The budgetary institution of culture of the Oryol region “Regional Exhibition Center” was created in accordance with the Decree of the Head of the Administration of the Oryol Region No. 394 of October 2, 1995 by a joint decision of the Committee for Culture and Art of the Administration of the Oryol Region and the Committee for Property Management of the Oryol Region. The goals of creating a regional exhibition center is to promote the achievements of spiritual and material culture.

To achieve these goals, the exhibition center carries out the following main activities:

• • holding exhibitions at the request of creative unions (artists, photographers, designers, theater workers):
  • holding personal exhibitions;
  • holding exhibitions - works of folk art;
  • holding conferences and seminars with the aim of promoting visual and photo art, arts and crafts.

The projects of federal significance were implemented: the All-Russian art exhibition “The Image of the Motherland”, the federal exhibition “60 years to the first salute to the winners”, the final exhibition of the Russian festival of children's art “Relay race of generations”, exhibitions dedicated to the 220th anniversary of the formation of the Oryol province and the 180th anniversary of the Day birth of I. S. Turgenev. Of great interest were the anniversary exhibitions of the People's Artist of the USSR A. I. Kurnakov in 1996, 2001 and 2006, the international youth festival "Interdesign", the international exhibition of book graphics.

Personal exhibitions of the works of the People's Artist of Russia 3. K. Tsereteli, People's Artist of Russia Nesterenko V.I., People's Artist of Russia D. Belyukin were held. E.V. Romashko, prize winners of the Central Federal District in the field of literature and art O. I. Molchanova, A.A. Zakharova.

An exhibition of works by members of the Russian Academy of Arts of Russia and the Creative Union of Russian Artists “Arts Forever” was held, in which: Tsereteli Zurab Konstantinovich People's Artist of the USSR, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, Vyacheslav Zhelvakov People's Artist of Russia, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Full Member International Academy of Culture and Art, Zverkov Efrem Ivanovich People's Artist of the USSR, RF, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Go Laureate State Prize of the RSFSR named after I.E. Repin, State Prize of the Russian Federation, holder of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", Goryaev Sergey Vitalyevich People's Artist of the Russian Federation, Full Member and Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Arts, Chairman of the Moscow Union of Artists of Russia, Laureate of the State Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the Field of Culture, Oleg Savostyuk Mikhailovich People's Artist of the Russian Federation, Full Member and Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Arts. The exhibition was also attended by six Honored Artists of Russia - full members of the Russian Academy of Arts, seven Honored Artists of Russia - corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Arts, twelve Honored Artists of Russia, full members and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Arts, folk artists of the USSR and Russia.

At the exhibition of works by members of the Russian Academy of Arts “With Love for the Oryol Region”, landscapes of the Oryol Territory by the People's Artist of the Russian Federation, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts D.A. Belyukin were presented, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts O. I. Molchanov, Professor of the Department of Painting at the Faculty of Painting, Head of the Portrait Studio, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts D. A. Slepushkin, Vice-Rector of the Russian Academy of Painting, sculptures and architecture by Ilya Glazunov, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation I.V. Lapin, head of the department of painting at the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture Ilya Glazunov, corresponding member of Russia Second Academy of Arts, laureate of the Russian Academy of Arts V.A.Shteynom, assistant professor of academic drawing of the Faculty of Painting of the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture Ilya Glazunov V.A.Chernym and other artists.

Together with the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called, an exhibition was held on the bringing of the Holy Fire to Russia by the St. Andrew the First-Called Fund. The exhibition presented unique shots from the archives of the Foundation, capturing the moment of the meeting of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem and the further bringing of the shrine to Russia. The authors of the pictures - our countryman Fedor Mastepanov, Klim Berezutsky and Andrey Artamonov - were members of the delegation of the Andrew the First-Called Fund for 10 years and were in the center of this amazing event.

With great success were the exhibitions of teachers and students of the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture Ilya Glazunov “Faces of Russia” and the unique exhibition of the Academy “Steps of Excellence”, which was previously exhibited only in the Central Exhibition Hall “Manege” in St. Petersburg.

Much attention is paid to promoting the work of Oryol artists outside the region: exhibitions are organized and held in exhibition halls and public organizations in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. With great success were organized by the regional exhibition center, exhibitions of Oryol artists in the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, gallery of the People's Artist of Russia, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts D.A. Belyukin. The Oryol artists - participants of the VIII International Watercolor Biennale "ART - MOST - WATERCOLOR" in the Stable Building of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika (St. Petersburg) received well-deserved awards.

The regional exhibition center rearranged the work of Oryol schoolchildren at the VI All-Russian Festival of Children and Youth Creativity "Orthodox Russia", dedicated to the Year of the Russian History in the Moscow Central Exhibition Hall "Manege" as part of the XI Orthodox-public exhibition and forum "Orthodox Russia". At this festival, the first place in the drawing competition in the third (oldest) age group of 14 - 17 years old was taken by Oryol schoolgirl Asakova Makarova with the work “Keepers of Faith”.

Young artists visited all the Veterans' Houses of the region and presented their paintings to older people there. These trips have become traditional. In 2012, the first events were held under the project “Give a picture to a medical institution”. At the initiative of the regional exhibition center every year, starting in 1997, a regional competition of young artists named after the People's Artist of the USSR A. I. Kurnakov is held. The main objective of the competition is to search and further support artistically gifted children in the Oryol region. The project of the regional exhibition center "Exhibition of Young Orthodox Artists" "For Faith and Fatherland" in 2009 was presented at the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra during the celebration of its 300th anniversary and received thanks from the Viceroy of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Bishop of Vyborg Nazaria - Vicar of the St. Petersburg Diocese. In 2010, this exhibition opened the season at the International Fund for Slavic Writing and Culture and was included in the All-Russian Festival of the "Blessed Hosts", held with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The regional exhibition center organized creative meetings for children with outstanding artists of our time: People's Artist of the USSR A. I. Kurnakov, Honored Artist of Russia N. Ya. Silaev, artist illustrator Alexei Shevchenko, member of the Union of Artists of Russia.