On March 6, 2019, O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum hosted a theme exhibition “Shevchenkiana in Vasyl Khvorost’s Ex-Libris” dedicated to the 205th anniversary of the Great Kobza Player.
    The exhibition presents graphic works by Vasyl Khvorost, a well-known Ukrainian artist and pedagogue, Merited Worker of Culture of Ukraine (1936-2014). The works were given to the museum collection by his son Andrii Khvorost after the exhibition “With Cutter and Brush” that was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the artist in the museum in 2016.
    Vasyl Khvorost was born in Rostov oblast (Russia). After graduation from Lviv Polygraphic Institute named after I.Fedorov in 1967, he stayed in Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk City (now Dnipro). Was engaged in creative and pedagogical work, taught special subjects, and was a director of Dnipropetrovsk State Art College named after Ye.Vuchetych, now Dnipropetrovsk College of Theater and Art between 1983 and 1988. A participant of republican, all-Union, all-Ukrainian, international, foreign art exhibitions. His personal exhibitions were shown in Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, and Germany. Creative works are kept in the leading Ukrainian museums – the National Museum of History of Ukraine during World War II and Museum of Book and Publishing of Ukraine in Kyiv, the National Historical Museum named after D.Yavornytskyi and Art Museum in Dnipro, in private galleries in Ukraine and abroad. A laureate of the award of All-Ukrainian Charity Culture and Science Fund named after T.H.Shevchenko. Vasyl; Khvorost’s name is among three Ukrainian graphic artists that were included in the 18th volume of the European Encyclopedia of ex-libris, published in Portugal.
    His whole life the artist had been interested in the life of Ukrainian Poet, was among the founders of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Club of ex-libris and graphics Kobzar, and has been its head for more than 30 years. For many years, has been working as a leading artist in All-Ukrainian State Publishing House “Sich” in Dnipropetrovsk, designed and illustrated more than 400 books. Was a compiler of the album “Shevchenkiana in ex-libris”, which was published in Ukraine for the first time in 1993 in Ukrainian, English, German, and French. The album presents more than 250 works by 73 artists from different countries. Vasyl Khvorost also compiled the catalog Shevchenkiana that was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Kobza Player. It includes paintings and graphic works, many ex-libris from the artist’s private collection. Unfortunately, this album was the last compiled by the talented graphic artist whose life ended abruptly in 2014, when the poet’s anniversary was celebrated.