Copy of Embassy`s Newsletter, 2011 - 16

EMBASSY
NEWSLETTER
December 16, 2011
ROGAŠKA
EVENT
Rogaska America Inc. celebrated its successful
business year 2011 with a reception for its partners and
friends at the Soho Trump New York hotel. The event was
co-organized with the Slovenian Consulate General in New
York and the Slovenian Embassy in Washington.
• TOURIST BOARD
SOTOČJE
• MEDALS ON SHOW
• HUMAN RIGHTS
DAY
• ABSOLUTELY
FABULOUS 5
• SLOVENIAN WINE
• MOČNIK’S CANTATA
• CLEVELAND
EXHIBITION
• SEE FAST
• SLOVENIKA
• SLOVENIA IN NEWS
Embassy of Slovenia
2410 California Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008, USA
T: +1 202 386 66 01
E: vwa@gov.si
www.washington.embassy.si
Steklarna Rogaška d.d., the mother company of Rogaska
America, is among global market leaders of high-quality crystal
making. Rogaška breathes its exclusivity into the traditional
and innovative exclusive quality crystal. The products made by
Rogaška, whose origins , the so-called forest glass–huts, date all
the way back to the distant 1665, are no strangers to the American
market, where they have been present for over 50 years.
Rogaška has always been appreciated for its exceptional
crystal glass in the traditional or the trendy shape. Twenty-five
percent of the annually produced 3,280 tons of Rogaška crystal
is sold to the U.S. market. The power and mysterious beauty that
the unique crystal embodies also persuaded
Donald Trump to invest in the creation of the
Trump collection for people who appreciate
the nobility of the spirit, of knowledge,
culture, and art.
Ambassador Roman Kirn in his
remarks focused on the difficult financial and
business environment, which, however, didn’t
stop Rogaska America from succeeding. He
stressed that European leaders are working
really hard to make tough decisions to stabilize
the European market and that Slovenia is
contributing to this effort. He was hopeful
that, after the recent elections in Slovenia,
the soon to be installed new government will
focus primarily on economic growth and job
creation.
The Consul General, Melita Gabrič,
opened the event with the recognition of
Rogaska America’s success in past year. She
emphasized that Rogaska represents the finest
quality and the most beautiful design. She also
invited the guests to taste Slovenian wines
and so experience the Slovenian wine regions’
finest products. The guests could taste some
wines from the western part of Slovenia: the
Primorska wine region (Batič, Mantas, Movia,
Santomas, and Simčič); and Guerila, Pullus,
Boštjan Leskovar, president of Rogaska
and Sanctum, which are produced in the America, Inc., expressed his gratitude to
northeastern part: the Podravska wine region. business partners and friends for supporting
crystal by Rogaska. Rogaska America has
doubled its sales in last year which, considering
the financial environment, is incredible
success. He mentioned that the relationship
with Donald Trump helped to achieve this
significantly. He is convinced that the next
year around this time, his company will again
celebrate a successful year.
Crystal of Rogaska can be purchased in
some Macy’s stores and at specialized retailers
in the U.S.
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December 16, 2011
TOURISM
Tourist Board Sotočje
Tourist board Sotočje provides information
services to visitors, partners, and the media. It
provides professional assistance to partners and
operators interested in developing contacts and
programs within the Soča river valley and northern
Primorska region. It also provides information
on accommodations, local or regional sights
of interest, events, sports, recreation, cultural
programs, nature trails, and even information
about the Triglav National Park.
So, when you visit Slovenia, do not
forget to see the Soča valley. It is one of
the most important rivers in Slovenia and a
synonym for pristine beauty and liveliness, as
a place for a wealth of active experiences in
the embrace of unspoiled nature.
You can find more information at the web
site www.dolina-soce.com or send an e – mail to:
info@lto-sotocje.si or info.kobarid@lto-sotocje.si.
It is a destination-management organization
covering the central area of the Soča Valley
(Tolmin and Kobarid). The area is an outstanding
outdoors destination, famous for the emerald
Soča river and known for its natural beauties
(Triglav National Park), historical role (World
War I) and excellent restaurants.
Available at the board’s information
center are brochures, guides, maps, and
postcards. In conjunction with all the tourism
operators in the area, the tourist board strives
to make visitors feel welcome and to make
their stay in the area as enjoyable as possible.
