UPDATED 4/8/2015
Opening in 2014, Cesty Skla/Ways of Glass, Glass Art Center in Sazava, a town close to Prague in the Czech Republic, is quickly making a name for itself thanks to an impressive roster of teaching staff. Like many start-ups, it has also seen its share of administrative changes, and suffers from a lack of information available about it's programs online. Located in the heart of this area known historically as a center of glassmaking, it should be on the radar of glass artists looking for places to work and learn. The director of Cesty Skla/Ways of Glass is artist Martina Kulhavá, who is the second director in the short time of the organization's existence (founding "art manager" Frantisek Janak is no longer affiliated with the organization). The glass center has announced its 2015 schedule for 12 classes this year, accompanied by conferences, lectures, professional discussions, symposiums (IGS) -- as well as a spiritual experience during a planned excursion to the Sázava Monastery.
The Glass Art Centre was created through the renovation of the former Glassworks František, which was built in 1882 by Josef Kavalier, who named it after his father. Supporting the glassblowing heritage is the main goal of the project Cesty Skla/Ways of Glas. It’s mission is to preserve glass culture, traditions and customs.
Last year, The Center, organized a series of classes at the School of Jari Harcuba, as well as different workshops and classes with professionals.
"I took a class with Janusz Pozniak," Ondrej Novotny told the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet in an email exchange. "It was actually the first hot-glass classes at Sazava ever. The place was not completely finished, so we had to rearrange and solve several issues, but with the great spirit and experience of Janusz it went quickly and we could roll; The coldshop and kiln-casting shop is very good for learning . High-tech and large-scale."
For its schedule of 2015 courses, which run from April through November, Cesty Skla/Ways of Glass has an impressive line-up of instructors, which expanded this year to include more from around the world, though Czech instructors are featured. Among the highlights: the cold work and glass grinding “Glassboratory - Glass Sculpting” with Czech Vladimir Klein; glassblowing “Blowing your mind #2” with American Janusz Pozniak; hot sculpting “New Ways in glass sculpting” with Czech Martin Janecky; pate de verre “Glassboratory - Pate de Verre” with German Anne Petters; glassblowing and sculpting techniques “Constructathon” with American Rob Stern, are just five from 12 artists scheduled to teach this year at the Center.
Of special note for potential participants, some of the classes include the possibility to attend the International Glass Symposium in Novy Bor. Since 1982, this triennial symposium has become an internationally-known event for professionals glass artists to gather and showcase their work. The outstanding IGS’s glass collection was moved from Novy Bor and is now situated in the Cesty Skla/Ways of Glass gallery where is open to the public.
To learn more about the 2015’s courses at Cesty Skla/ Ways of Glass, visit their website.
IF YOU GO :
Glass Art Centre, Glassworks František in Sázava Cesty skla, o.p.s. Na kácku 218 285 06 Sázava +420 327 321 809 email: info@cestyskla.cz http://www.cestyskla.cz/ EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect new information. Initially, the article reported that Frantisek Janak had been the founding director, but an email reponse from Cesty Skla sent after the article was published clarified that Martina Kulhava has been the organization's director since the beginning.