On December 8, 2016, on the birthday of a prominent painter and pedagogue O.Osmerkin, a traditional events on the occasion of awarding of the laureates of Regional Award in fine arts and study of art named after Olexander Osmerkin 2016 took place in O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum.
   This prestigious art prize was founded by Kirovohrad Regional Council in 2005 on application of Kirovohrad Regional Organization of the National Union of artists of Ukraine and is being awarded in three nominations: "national tradition", "modern tendencies", "study and history of arts".
   This year laureates of the award became: in nomination "national tradition" teacher at the Department of Fine Art of Kirovohrad Children’s School of Arts, painter L.Yakovleva, in nomination "modern tendencies" painter V.Ostroukhov, in nomination "study and history of arts" owner of a private gallery “Elisavetgrad”, Merited member of the National Union of artists of UkraineM.Tsukanov.
   First deputy head of Kirovohrad Regional State Administration S.Kovalenko gave diplomas of standard form, breastplates of laureate of the award, honorary prize of Regional Council and Regional State Administration - statuette of "Steppe eagle" and pecuniary reward to the laureates.
   Letters of commendation from Kirovohrad Regional Council were received by other nominees for the award – painter from Yuzhnoukrainsk, Mykolaiv region,member of the National Union of artists of Ukraine M.Achkasova, who took part in the competition in the nomination “national tradition’, and contenders in the nomination "study and history of arts" - deputy head of Kirovohrad regional organization “Association of Polish journalists” named after Karol Szymanowski, , member of the editorial board of the magazine “Museums of Ukraine” A.Avdieiev and head of the research department of the Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine (Kyiv) I.Bosa.
   Deputy Mayor of Kropyvnytskyi N.Dzuba and head of Regional Organization of the National Union of artists of Ukraine A.Khvorost made congratulatory speeches. A nice musical greeting was performances of pupils and teachers of Music School №1 named after H.Neuhaus and Musical Department of Children’s School of Arts.
   The laureate of the award M.Tsukanov mentioned in his speech that his pecuniary reward he gives to Children’s Art School named after O.Osmerkin for purchasing easels, also he gifted watercolours from the series “Kirovohrad region” by Odessa artist, Merited Artist of Ukraine A.Kravchenko to O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum, Regional Art Museum and Regional Universal Scientific Library named after D.Chyzhevskyi.
   And head of the Fine Art Department of Children’s School of Arts, member of the National Union of artists of Ukraine Yu.Vintenko gave the museum a unique publication-album – Liudmyla Usoltseva “Aleksander Osmerkin”. Series “Mass library in art”. – Leninhrad: “Hudozhnik RSFSR”, 1978.
   After the festivities all the present viewed the exposition of the memorial hall of the museum and the exhibition of the works by this year laureates of the award – paintings and graphic works of  L.Yakovleva from the personal exhibition “Romantic palette of  Larysa Yakovleva”, dedicated to the 70th anniversary, and paintings of   V.Ostroukhov, the majority of which are from the series “Old town”, created during the last two years within the framework of joint art project of the gallery “Elisavetgrad” and the author. The works brightly reflect creative style of each painter.