Ars Sudetica Sudeckie Centrum Kultury (Ars Sudetica Sudety Culture Centre) ‘Culture is the soul of Europe.’ - and what distinguishes man from other living beings is the ability to create and perceive art. Being deeply convinced that the most beautiful and valuable items that we leave to the next generations are works of artists and craftsmen, in August 2013, we established a non-governmental organisation - the Ars Sudetica Foundation. The immediate impulse to establish the foundation was the intention to save the villa, built in 1905 and a beautiful example of the Art Nouveau style in the architecture of the Sudety Mountains, from ruin, and to use it for cultural activities. After comprehensive renovation of the interior, carried out mainly by us and using our own funds - in 2017, the Sudety Centre of Culture and Art was opened to promote artists of the artists’ colony of Szklarska Poręba, which belongs (as the second town in Poland - along Kazimierz Dolny) to the European Federation of Artists; Colonies EuroArt, as well as craftsmen operating in our region. Culture and art, especially at the local and regional level, is hardly noticed. Exceptional artists, who often cultivate traditional art forms, e.g. glass and ceramics, but operate in a provincial niche, have, due to the lack of local cultural infrastructure, little chance to present their achievements to the public, and they go unnoticed. First, we opened two art glass studios and a gallery where we present a unique collection of glass paper weights created using the millefiori technique. In these work and create the only masters of this technique in Poland. The Gallery is also an exhibition of contemporary glass products: spatial forms, millefiori jewellery, glass mosaics, and an exhibition of historical glass, including crystal glass.
In 2018, the so-called large gallery was opened, where we exhibit the works of our artists: painting, sculpture, photography, graphics, and drawings. We organize theatrical performances, concerts, meetings with writers, conferences. The SCKiS is vibrant with artistic and cultural life; it attracts people interested in art and artistic craftsmanship, provides workshops for painting, glass-making, graphic arts, and runs various creative workshops.