Libuša Jaďuďová
In the past, folk art production involved the organised production of practical and decorative items made of traditional materials using traditional methods, where emphasis was placed on the product’s artistic value. Unlike the term of folk production, which described the majority of home-made items used in the rural environment, folk art production from the middle of the 20th century highlighted primarily the aesthetic side of these items. Attempts to develop folk art production through organisations on a cooperative and associative level peaked in 1945 with the decree by the President of the Republic no. 110/1945 on the organisation of folk and artistic production. This established the Centre for Folk Art Production (ÚĽUV) as a nationwide organisation with its headquarters in Prague. The Bratislava branch of the Prague-based centre began its work on December 1st 1945. Only at the end of April 1958 did the Act of the Slovak National Council no. 4/1958 Coll. on Folk Art Production and Art Crafts come into force, thus establishing the Centre for Folk-Art Production as a professional cultural organisation with a defined set of activities (improvement, research and documentation, sales, promotion).