PICK OF HANDICRAFTS

A nice group of folk artists live and work in Varena region. With the help of their creative work they continue national cultural traditions, look for new forms and means of expression. The exhibitions of their works, neatly looked after country houses, the demonstration of handicrafts are attractive to the guests and tourists. Traditional handicrafts represent the place they are typical of. The creative people are the core of local culture.

In the surroundings of Merkine black ceramics is being cherished. In Maksimonys village different sculptures, works of pottery, toys and other things are done by Elvyra Petraitiene, Dziugas Petraitis, Ruta Indrasiute and Saulius Indrasius. In Maksimonys rural tourism farm-stead Laima Savisceviene goes in for weaving, making Easter Palms and other traditional things of straw. Petras Pretkelis from Zakavoliai village goes in for pottery and Terese Jankauskaite from Pelekiskiai village makes nice and precise things of black ceramics. In Zakavoliai Evelina Burzinskiene creates graphic arts.

In Perloja Juzefa Bagdoniene founded a mini gallery of graphics, water-colours, and ceramics and Gintaras Turonis presents his compositions of stone, ceramics and metal. In Laiciai Irena Zukauskiene arranged her presentation of her own paintings. In Gudakiemis Vytautas Sibaila creates wooden sculptures. In Panociai Saule Lazareviciene weaves sashes, and makes Easter Palms.

In Marcinkonys and Musteika things of twigs and bast are made and other people are taught how to make by Romas Norkunas. Algis Svirnelis designs crosses and goes in for blacksmith works in Zervynos, besides, he teaches the willing ones .Blacksmith from Andriunai village Stasys Trunce makes a lot of nice iron things: crosses, tools and other things. In Varena Vytautas Baranauskas turns kitchen utensils out of Karelian birch, creates original wooden furniture and Algis Barkauskas designs and makes wooden furniture and other carpentry things. Algirdas Juskevicius teaches the art of woodcarving in Varena art club “Kadagys” as well as carves various sculptures and souvenirs himself.

The aim of Pick of Handicrafts is to unite and present the best (mainly rural) artists and their works.