The “ART TOURISM” Project Developer Galina V. Lekareva-Nikitina suggests to continue and perform the existing and acting since 1999 tourist program, connected with direct participation of painters in it.

This project purpose is to explore and praise in art the natural reserves of Ukraine, which are standing apart from the tourist itineraries.  Thus appears an opportunity to create an Art chronicles of Odessa Region and city of Odessa, and generally of the present day life, since the items of Art belong to history.

“ART TOURISM” is an acting project, which is being performed parallel to the ecological tourism. There were some actions made within the frames of the project: in 1999 a group of painters - members of Odessa Organization of  National Painters’ Union of Ukraine and members of ODESSA MARITIME ART ASSOCIATION participated in ecological and ethnographic expedition  on the Dniester Liman to the village of Krasnaya Kosa (Odessa region), having the purpose of learning of the ancient trade of making boats by hands, a trade which came to us from the past. Works of painting Art, which were made during the above expedition, were exhibited in Palace of Ukraine  within the frames of All-Ukrainian Show of Peoples’ Art in 2000 and were quite a success among the Kievans, who expressed the wish to enjoy the paintings in future and to have the project continued.

Gallery of the project

In 2000 Victor C. Poteryajko, Member of Odessa Organization of  National Painters’ Union of Ukraine, Vice Chairman of ODESSA MARITIME ART ASSOCIATION participated in ecological expedition in Batiliman ravine, the Crimea, a number of  drawings and paintings were made.

But the above actions take place only due to the personal enthusiasm of the painters, connected with looking for places of residence and other difficulties. This project offers an opportunity to develop the basis, premises for this tourism variety development in the places, mostly interesting for the ecological and painters’ expeditions, and to develop the Art-tourism as an international project, inviting painters from the whole of the world to participate in, having the international tourism, as it is, strengthened.

The project initiators offer to develop the Children’s Art Tourism within the frames of the project, since many talented children, students of art schools, participants of creative junior’s competitions as well as winners of the above competitions can be motivated (awarded) by the trips, nature reserves of Ukraine. The project founders believe that it will be useful, cognitive and educational moment, a basis for creation   of the international Museum of Juniors’ Creativity.

Further on one more tourist variety on the basis of  Kid’s tourism -  Family Tourism shall be developed.

Thus: “ART TOURISM” Project came true to life since 1999, realizes the human being potential by means of Fine Art, when the professional painters, having explored the historical and ethnographic materials, make trips to the most interesting places of Odessa region and Ukraine as regards history and nature,  work there on “plain air”, organize the on spot exhibitions and master-class training centers on the basis of local schools, take the junior painters to the  “plain air” trips. International Fine Art exhibitions are organized. The project is meant as an international one including participation of painters from different countries.

“ART TOURISM” works as per the ecological education strategy.

The project boosts the interest of the local residents to their own history, nature, changes the ecological and cultural life of the people (exhibitions, which were exhibited in the villages of Shabo, Vypasnoe, Krasnaya Kosa, Bazar’yanka, Sergeevka, Koktebel, Karolino-Bugaz, Zatoka; towns of Vilkovo, Belgorod Dnestrovsky, cities of Odessa, Kyiv, Ovideopol, Batiliman canyon (Crimea). 

Author of the project: Galina V. Lekareva-Nikitina   
Tel.:  (048) 7261343;   (066) 7482801
E-mail:  ; 

Co-author: Victor Poteriayko, vice president of the Marine painters’ Union
Tel.:  (0482) 372051;  (096) 5846371