On December 8, 2020, on the birthday of an outstanding painter and pedagogue Oleksandr Osmerkin, the laureates of the Regional Award in Fine Art and Study of Art named after Oleksandr Osmerkin received their awards.
    In 2020, the diplomas, pecuniary reward, award pin of the laureate of the award, the honorary prize of Regional Council and Regional State Administration a statuette of "Steppe Eagle" were received by a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine Oleksandr Demydenko in the nomination “national tradition” for the creation of monumental paintings of the altar in St.Volodymyr Cathedral in the town of Kropyvnytskyi, a painter Volodymyr Ostroukhov in the nomination “modern tendencies” for the series of the works of the recent years, and the art historian Olena Hurenko in the nomination “study and history of art” for the book “Tree of life of Nadiia Padurska: a sketch of life and work of the artist”.
    Due to the lockdown in Ukraine to prevent the spread of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19 and due to the restrictions on mass events, the awarding was held in the Museum of Arts at the same time as the awarding of the Regional Award in Culture “Spiritual Treasure of Kirovohrad region” to the scientists, experts in library science, and musicians among whom are artistic director of Kropyvnytskyi chamber orchestra “Concertino” Merited Arts Worker Nataliia Khilobokova.
    The head of the Regional Council Oleksandr Chornoivanenko handed the awards to the laureates. The director of the Museum of Art Tetiana Tkachenko presented the laureates with the museum souvenirs – branded cups and a set of postcards “The atrical shine of Steppe Hellas in the Museum of Art collection”.
    During the event the laureates of the awards thanked for the acknowledgement of their work. The director of Adzhamka Retirement home “Cozy Home” Valeriia Kryvoshapka made a speech on the behalf of the painter Volodymyr Ostroukhov. In autumn, an improvised personal exhibition of the artist’s paintings was organized in the retirement home. The art historian Olena Hurenko told about the research of the creative work of a modern Ukrainian unique artist Nadiia Padurska and mentioned that her art research paper she dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Art School named after O.O.Osmerkin where she had been working as a teacher for more than 50 years. And the painter Oleksandr Demydenko thanked the fate for the opportunity to create monumental paintings in a church which is located in the center of Kropyvnytskyi and is a monument of history and architecture.
    The director of the Regional Universal Scientific Library named after D.I.Chyzhevskyi Valentyna Zhyvotovska, the director of Art School named after O.O.Osmerkin Hanna Tymofiienko, and the director of the publishing house TOV “Imeks’LTD” Tamara Samyliak congratulated and expressed her sincere wishes to the laureates of the award.
    The director of O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum Vita Chernova congratulated the laureates of the award, thanked the colleagues for the exposition of the works by Oleksandr Osmerkin which was organized by the Art Museum staff in the exhibition hall to the anniversary of the painter, announced the presentation of the online exhibition of the drawings “Creative still life” by the pupils of Art School named after O.O.Osmerkin at the museum website, and presented everyone with the flowers.
    Everyone enjoyed the concert performance of the teachers from the Music School No.1 named after Heinrich Neuhaus, which was organized by the director of the school Yevheniia Maliavkina.
    A traditional photoshoot of the laureates of the award near the exposition of the paintings by Oleksandr Osmerkin was really symbolic.