There's something about a child's drawing that hits you in the gut. Raw. Unfiltered. No adult sensibilities getting in the way.

Now imagine those drawings coming from kids who've watched their world explode—literally. That's what you'll encounter at URGENT's upcoming exhibition at the Cleveland based art event hosted by 78th Street Studios.

When the bombs started falling across Ukraine, most kids lost their childhoods overnight. But somehow, remarkably, they held onto their pencils. Their paint brushes. Their need to make sense of the senseless through art.

"These aren't just pictures," says Alex Toporovskiy, founder of URGENT, his voice catching slightly as he adjusts a frame. "Each canvas carries a story that most adults couldn't bear to tell. But children? They find a way. They always find a way."

The exhibition, taking place on April 18, 2025 will showcase 4 select pieces from a collection of 90 original works created by Ukrainian children aged 5 to 16. These young artists have expressed their experiences, fears, and hopes through art during one of the most difficult periods in their country's history. Their powerful visual stories speak volumes about resilience in the face of unimaginable circumstances.

Take 16-year-old Arina Yaroshenko's haunting oil painting simply titled "Children."

Originally from occupied Berdiansk but now studying in Bila Tserkva, Arina captures the moment many Ukrainian families dread—evacuation. The nearly monochromatic canvas shows a child's face pressed against a vehicle window marked with "ДЕТИ" (Children), a desperate plea for safety that has tragically proven ineffective too many times.

The painting's power lies in its restraint. The child's eyes—questioning, reproachful—do all the talking. Will they survive? Will anyone hear them? The sparse color palette only intensifies the emotional punch.

Then there's 9-year-old Margarita Horbatyuk's vibrant painting "Guests from Space."

Created at Bila Tserkva Children's Art School, this imaginative piece shows a fish-like creature soaring over a sleeping Ukrainian city. Two young astronauts stand on its back, smiling as they gaze at the buildings below.

The poignancy lies in the contrast. In this child's imagination, nighttime visitors bring wonder, not terror. The cosmic guardians protect children's dreams—dreams that in reality are shattered nightly by air raid sirens and explosions across Ukraine. Through her decorative color palette and magical scenario, Margarita creates the peaceful night that has been stolen from her generation.

Every piece tells a similar story of loss, resilience, and the stubborn persistence of hope in impossible circumstances. And every purchase directly funds URGENT's critical medical initiatives throughout Ukraine.

Since February 2022, URGENT has dispatched 56,000 pounds of medical supplies, provided over 16,000 pieces of aid equipment and impacted more than 1 million lives.

The organization is preparing to send another truckload of life saving medical supplies on April 2nd.

"Decades of working with nonprofits has taught me that healing comes in many forms," says Patti Gold, URGENT's Community Outreach coordinator. "These young artists remind us that even in unimaginable circumstances, the human spirit finds ways to express itself. Their courage inspires our work every day, and I hope it will inspire Cleveland to stand with Ukraine too."

Beyond medical aid, there are several complementary programs that visitors can learn about at the exhibition. The Open Dialogue initiative creates communication channels between students across the globe. The Special Needs program focuses on children with disabilities who face unique challenges during the war. 

The doors open Friday, April 18 from 5pm-9pm at 78th Street Studios (1300 W 78th St, Cleveland).

URGENT will have a booth at the event where visitors can participate in a silent auction to acquire the artwork. While the young artists themselves won't be present, their powerful voices come through clearly in every brushstroke and color choice.

Admission is free, though donations are welcomed. All proceeds from the silent auction will support URGENT's programs.

When you stand before these works, you're not just looking at art. You're bearing witness. You're acknowledging stories that would otherwise go untold. You're saying to these children: I see you. I hear you. You matter.

In a world drowning in headlines and numbing statistics about the war, these personal expressions cut through the noise. They remind us that behind every number is a child whose world has been shattered—but whose spirit remains fiercely, stubbornly intact.

It's not about the art, really. It's about the voices. And they're asking us to listen.

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