New Hot Shop

New blown glass studio opening

In December 2022 – January 2023, as a joint initiative of the Glass Museum in Lviv, the West Ukrainian Regional Center of Science and Crafts of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, the J. Renwick Crafts Association, and the American Contemporary Glass Association, Rago Auctions (USA) held a charity event called “Unbreakable Ukraine,” aimed at creating a new glassblowing workshop at the Glass Art Department of the Lviv National Academy of Arts.

The project included a series of meetings with collectors, presentations on Ukrainian glass, online conferences, and video screenings for the American art community. On the initiative of renowned Dutch artist Peter Bremers, thirteen works by world-renowned authors — Steve Lynn, Tim Tate, Lachezar Boyadiev, Michael Aschenbrenner, Michael Janis (USA), Michael Behrens, Wilfried Grutens (Germany), Philip Baldwin and Michael Guginsberg (UK), Janusz Walentynowicz (Denmark), Zdenek Lhotsky (Czech Republic), Javier Gomez (Spain) — were donated to the Rago House. The funds raised from the auction were used to purchase a new glass-making furnace from a Slovenian manufacturer, PIKA KILNS.

Ukrainian and foreign benefactors also contributed to the fundraising for the purchase of new modern equipment, including Ihor Kryvetskyi, Elina Bilous (Ukraine), Ed van Dijk (Netherlands), Jean-Marc Pascal (Belgium), Jeff Hillam, Jay Macdonnell (USA), Pine Ridge Burners, Olympic Color Rods - Glass Color, Tools and Supplies, Red Hot Metal Home of Cutting Edge Products, Jim Moore Glass Tools (USA), and BOCCI (Canada). Special attention and gratitude are due to the tireless work of our long-time friend, glass artist and experienced engineer Mark Eckstrand (USA), who has been working for several months to create new equipment and assist in setting up the workshop.

By the time of the 13th International Blown Glass Symposium in Lviv, the new workshop, equipped to the latest standards of studio glassblowing, will be ready to welcome its first artists and masters.