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December 16, 2011
SPORT
Slovenian Olympic Medals on Show
Copies of all the medals won by Slovenian
athletes in Olympic Games since 1912 were put
on display in Ljubljana on Wednesday to mark
the 20th anniversary of sports in independent
Slovenia.
The winner of the first “Slovenian”
Olympic medal was Rudolf Cvetko, an officer in
the Austrian army who won silver in fencing at the
1912 Stockholm Olympics for the Austrian team.
At the last Olympic Games in Vancouver,
Canada, in 2010, Slovenia won three medals, with
skier Tina Maze winning two silvers and a crosscountry runner Petra Majdič bagging a bronze,
bringing the total tally to 50.
The exhibition is part of celebrations of
the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Olympic
Committee, which was founded with the signing
of the Olympic Charter on October 15, 1991.
POLITICS
Slovenian Foreign Ministry Urges
Upholding of Human Rights
The Foreign Ministry of Slovenia urged all
countries, on international Human Rights Day,
Saturday, December 10, to uphold the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and to protect
the activities of the human rights defenders.
“We witnessed various peaceful protests
from Tunis and Cairo to Madrid, New York,
London and Ljubljana. However, protesters
in some of the cities sadly had to face violent
retributions by the authorities in violation of the
international protection of human rights,” the
ministry said.
They stated that: “Intolerance in a society
becomes more prominent at a time of economic
and social crisis. We condemn all instances of
intolerance, hate speech and hate actions that we
have faced this year, and call for their immediate
and efficient prosecution.”
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December 16, 2011
CULTURE
Absolutely Fabulous 5
On December 15, 2011, Gallery MC
in New York City presented a five-year
retrospective exhibition of Nika Oblak’s and
Primož Novak’s works.
Nika Oblak and Primož Novak have
been working as an artists’ cooperative since
2003. In their art, they examine critically
contemporary media and capital-driven
society as they dissect their visual and linguistic
structure. Infused with humor, their works
draw parallels between the commercial and
the art worlds.
Oblak and Novak operate in the border
zones between reality and fiction, and adopt
the visual tactics and seductive constructions
commonly employed in the mass media to
lure the consumer. They often appear as
protagonists of their works,and they act out
different roles. Their works span the gamut
of video, photography, new media, and
installation.
Absolutely Fabulous 5 is the first New
York solo exhibition by Nika Oblak and
Primož Novak, curated by Jovana Stokic,
curator of Location One’s Abramovic Studio.
The exhibition is co-produced by the Alkatraz
Gallery, Ljubljana, and kindly supported by
the Ministry of Culture, Republic of Slovenia,
and MOL - City of Ljubljana, Slovenia. For
more information go to website: www.oblaknovak.org or to: www.gallerymc.org. The
exhibition will remain open until January 6,
2012.
CHEERS
CNN blog recommends Slovenian wine
The latest Eatocracy CNN blog with tips cnn.com/2011/12/12/55-tips-for-choosingfor choosing wine as a holiday gift did not wine-as-a-holiday-gift/?iref=allsearch.
forget to include the option of a bottle of
Slovenian wine as a holiday gift. The blog
recommends Slovenian wine saying that “for
someone who’s more wine savvy, you can
grab a bottle of Slovenian wine. It’s fun to
experiment and drive off the beaten path
into a wine region that’s still a bit uncharted”.
You can read the blog at: http://eatocracy.
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December 16, 2011
CULTURE
Premiere of Močnik’s Cantata
Slovenian composer Damijan Močnik
conducted the world premiere of his
cantata “Venit Lumen” as part of the UWM
(University of Wisconsin Milwaukee) Winter
Choirs Concert on Friday, December 9 at
7:30 p.m in the Helen Bader Concert Hall,
Milwaukee, WI.
“Venit Lumen,” for chorus, string
orchestra, and organ, is dedicated to the UWM
Libraries, which hold the largest collection of
Slovenian music materials in the United States.
Močnik’s music has been performed by
choirs and vocal groups throughout the world,
including the World Youth Choir, London
Sinfonietta Voices, St. Jacob’s Chamber Choir
Stockholm, and many other choirs from
Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan.
Močnik is the choral conductor and
music teacher at the Diocesan Classical
Grammar School in Ljubljana. While in
Milwaukee, Močnik also met with UWM
music students.
