, their support and comprehensive help, talented people with special needs can realize themselves in sports, literature, art, and creativity. They, with a part of their heart and a passion for original art, create the artistic space that we talk so much about, that we dream of. For example, the most famous scientists also had their own characteristics, such as Albert Einstein, which did not prevent him from becoming a genius of his time. After all, everyone has a unique chance to realize themselves by trying something new and useful”.
The “Artsport” social project, launched by the head of the Poltava regional branch Serhii Chumak, contributes to the fact that people with special needs do not feel out of society, out of state, alone with themselves. It brought together like-minded people who seek to popularize different types of creativity and physical activity among people who look at the world from a special angle. The National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” joined the partnership collaboration within the project conducted within the framework of the signed cooperation agreement in research and education along with activities on inclusion and accessibility, and became a research partner of the project. The opening of the exhibition was attended by the head of the Department of Fine Arts, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the International Association of Critics and Art Critics in Paris AICA, Candidate of Art Tetiana Zinenko.
“I express my sincere gratitude to each of those who visited the opening of the exhibition, for your personal involvement and respect for young talents. For me personally, this is a great holiday, an opportunity to convey to the world the idea that there is always a way out, it is worth looking for it, testing yourself and overcoming a variety of factors – malaise, misunderstanding of others.
Today’s vernissage is a vivid testimony to how we work, literally in one breath; we are taking fast steps from idea to its realization. As happened, for example, with the social project “Artsport”, which quickly changed its status from national to international level. Thanks to our partners from Germany and personally Hanni Rossek, we managed to win this project, and we are the first in Ukraine, I am not afraid to say this, to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
I am extremely happy that I made my own efforts to open this exhibition and we saw each other not from the screens of gadgets, but could communicate, discuss the presented works and find some time for ourselves. What I saw here is just a small tip of the iceberg, the large-scale work that has been done in a few months. Here are exhibited works from Odessa, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Kharkiv regions as well as the capital itself. Knowing personally these authors, difficult conditions in which they create their masterpieces, I admire the true strength of their spirit, will and desire to give beauty to the world.
November 5 is now remembered as the day of creative rehabilitation of people with special needs. In addition, we hold festivals for artists, invite everyone interested, present their works and are proud of their victories,” – commented the Head of the Poltava regional branch of the All-Ukrainian Organization of the Disabled “Union of the Organization of the Disabled of Ukraine”, Serhii Chumak. He performed his creative gift at the end of his speech – the author’s song “Hope”, written back in 1996 about a better, happier fate, the words of which, of course, touched the hearts and souls of all present.
“Our organization does not yet have such a stable cultural and artistic tradition, however we do not stop there and adopt your experience as an example to follow. As part of our activities, we also work on the creative rehabilitation of people with special needs. We wish all of us further success!” – noted the head of the public organization “Union of People with Disabilities” in Mecklenburg, Hanni Rossek.
Young artists Veronika Diadiuk and Arina Kovalenko held a master class in painting for the guests of the event. A painting painted and hand-signed by Veronika Diadiuk with an image of a white dove on a yellow-blue background will soon travel to Germany and take an honorable place in the headquarters of the Public Institution “Union of People with Disabilities”.
The works of art will be exhibited for two weeks at the Poltava Art Museum (Art Gallery) named after Mykola Yaroshenko, and all the money raised from the sale of paintings will go to support the authors and the development of inclusive art.
Previously, the German delegation visited the Polytechnic within the framework of the “Artsport” project, and scientists along with rehabilitation specialists discussed the issues of people with disabilities rehabilitation.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
