Ivan

May 24, 2022

This is Ivan from Ukraine, and he was my last student of the day. We sat quietly painting together, sharing our love for art. I could tell we were connecting even though few words were spoken. Later, while I was trying to navigate the city of Krakow, I attempted to take the tram. I was feeling a bit flustered as I don’t speak Polish, and as the tram pulled up, I saw Ivan looking right at me, beaming through the window of the tram. He was truly excited to see me in the street, and I was truly excited to see him, too. We are two strangers in this city and what a comfort to see a familiar face. Our eyes connected and we had the biggest smiles. I quickly jumped on the tram and Ivan couldn’t wait to tell me, “Tomorrow we paint.” I smiled and said, “Yes, tomorrow we paint.”

Suzanne Horwich, AGB Founder