CULTURE
Art Exhibition in Cleveland
On Sunday, December 11, 2011, the
Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in
Cleveland opened an art exhibition at the Slovenian
Cultural Center. The exhibition presents art work
by Gorazd Jordan, Lynn C. Miller, Meta Zobec
Novak, Toni Rash and Dobrila Pintar.
Gorazd Jordan is a Slovenian painter
and a native of Maribor where he began his art
career as a student of Professor Rudolf Kotnik.
He has had over 100 independent exhibits in
Slovenia and abroad during his distinguished
30-year career. His series include Venetian
Masks, Toscana Poetica, Nudes, and Views of
Maribor. Gorazd has exhibited at the Vienna
International Center United Nations Building,
Gallerie Chur in Switzerland, Landhaus Galerie
in Klagenfurt, and the Amade Children’s
Charity Auction in Monte Carlo.
Lynn C. Miller is an American painter
and former elementary teacher residing in
Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Lynn enjoys painting in
watercolors. She has exhibited at The Valley
Art Center, Orange Art Center, The Fairmount
Center, Federated Church in Chagrin Falls,
Loganberry Book Store, the Chagrin Falls
Library, the West Woods Geauga Park and
other venues. Lynn is the wife of the Honorary
Consul of Sweden based in Cleveland, Ohio.
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December 16, 2011
Meta Zobec Novak, a native of
Ribnica, Slovenia graduated from Pedagoska
Akademija, University of Ljubljana and
worked as an elementary art teacher before
moving to Cleveland, Ohio. She now resides
in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. In Slovenia, her
work was exhibited in Ribnica, Novo Mesto
and Ljubljana. Her latest pastel drawings
were on display at the Zelazo Center for the
Performing Arts at University of Wisconsin
-Milwaukee, Katie Gingrass Gallery in
Milwaukee and Door County, The Gilded
Edge Lakeshore Gallery in Shorewood and at
the Great MPTV Auction.
Nature is Toni Rash’s subject and the
world is her palette. Artist Toni Rash has been
painting for at least four decades. Since retiring
from the education profession, she has been
painting wildlife in an effort to bring public
awareness to serious environmental concerns.
Toni resides in Kirtland, Ohio and has had several
one-woman shows. She has been a participant
in many exhibits in Ohio and Florida.
Dobrila Pintar was born and raised
in former Yugoslavia. In her native country,
Dobrila had earned an art degree with a
focus on painting. About five years ago,
Dobrila became interested in making jewelry
involving glass sculpting. Now she designs
and makes original creations for her business,
Eleven Eleven Jewelry. Dobila also loves
teaching students, especially teens, and she is
also a teaching artist in residence, sharing her
expertise in glass flameworking and fusing.
CULTURE
See Fest
SEE FEST is a nonprofit festival
presenting films from Southeast Europe that
make a cultural connection with American art
house audiences, and organizing retrospectives
to bring forgotten cinema treasures to the U.S.
The 7th edition of SEE FEST next
year will be the proud recipient of a festival
grant from The Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences. The festival is among the
24 film festivals in the U.S. that were awarded
this grant for the 2012 calendar year.
If you are a filmmaker, do not forget
to submit your film for SEE FEST 2012; the
deadline is January 15. If you just finished
your first film, you are especially encouraged
to apply, the more so if your film is bringing
a new perspective or using fresh cinematic
language. As long as you have a film that has
something unique to say about Southeast
Europe and people who live there, we want to
hear from you.
You can find more SEE FEST films as
well as other interesting information at www.
seefilmla.org.
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December 16, 2011
CULTURE
The New Slovenian National Encyclopedia
A concise, two-volume encyclopedia,
published by Mladinska knjiga and compiled
with the cooperation of over 100 noted
Slovenian experts and top Slovenian
institutions, was launched at the headquarters
of the University of Ljubljana in midNovember.
Slovenia now has a new encyclopedia
(7,961 entries, 1,118 photographs, 991
portraits, 207 tables and 68 maps) based
on a previous “Enciklopedija Slovenije”, a
16-volume predecessor. “Much had to be
left out or rewritten, because of many new
approaches and discoveries in science,”
development and historical records, said
Slovenika editor-in-chief Martin Ivanič. The
touchiest subject was the selection of the 2,000
persons who were included in the volume.
