North Bay art show featuring Ukrainian paintings to raise funds for front line defenders in Ukraine

An art show in North Bay next week is raising money for the war effort in Ukraine and to supply soldiers on the front lines.

Cindie D’Agostino and Lori Burns are awed and inspired by the artwork on the wall at a Fisher Street law office.

As they walked along, the two friends stopped and pointed out and talked about the colours and style of the art. The canvases were painted by Ukrainians.

The pair co-founded, The Vest Project, a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to supplying non-lethal protective gear and emergency equipment to Ukraine’s dedicated defenders.

“Donations, they still come in regularly,” said D’Agostino.

“We're at over $100,000 in purchases."

 The Vest Project is partnering with another charitable organization called the Kolo Fund.

The Kolo Fund donated 27 paintings to be sold to raise money needed for Ukrainian soldiers – with three of the paintings already purchased.

“The artwork, they're all done by world-renowned Ukrainian artists,” said Burns.

“These artists have their works in galleries around the world and in private collections. These artworks serve as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people.”

Andriy Chebotaru is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and some of his artwork is being sold as part of the North Bay art show next week in support of Ukraine. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)Both charities worked with a group known as the National Union of Artists of Ukraine to bring the paintings from the war-torn country to Canada.

Andriy Chebotaru is one of the members of the artists' union and has a few pieces from his art collection on the wall that will be up for sale. One of his pieces is actually owned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is often seen hanging in his office.

“Thank you to all of our volunteers and our Canadian friends and our artists for their participation in this very important cause,” he said from Kyiv, Ukraine in a video submitted to CTV News.

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The show is called ‘Exploring the Colours of Ukraine: A Celebration of Creative Diversity, Fortitude, Hope, and Inspiration for the Future.’

“We’re firmly against war anywhere. Other wars are happening now and it’s a sad situation,” said Burns, acknowledging the ongoing fighting and tensions between Israel and Hamas.

“Unfortunately, this Russian invasion of Ukraine is still happening. We didn’t think it would go on this long.”

All of the proceeds from the sales go back to The Kolo Fund to purchase non-lethal equipment. In particular, the country is in need of parts to be used to manufacture drones.

“It's specifically for surveillance because they don’t have an air force and this is their air force,” said D’Agostino.

The show is scheduled for Oct. 26 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the D'Agostino & Associates offices on Fisher Street.

For more information on 'The Vest Project,' visit their website.

Cindie D’Agostino and Lori Burns are co-founders of The Vest Project and are now hosting an art show in support of Ukraine's front line. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)