An exhibition of children's drawings from the international charity project "Children Greet Children" has opened at the Belarusian Puppet Theatre "Lyalka" in Vitebsk, reports BELTA correspondent.
An exhibition of children's drawings from the international charity project "Children Greet Children" has opened at the Belarusian Puppet Theatre "Lyalka" in Vitebsk, reports BELTA correspondent.
The exhibition features 37 works by orphans, children with disabilities, from large and foster families, and other children aged 9 to 13. Participants in the project include pupils from auxiliary school No. 26 in Vitebsk, an orphanage, and the regional palace of children and youth, who worked with German artist Matthias Jurke from October 23 to 26. For many years, he has been conducting master classes and helping children in Germany, Poland, Romania, Israel, Ukraine, and Moldova take their first steps in drawing. Traditionally, the guest takes several works with him to Germany to present them at exhibitions.
"Art erases borders between children from different countries, helping them to communicate. For me, all children are the same, and all are artists," noted Matthias Jurke.
He added that he had long dreamed of visiting the homeland of Marc Chagall and that he really liked Vitebsk. The artist plans to visit the city on the Dvina again next year, but for a longer period, and to work with older children.
The exhibition will be open until November 9.
The charity project "Children Greet Children" was launched in Belarus in 2012 at the invitation of the Belarusian Children's Fund. Its main idea is the creative development of orphans and children with disabilities, and the communication of children and adults through creativity. The project is implemented by Matthias Jurke, a German publicist and volunteer, head of the international association of artists Atelier of art. He conducts master classes, teaching techniques for working with acrylic paints on wood and with soft stone. Over the six years of the project, about 200 orphans and children with disabilities from Minsk, Babruysk, Osipovichi, Lida, Grodno, Vitebsk, and other cities of Belarus have participated in master classes by Matthias Jurke and members of the international association of artists Atelier of art. The children also visited Germany, where they engaged in creative activities with German schoolchildren, got acquainted, communicated, and learned to discover beauty in simple things.