Clay Painting Returns to the Bolesławiec Ceramics Festival

When I was getting ready for the parade, he rode up to me on a white bicycle, dressed in white. It was Bogusław Nowak, who asked: “What are you doing?” I replied: “Bogdan, I’m painting myself with clay.” Now I will add: “And you will no longer tell the residents what to do. I hereby announce the end of Papa Clayman’s rule in Bolesławiec.”

The haters identifying themselves with Mr. Nowak wore me down. They destroyed posters put up in the Market Square and on poles, urging people to oppose Glina Show. They attacked supporters. Mr. Nowak visited the Jacek and Agatka preschool (parents and children marched with us in the parade in Lwówek) and threatened them with court action. Various people attacked and intimidated members of the boleslawianie.eu association. At least two instructors from the Youth Cultural Centre and the director of the MDK Beata Domeracka publicly supported Mr. Nowak’s actions online.

Marcin Marczewski, who comes from Kraków to work for Bolec.Info, handed out his newspapers just before the parade. They contained a poster unfavorable to the city authorities in the context of our event.

Videos attacking our event, containing false accusations, were recorded. Among the celebrities featured were this year’s candidates for president: Maciej Małkowski, Wiesław Ogrodnik of PiS, and Cezariusz Rudyk of Civic Platform. You will see them all on election posters this autumn. They will no longer agree with one another so much, but they will want to dethrone the current president—that is what united them when they appeared in the video attacking us.

And a wave of online hate swept over us, which we endured with difficulty in order to put on an ordinary, good event—without pretentious artistry. It was simply about painting oneself with clay, a parade of people covered in it, and coloring. Nearly a hundred willing participants painted themselves. We forced no one to take part in the clay fun. People joined in despite the enormous effort by the haters identifying themselves with Nowak.

For three years, Mr. Nowak did not organize Gliniada during the Ceramics Days, and no one dared to paint themselves with clay during the festival. It is untrue that the city did not want Nowak. He was unwilling to do anything for the city for less than 45,000 złoty. And this year, telling Bolesławiec residents who may paint themselves with clay came to an end.

Below, documents instead of words. Mr. Nowak will not show them to you.

Grażyna Hanaf