We are pleased that Czech Television has once again become the main media partner of the CRYSTAL VALLEY WEEK glass, jewelry, and costume jewelry festival.

This is the second year in a row that the country’s largest glass festival has received its support. Thank you!

And what can you look forward to at the festival?

The fifth edition of Crystal Valley Week, an exceptional glass art festival held under the auspices of UNESCO, is subtitled “Connecting Cultures.” Glass artists Emil Kováč, Ondřej Novotný, Marek Effmert, and Marek Bartko are living examples of how glass connects worlds and people’s lives. At the BohemiAfrika 4.0 exhibition, their works trace a journey from their student days through the glassworks in Leerdam all the way to Nairobi.

Ondřej Novotný also embodies another dimension of the festival: the continuity of the craft. At the exhibition “Novotný Glass: Craft Heritage,” which is part of the Crystal Valley Week program, you’ll see both his work—including a new limited-edition collection of vases—and the works of his father, the legendary glassmaker Petr Novotný.

In keeping with the theme “Connecting Cultures,” the exhibition The Element That Connects explores the idea of transcending the boundaries of languages and traditions. It presents Lasvit’s art project Splash as a visual metaphor for water—an element that, like art, has connected places, people, and cultures since time immemorial. It invites visitors to pause, appreciate the beauty of detail, and realize that it is shared experiences that unite us.

The exhibition A JE TO! showcases the contemporary work of leading Czech designer Maxim Velčovský, created at the AJETO art glassworks in Lindava near Nový Bor. The exhibition reinterprets the trophy as an artifact that, over time, transforms from a prestigious award into an object with an unexpectedly ironic story. The installation is dominated by glass objects, some of which are made of uranium glass known for its distinctive fluorescence, which creates fascinating visual effects.

In addition to exhibitions and art installations, Crystal Valley Week will also offer a chance to take a look behind the scenes of this traditional craft. A rich program will take place all week long on Dr. E. Beneš Square in front of Liberec City Hall. Visitors will find a glass furnace and a burner there, so they can try their hand at working with a glassblowing pipe and other glassworking or jewelry-making techniques. Workshops and art classes will also take place at other festival venues, including the Crystal Market in the unique glass-enclosed spaces of the Regional Library. The doors of selected facilities will also be open to the public, including, for example, the Evans Atelier glass workshop in Vratislavice nad Nisou.

23.6.2026