Editorial board
Established in 1945, the ÚĽUV is one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Slovak Republic. Starting in 1954 when the organisation was incorporated into the ministry of culture, the longest development period in the history of the ÚĽUV, which ended in 1989, had started. It was the period when Act No. 4/1958 Coll. on folk art production and arts and crafts was adopted, the period when regulated economy, state monopoly for sale of products, systematic researches in the regions of folk art production, documenting of such productions and establishing cooperation with makers existed. The ÚĽUV spared no effort to gain confidence of makers and to improve their working skills. This period which ended in 1989 was the time when makers were the only target group priority for the ÚĽUV – it was the period one may call “to be closer to our producers“.
Between 1990 and 2010, the vision pursued by the ÚĽUV changed from seeing itself as the production and sales centre to changing to the multi-purpose cultural and documentation centre. The institution decided to expand its educational activities for general public – they started to organise crafts courses, creative workshops for children, competitions, symposiums for artisans, publishing a magazine and other printed materials, exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad and the all-Slovak festival Days of the ÚĽUV Masters in Bratislava. The end of 2004 is marked as the year of transformation – all sales activities were transferred from the ÚĽUV to five newly established non-profit organisations called ÚĽUV Plus. The ÚĽUV has opened its door to the numerous range of producers and has offered them consultancy and free presentation at ÚĽUV´s web page. The registry of the folk art producers, products database, electronic encyclopaedia Virtual gallery of folk art production, the School of Crafts, Regional centres of ÚĽUV crafts, Museum of folk art production, four non-profit exhibitions halls have been formed and busy international cooperation has been established. The concept of cooperation between the ÚĽUV and external designers, art schools and producers has been developed. The period between 1990 and 2010 meant for the ÚĽUV that they have several target groups and one vision – „to be closer to general public“.
After 2010, ÚĽUV´s vision is to be open to its clients and to develop meaningful cooperation with ÚĽUV´s main target groups. ÚĽUV´s vision is the purpose-specific developing national cultural institution which is able to evaluate, in terms of science and marketing, its know-how within Europe and its collections and documentation archive and to take advantage of its impressive knowledge of environment folk art producers live in; joining forces in research and documentation of productions with other entities of the same aiming; maintaining the leading position in influencing artistic standard of folk art production; providing sufficient amount of freely available patterns of new products to the entire industry; specialised educational institution with top standard educational programs and methodology in the field of crafts; involving more producers and designers in the international cultural exchange based in our initiatives. ÚĽUV´s vision is becoming the natural authority for the field it is active in.
Strategic objectives for 2011 – 2015: Principal innovation of methods and forms of education within the system of protection and development of traditional crafts: 1. Opening of the Regional centre of ÚĽUV crafts in Košice in 2013; 2. Digitalisation of textile techniques and collections of Museum of folk art production in Stupava by 2015; 3. Finishing the construction of a building of Museum of folk art production in Stupava and opening an educational office there; 4. Developing the permanent exhibition of traditional regional clothes in Bratislava after 2015.