The publishing of Slovenika also
coincides with the 20th anniversary of
Slovenia’s independence and the first copies
of the book were given to Milan Kučan,
first Slovenian president, and France Bučar,
a leading figure in Slovenia’s struggle for
independence. So far, 3,600 individuals and
36 libraries had purchased the book.
SLOVENIA IN NEWS
Reopening of the Ljubljana Opera House
The opera and ballet theater returned home
on December 10 after six years of renovation.
The renovation of the neo-Renaissance building,
built in 1892, added a new wing and modernized
the existing main building, as envisaged by two
Slovenian architects Jurij Kobe and Marjan Zupanc.
The opening, also marking the 120th
anniversary of the institution, was inaugurated by
the President of the Republic, Danilo Türk. The
opening performance was entitled “The Fusion
of Centuries”. Another highlight of the opera
season is Marij Kogoj’s “Black masks,” which will
also be the opening performance for the Maribor
2012 European Capital of Culture in January.
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December 16, 2011
SLOVENIA IN NEWS
One Maribor, 22 Cultural Embassies
As the European Culture Capital in Mexico and Japan -- decided to participate and
2012, Maribor will host 22 cultural embassies enrich the European Cultural Capital project
that will present their respective countries with their contributions.
through cultural events. This will be the first
time cultural embassies are taking part in the
European Culture Capital by contributing
their own programs through more than 100
events, including exhibitions, theater plays,
concerts, symposiums, and a circus.
The cultural embassies will open their
doors on the eve of the grand opening of
the 2012 European Culture Capital project
(EPK), January 13.
It is also the first time countries outside
the E.U. -- Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Russia,
SLOVENIA IN NEWS
Slovenian Singers in Nobel Prize Event
Four very talented Slovenian singers,
Alenka Bobek, Tanja Rupnik, Vida Matičič and
Sanja Zupanič, were among 60 singers of 40
countries of the World Youth Choir invited to
the annual musical tribute to the year’s Nobel
Peace Prize Concert held in Oslo, December
10, featuring an international selection of
musical artists and celebrity hosts.
The World Youth Choir brings together
talented young singers aged 17 - 26 from all
over the world. Since its creation in 1989,
the WYC has established itself as one of the
most remarkable musical and intercultural
experiences offered to young musicians,
meeting annually for intense rehearsals
followed by an international concert tour.
In 1996, UNESCO honored the WYC
with the title Artist for Peace, recognizing
the WYC’s success as a platform for
intercultural dialogue through music bringing
understanding between different cultures,
people and traditions.
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December 16, 2011
LIST OF EVENTS
List To Do
1.“Polka! The Movie”
A film documentary about Slovenian music in America written and narrated by Mr. Joe Valencic for RTV
Slovenija. The film is preceded by live Slovenian accordion music at 1:00 pm and a speech by Mr. Valencic.
When: Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Where: Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44130
More information: www.ClevelandArt.org or www.PolkaFame.com.
2. Annual Ski Trip
Dust off the skis and snowboards, it’s time for the SCC 2012 Annual Ski Trip to the famous
Mt. LaCrosse, WI. If interested, please respond ASAP – available space is limited.
Depart: Slovenian Catholic/Cultural Center, 14252 Main Street, Lemont, IL, on Friday, January
13, 2012 at 7:00pm.
Return: Leaving Mt. La Crosse on Sunday, January 15, 2013 at 5:00pm.
Contact: SCC Ski Line @ 708-243-3825 or 708-250-4775 or email rhozjan@mahmachine.com
More information:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slovenian-CatholicCultural-Center/247953551891514_
3. The European Career Fair in Boston
The European Career Fair in Boston is an annual recruiting event, organized by the MIT European Club,
that connects employers from Europe with the most talented candidates that live in the US. The Career Fair
will offer an opportunity to: facilitate matching European employers to some of the brightest researchers
who are interested in a career in Europe; and increase the awareness in the United States of the opportunities
that European research offers. The European Commission will have a stand at the Career Fair on the
exhibition day on January 21.
When: January 21 - 23, 2012
Where: (MIT campus, Cambridge, MA)
More information: www.euro-career.com
The weekly Embassy Newsletter, produced by the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington, is available on:
www.washington.embassy.si.
Send us your comments or request for a subscription on: vwa@gov.si, Editor: Nuška Zakrajšek
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December 16, 2011