Glassblowing school opens in Istria

ZAGREB, 23 Feb (Hina) – The Zlatni Vitraj Artistic Glassblowing School was inaugurated in Stranići near Poreč, Istria County on Tuesday as the first of 22 events planned in Croatia to mark the UN International Year Of Glass 2022.

These are moments when the strength of a community, as well as of an individual, is felt, Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said at the ceremony, thanking the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Arts, which founded the school, for including this project in the UN International Year Of Glass and thus helping Croatia to find an important place on that world map.

“It’s a privilege when we have such enthusiasm and when there are people who make their life project so valuable that it will eventually contribute to the community, and we are here to support it. Croatia is one of the states with a truly representative antique glass museum in Zadar, whereby we testify to the continuity of artisanship as well as art in glass through the centuries,” the minister said.

She added that the process of protecting glassblowing crafts in the Zagreb area as an intangible cultural heritage was under way.

The Zlatni Vitraj Artistic Glassblowing School was founded to rescue artistic glassblowing from extinction, said Josip Deutsch of the Glass & Art Association for the Promotion of Traditional Arts.

“With this event we celebrate the past, present and future of glass as a very transformative material,” he added.