Lecture by Professor Mykhaylo Bokotey about Ukrainian Glass Art

Mykhaylo Bokotey, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Head of the Glass Department at Lviv National Academy of Arts in Ukraine. He is also Head of the Western Center of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine and Director of the Glass Museum in Lviv. He is the author of over 60 publications about Ukrainian studio glass art, and curator of over 90 artistic events in Ukraine, Poland and China.

His lecture will focus on three topics:

• Ukrainian Glass Art - from the pioneers to the present.
• Glass art in Ukraine, especially in the western part, where the city of Lviv is located, belongs to traditional crafts and began in the 10-11th century. Several dozen enterprises in our region produced glass of various types, including artistic, at the end of the 20th century. Unfortunately, only a few firms are struggling for existence today.
• Glass art institutions and projects.

Lviv became the center of the spread of the international studio glass movement throughout the USSR, thanks to the activities of Andriy Bokotey and the start of international glass symposiums in Lviv. More than 270 artists from 32 countries (also from Sweden) took part in 12 forums that have been held in Lviv since 1989. The collection of unique artworks totals almost 600 and belongs to the collection of the only  Ukraine Glass Museum in Lviv. The Glass Art Department of the Lviv National Academy of Arts is also Ukraine's only higher education platform. The lecture will present the activities of these institutions and projects before and during the war.

The war, paradoxically, opened Ukraine and Ukrainians to the world. International projects we implemented in cooperation with glass colleagues worldwide will be the second part of the lecture. Undoubtedly, the topics will include the realities of the current life of Ukrainians and the struggle for our nation's existence.

The lecture will be held in English and will also be available through Zoom.