site.btaEtar Open Air Museum to Host International Crafts Fair, Sept. 1-3

The 18th International Fair of Traditional Crafts will be held at the Etar Regional Ethnographic Open Air Museum near Gabrovo between September 1 and 3, 2023.

This is the largest crafts event in the region and Bulgaria's only fair based on a museum concept. Its mission is to educate and guide, preserve handicraft traditions, and promote and maintain the tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Local and foreign artisans have a venue to meet, share skills and techniques, and make new contacts. Visitors are able to experience traditions in a unique and inspiring way.

Varied Events Programme

Thirty foreigners from 15 countries and 25 Bulgarians have been admitted to the 2023 International Crafts Exhibition Bazaar by special invitation from the organizers on the strength of their proven contribution to the handicraft they practise. The articles that the entrants display are expected to be made by hand using traditional tools, of raw materials typical of the respective craft, and to keep the link with traditional rites and rituals.

This year the foreign participants are woodcarvers, stone masons, carpet weavers, potters, furniture decorators, lace knitters, felters and embroiderers. The local exhibitors include a coppersmith (Petar Paunov), a cooper (Georgi Tankovski), an icon painter (Mihail Beloev), a saddle maker (Ivan Argirov), a horse trappings maker (Iliya Iliev), a stone mason (Petar Petrov), a confectioner (Boyan Minchev), a horn jewellery maker (Todor Milanov), Kalofer lace knitters (Margarita Boneva and Kremena Dimitrova), basket makers (Emel Balakci-Sakir and Mehmet Sakir), a wood kitchenware maker (Yordan Kusev), as well as master blacksmiths, cutlers, gunsmiths, weavers, egg painters, and kukeri mask makers.

Artisans from Malta, Romania, Turkey, North Macedonia and Bulgaria will enter the 2023 International Master Competition in Silver Smithing. The winner will get the Silver Cowbell Grand Prix, a cash award, and an entitlement to a solo exhibition at the Etar Museum.

Since 2017, the Master Competition has had a subsidiary youth section. This year, the participants in the National Youth Competition in Jeweller's Skills come from the St Luke National High School for Applied Arts and the National Academy of Art (both in Sofia). The winner will receive a Bronze Cowbell Prize, and their educational establishment will be able to stage an exhibition sale next year.

Tradition Meets Modernity

The idea of the Art Zone Exhibition Bazaar is to popularize artisan culture by demonstrating live contemporary uses of traditional techniques. Visitors can watch an article in the making, purchase the finished product, and even try their hand at a skilled craft. This year's Art Zone will showcase the distinctive signature styles of five masters. Georgi Todorov-Getz is the first in Bulgaria to craft professionally classic two-piece briar tobacco pipes. Deyan Denchev is an innovative luthier who employs traditional skills and materials to build an improved version of the classic Bulgarian gadulka (a stringed instrument similar to the rebec). Maria Asenova makes art dolls by dry needle felting of natural wool and cotton. Petar Bubev uses an origami folding and fitting technique to produce wallets, business card holders, telephone cases and keyholders from a single piece of leather, without cutting, gluing or stitching. Svetlana Kamps crafts carpets, bags and boots by dry and wet felting.

Pictures from Croatia, Posters from Armenia

Visitors will be able to see two exhibitions. A selection of photographs visualizes the "Croatian Intangible Cultural Heritage on the UNESCO Lists". "Armenian Traditional Costumes, Traditions and Fashion" comprise replicas of the best exhibits and large-size posters of archive photos, provided by the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan in partnership with the Teryan Cultural Centre.

On the sidelines of the Fair, the Technical University of Gabrovo will host an International Scientific Forum on "Traditional Crafts: Contemporary Reflections" on September 2, moderated by Dr Justine Toms of New Bulgarian University.

Both professional and amateur photographers without age limit are welcome to submit pictures taken during the three days of the Fair to the Third National Photography Competition "EthnoLens: Crafts Fair".

The 18th International Fair of Traditional Crafts is taking place under the auspices of National Assembly Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov. It is organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Gabrovo and the Etar Museum. The event is supported by a range of media outlets, chambers of crafts and travel agents. BTA is among the five key media partners.