Minnesota jewelry artist Andrea Turini brings audiences inside the living traditions of Czech glass and beadmaking. Her presentation, Heirloom Fire: Czech Glasswork, draws on firsthand experiences in Jablonec nad Nisou, a region long recognized as a world center of bead and button production.

Cultural Storytelling

• The evolution of the Czech glass industry, from family workshops to state-run factories under communism, and how artists adapted their craft during these changing eras

• Generational traditions — families who have passed down lampworking, pressing, and cutting techniques for centuries

• The cultural significance of beads and buttons, both as local artistry and as exports that shaped global fashion

• The resilience of a cottage industry that once fed an entire region, where survival depended on glass and beadmaking — and the fact that many workshops remain in business today is nothing short of astounding

Interactive Demonstration

• Step-by-step look at how a bead and a button are made

• Sample beads at different production stages for audiences to handle

• A Czech button mold and examples of finished jewelry featuring Czech glass

Following the presentation, participants can enjoy a one-hour hands-on jewelry design session. Each person will design a coordinating set of jewelry.

Participants select from Andrea’s curated collection of authentic Czech glass beads to create their designs. Andrea demonstrates design concepts and assists with selection, then completes the technical finishing (wrapping, crimping and assembly) during class.

• Earrings + Bracelet: $50

• Earrings + Necklace: $55

Participation requirement: Enrollment in the jewelry workshop is only available to those who attend the presentation.

Register for the workshop here

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.