Join Minnesota master jewelry artist Andrea Turini for a presentation on Czech glass and beadmaking. Her Presentation, Heirloom Fire: Czech Glasswork, brings audiences inside the living traditions of Czech glasswork from firsthand experiences in Jablonec nad Nisou, a region long recognized as a world center of bead and button production. This free presentation will be held at 2 pm at the St. Mane Theatre Second Floor Studio on Sunday, May 3rd.

Presentation viewers are also invited to sign up for a Czech Glass Jewelry Design class following the presentation. Learn more about the class and pay to register to participate here.

In this cultural heritage presentation, Andrea traces the evolution of the Czech glass industry, from family workshops to state-run factories under communism, how artists adapted their craft during these changing eras, and the resilience of a cottage industry that once fed an entire region. She highlights generational traditions from families who have passed down lampworking, pressing, and cutting techniques for centuries, while explaining the cultural significance of beads and buttons, both as local artistry and as exports that shaped global fashion.

Andrea will also share a step-by-step look at how the glass beads and buttons are made with sample beads at different production stages for audiences to handle, and examples of a Czech button mold and finished jewelry. There will also be time at the end for a Q & A session with Andrea!

This program was awarded a Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) grant, recognizing its artistic and educational value. While the grant supports a tour in southeastern Minnesota, Andrea also offers the program to arts centers, libraries, cultural groups, and community organizations across the region.