In the centre of Gomel, in a two-storeyed residence there is an art gallery. The picturesque court yard with set of flowers and green plantings allows visitors of the gallery to be completely involved into atmosphere of fine arts.
Art gallery is named after the National artist of Belarus, the professor, the Academician of painting who has created a set of pictures, graphic and monumental works of art. The career of Gabriel Vaschenco, undoubtedly, has affected the whole Belarusian art. It is proved by the highest state awards and ranks. Among them: National artist of Belarus, the Honored worker of arts, the laureate of the State award of Belarus. The creativity of G. Vaschenco has been recognised not only in our country, but also abroad.
International Biographical Center twice named him as “The person of the year” in 1992 and 1994. In 1993 he was given with the rank of “The person of the 20-th century”. In 1995 he was awarded with the medal of Francisk Skarina.
The International Cambridge Biographic Center gave Gabriel Vaschenco the rank “Person of the 20-th century” and "Person of the year ' 92". The American Biographic institute named him as "Person of the year ' 92" and awarded with a medal "Honor 2000". In 1999 Vaschenco was chosen as a member of Board of directors of the American Biographic Institute.
The art gallery was opened on February, 5th, 2002. It was gratitude of the city for gift of 50 pictures which became a basis of fund of the gallery. The wife of the artist, Matilda Vaschenco presented the city with the collection of 70 works of art by modern Belarusian artists, friends and pupils of Gabriel Vaschenco. Now the gallery collection is being constantly refilled with works by exposed artists.
Initiators of creation of the gallery in 2001 were the chairman of the Gomel regional executive committee Alexander Yakobson and the chairman of the Gomel municipal executive committee Leonid Barabanov. The department of culture of the Gomel municipal executive committee and Municipal deputies council took great part in the creation of the gallery.
The gallery exhibition area is more than 500 м2.
In 2009 another branch of the gallery (Gomel, Lenin avenue, 43) was opened.
The gallery, undoubtedly, brought new ideas in a cultural life of the city and gave the chance to hold exhibitions of the highest level.
Art gallery by Gabriel Vaschenco has become not just the basic Gomel showroom, today it is a real cultural centre which carries out various activities.
The main activity of the gallery is carrying out of exhibitions of the fine arts. The main approach in its work is to exhibit art of invariably high level. Every year the gallery holds about 30 exhibitions, both in own halls, and outside the gallery, including other countries. The exhibitions shown in the gallery include practically all genres of the modern art from classical realism and to abstract conceptual installations. The geography of exhibitions is also rather wide. In gallery the exhibitions from Germany (projects made in cooperation with Goethe Institute in Minsk), from China (exhibition «Modern Chinese water colour", " Silk garden", "Painting of modern Chinese students", "China. 30 degrees of northern width»), from Mexico (exhibition «Light and colour (photographers of state of Veracruz)»), from France («Photo exhibition devoted to Paris», Michel Reno's personal exhibition), from Armenia («Modern Armenian artists»), from the Ukraine (the exhibition of the Ukrainian artists devoted to year of Taras Shevchenko, “Female image through centuries (painting XVII-XIX centuries from Chernigov regional art museum)»), from Russia (exhibition of students of Academy of Repin, «Nikolay Roerich", "Itinerant art accusation XXI-st century (St.-Petersburg)», painting by Antonina Krivichanina etc.) from Poland («the Polish portrait (Kshishtov Geraltovski)»), from Latvia (art-project «Glejna»), from Sweden (photo-exhibition by Ents Olaf Lasthejn « White sea - Black sea») were held. Visiting big international exhibitions visitors of gallery have possibility to learn creativity of the Belarusian artists, as masters of republican level (G. Vaschenco, A. Kishchenko, V. Tsvirko, V. Sharangovich, N. Kazakevich, Z. Litvinova, S. Timohov, R. Landarsky, V. Vishnevsky, P. Semchenko, etc.), and young artists. In the gallery there are often exhibitions from the biggest Belarusian museums: «Fernan and Nadia L?ger» (from National art museum), «Mark Shagal and the Bible", "Mark Shagal and artists of European avant-garde» (from Museum of Mark Shagal), «Modern Belarusian artists» (from Museum of modern fine arts) etc. In 2007 the first exhibition from the gallery was held abroad. Within the Program of cooperation of frontier areas of Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine "Euroregion "Dnepr", with the support of Embassy of Belarus in Ukraine and Embassy of Ukraine in Belarus, in Gomel there were exhibited painting of XVII - XIX centuries (from funds of Chernigov regional art museum), and exhibition «Earth under white wings» (G. Vaschenco , S. Kurashova, L. Zueva) from funds of Art gallery by Gabriel Vaschenco visited Chernigov.
Art gallery by Gabriel Vaschenco with GomelSportService Ltd. and Gomel art college in memory of Gomel artist Stanislav Djakonov organizes annual regional contest of child art.
In 2008 the international Slavic art camp devoted to 65 anniversary of liberation of Gomel from fascist aggressors, that united artists from Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia was organized by the gallery.
Besides exhibition activity, various cultural events are held in the gallery. The lecture hall has multimedia equipment for lectures, concerts, celebrations and meetings with artists. The new project of the gallery «Salon meetings» lets visitors meet various creative people, such as artists, musicians, poets etc. For example within this program the line of actions for women "Informal conversation" is held. It helps to acquaint creative women among themselves.
The wide resonance was given to social cultural project of the gallery «Road to the art world». Within this project the specialists of the gallery visit prisons with lectures about fine arts and some prisoners are awarded to visit the gallery. The gallery actively co-operates with inspections on juvenile delinquency.
In gallery the art shop was opened. At the moment it offers the great variety of works of art and goods for artists: from paints to works by Gabriel Vaschenco. The fine arts of all possible techniques and the genres are presented at the art shop. It can satisfy the taste of a most particular visitor. The flexible price policy has allowed to provide a wide choice of professional products in a wide price range. There is a new service of creating painting specially for the order of visitors.
There is a service of registration of permission to export the products of the modern fine arts (in Department of cultural values transportation at the Ministry of culture of Republic Belarus) for foreign citizens and the persons leaving abroad.
Operating schedule of the gallery is as much as possible adapted for convenience of visitors. The gallery works daily from 10.00 till 19.00 without breaks and days off.
State enterprise «Art gallery by Gabriel Vaschenco»
Belarus
246017, Gomel, Karpovicha St. 4
Tel. (+ 375-232)777-473, (+375-232) 777-520
fax (+375-232) 777-412
E-mail: art_gallery@tut.by
