Exhibitor News

The story began in 2004 during a family trip to the Polish Tatry mountains. Anna had always admired stained glass, but thought of it as a craft reserved for cathedrals and the elite. On that trip, she had the chance to try working with a local artisan. The moment she cut and shaped her first piece of glass, she was hooked.

Back home, Anna transformed a tiny storage room into her first workshop. Balancing motherhood, a full-time job, and her new passion quickly became impossible. With the support of her husband Oleg, she left her job and decided to give her dream a chance.

“It was terrifying at the time,” Anna recalls. “But I knew if I didn’t try, I would regret it forever.”

The decision paid off. Within a few years, Anna was completing commercial projects and gaining recognition for her craftsmanship. By 2019, she was leading a team of 13 artists and had completed more than 400 stained glass windows.

The turning point came in 2020, when her son Alex spotted poorly made stained glass souvenirs in Italy. He knew his mother’s artistry could bring so much more to the market. Soon, Avalglass was born. With his younger brother Michael onboard, the family created a brand that would bring stained glass to everyday homes, not just sacred spaces.

Avalglass quickly found its first retail partner in Assisi, Italy, and opened its Etsy shop later that year. The very first order came from Australia, but the company’s biggest growth soon came from the United States. In 2022 The Ginkgo Suncatcher became a breakout hit, helping the team expand and move into a custom-designed workshop. By 2025, Avalglass had sold more than 16,000 pieces on Etsy alone, surpassing 42,000 in total sales and receiving over 4,500 5-star reviews.

Every success came with challenges: burnout, the struggle of scaling handmade production, and the pressure to balance artistry with growth. “Scaling in handmade is not like scaling in other industries,” Anna explains. “You can’t just buy bigger machines. Every piece still takes hours of work. The hardest part is keeping the soul of the craft while running a business.”

As the business grew, Avalglass found its purpose sharpened. The team realized they weren’t just making decorative items — they were creating decor that turns spaces into homes and gifts into memories. Pieces that become part of people’s daily lives, their celebrations, their rituals. “We never wanted to become another brand pushing generic, mass-produced products,” says Alex. “If we can’t make something meaningful, we’d rather not make it at all.”

That approach shaped Avalglass’s philosophy: no generic mass production — only art at scale. Each design begins with a hand-drawn sketch from Anna, every color is chosen with intention, and every curve of copper foil is shaped by a human hand. “Our goal isn’t to be just the biggest,” Alex adds. “Our goal is to show that a family business with its values can compete globally without losing its humanity.”

Today Avalglass is stronger than ever. With Anna designing, Oleg managing production, and her sons leading strategy, Avalglass is more than a company — it is a family story. Each stained glass orchid, butterfly, or suncatcher reflects decades of dedication and resilience.

“When I first left my job, I had no idea where this would lead,” Anna reflects. “All I wanted was to create something beautiful with my own hands. Avalglass is proof that following your heart, even through hardship, can build something lasting.”