In the metropolis of Calgary, in the Canadian province of Alberta, a historic premiere exhibition of the All-Ukrainian Project for young artists, “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI,” took place.
On August 18, 2026, the Calgary Central Library was filled with Ukrainian motifs, music, and the sincere imagination of young artists, expressed through a range of fine art techniques. A ceremonial presentation of part of the Project’s collection was held here—the first exhibition in Canada in the Project’s 15-year history.
This event became a significant step in the development of cultural diplomacy, uniting the Ukrainian and Canadian communities around the art of a new generation.
The host of the official presentation of “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” was the Art Director of the Project, PhD Andriy Sendetskyy, who emphasized in his speech: “For us, the ‘PROSTO NEBYLYTSI’ Project has never been merely a competition or an exhibition of children’s art. It is a meeting space—of a young artist with the viewer, of Ukraine with the world, of different cultures and different ways of seeing and understanding each other.” Dr. Sendetskyy was accompanied on stage by Calgary Opera actress Stefania Romaniuk.
The evening began with a symbolic unity of the two cultures through the performance of the national anthems of Ukraine and Canada by the local Ukrainian Choir “PEREVESLO” (Art Director Kateryna Sakson). Welcoming remarks to the attendees were delivered by Jody Crilly, Manager, Central Library, Kaia Vere from the Ward 7 Office, who is joining us today on behalf of Councilor Myke Atkinson, and Rowan Fisher, Member of the Advisory Council on Alberta-Ukraine Relations.
Over the fifteen years of its existence, the Project has traveled an eventful path, which you can read more about on the official website of the Project’s organizer, the Center for Cultural & Arts Initiatives, and the Project’s coordinator, the Lviv Regional Charitable Foundation TORBA. Of more than 13,000 works submitted from all regions of Ukraine, almost 2,000 have been included in the exhibition collection, which has previously been shown in over 20 countries worldwide. Dr. Sendetskyy urged the guests to view the exposition not merely as artworks but to see Ukraine through the eyes of its younger generation.
The importance of the Project extends beyond its creative component. As noted by the Academic Director, Professor Oleh Bolyuk, Doctor of Art Studies, the initiative has a profound educational and research mission. Through art, young people learn to observe, think, and freely express their own observations. Special attention is given to supporting gifted children deprived of parental care and youth with special needs. In his speech, Professor Bolyuk emphasized that amid the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, such support for talent is critical to preserving the cultural future.
The evening’s program was harmoniously complemented by musical accents. In addition to the “PEREVESLO” choir, the Children’s Choir “SOLOVEYKO” (Art Director Lesia Stefaniv) treated guests to a performance of the composition “The Strength of Our Heritage.”
A distinct symbol of strong Canadian-Ukrainian ties was the presence at the presentation of Keith Murray, an artist from Calgary who became the first representative of Canada when they served as a member of the Project’s international qualification board in 2024.
After the official part concluded, the guests had the opportunity to take a closer look at the exposition, the core of which consisted of 67 works by young Ukrainian artists. Exhibited alongside them were the watercolor “Heart of Gold” by a member of the Project’s 2025 international qualification board, Belgian artist Rita Dauchot, and the dry pastel artwork “Clouds of a Pot” by the Project’s Academic Director, Oleh Bolyuk.
A unique chronicle of the development of “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” was showcased in the exposition through a collection of the Project’s annual catalogs from 2013 to 2025, as well as a collection of special postage stamps issued by Ukrposhta from 2016 to 2025 featuring images of fragments of the participants’ artworks.
While viewing the exhibition, guests interacted informally with the organizers. They shared their impressions of the featured pieces, while Halychyna Plyatsok (Galician cake) and traditional uzvar added a distinct Ukrainian flavor to the evening. The “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” exhibition will be on display in the Art Gallery of the Calgary Central Library throughout August 2026.
Continuing the mission of civil society cultural diplomacy and, above all, fostering international cultural dialogue, the Project presents Ukraine to the Canadian audience through the talent, imagination, artistic language, and worldview of its younger generation.
