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Peter Novotny was born in 1952 in Ústí nad Orlicí, a place where he never had a real opportunity of becoming acquainted with the art of glass-craft. Also surprising, is the fact that nobody in his family had ever had anything to do with glass before Peter.
He completed a three year course on glass manufacture and glass technology at the Apprentice Glass Centre in Novy Bor. Thanks to his talent in the subjects he later continued to study at the Secondary Industrial school in Novy Bor, where he did a diploma study on the artistic use of glass. Novotny’s natural talent, hard work and quickly acquired experience soon made him an instructor at the before mentioned institutes. It also gave him the extraordinary opportunity to work with the well respected older glass masters. He furthermore became acquainted with numerous influential personalities of the glass community, and actively collaborated with them. In 1983 he gained a title as a Master of the Art of Glass-craft. Novotny was the first to open his own private glass studio in former communist Czechoslovakia. The studio was focused on the recreation of historic glass pieces using the ancient techniques. This workshop, and four others that were opened later, are still actively supplying glass pieces to exclus
Peter Novotny presently keeps himself busy with international glass conferences and is actively involved with various glass schools around the world. He has led workshops and lectures in the USA - Pilchuck, Turkey, France, Germany and other countries. Furthermore, in 2003, Peter Novotny decided to open his own glass-craft school, which will be located in Novy Bor. This unique project which is entirely funded by Novotny himself is already under way. At this moment the initial structures are completed and the final stages of construction can be initiated. The project is especially impressive because of its size and diversity; it will include glassworks, a museum, a glass workers restaurant and club, conference hall, design studio, and housing, this was all designed by Borek Sipek, who is presently Artistic Director of the Ajeto glassworks.
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