On Saturday, October 14, the Bolesławiec Museum of Ceramics, Guild of Various Crafts and Small Business in Bolesławiec and artist Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter received the awards granted to them. They were presented by Lower Silesian Voivodeship Marshal Cezary Przybylski and Chairman of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Regional Assembly Paweł Wróblewski during a ceremonial session of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Regional Assembly in Trzebnica.
The Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec received the SILESIA Lower Silesian Cultural Award worth PLN 100,000. The panel recognized the work of Bolesławiec museum professionals in promoting and expanding knowledge about one of the region’s greatest cultural assets, Bolesławiec ceramics. The Bolesławiec Museum has carried out many projects co-financed from external funds, enabling it, alongside the modernization of buildings and the purchase of equipment, to conduct numerous research, exhibition and promotional activities with a nationwide and international reach.
The museum regularly organizes exhibitions—in Poland and abroad—presenting the work of leading designers of contemporary Bolesławiec ceramics. The institution has received many prestigious awards and distinctions for its activities. Through its projects, the Bolesławiec Museum has established cooperation with more than 100 museums, archives, libraries, associations and companies from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Norway, the United States and Australia.
The Golden Honorary Badge “Meritorious for the Lower Silesian Voivodeship,” awarded to recognize contributions to the development and promotion of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland and around the world, was presented to the Guild of Various Crafts and Small Business in Bolesławiec. Throughout its existence, the Bolesławiec Guild has not only been involved in professional matters but has also actively operated as a community organization. For years, it has cooperated with primary and vocational schools and supervised the practical vocational training of young people in craft workshops. It also supports many Bolesławiec institutions and local charitable initiatives. Every year, it organizes journeyman examinations and numerous competitions.
The Lower Silesian Voivodeship Marshal’s Award for outstanding achievements for the region was presented to Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter, a well-known Bolesławiec artist who has worked in unique ceramics and ceramic sculpture for many years. From 1990 to 2005, she served as artistic commissioner of the National Ceramic and Sculpture Outdoor Workshops and the International Ceramic and Sculpture Outdoor Workshops in Bolesławiec. She organized more than 50 post-workshop exhibitions. For many years, she was a member of the Museum Council at the Bolesławiec Museum of Ceramics, and she currently also serves as a juror in the qualification procedure for the International Ceramic and Sculpture Outdoor Workshop. Her work has been presented at numerous solo and group exhibitions, and her pieces are held in the collections of many museums and private collections in Poland and abroad.