Les Beaux-Arts de Nantes Saint-Nazaire is a higher education institution spread over two sites, and has been affiliated with Nantes Université since 2022.
8,500 m² (91,500 ft²) of Alstom’s former industrial warehouses were renovated by architect Franklin Azzi in 2017 to become Nantes’s fine arts school – 4,300 m² (46,300 ft²) of which contain workshops dedicated to research and experimentation in all areas of the visual arts: construction studios, as well as image and print centres for nearly 500 students (30% of whom are international) and the 1,000 students enrolled in courses that are open to the public.
Les Beaux-Arts de Nantes Saint-Nazaire is a higher education institution spread over two sites, and has been affiliated with Nantes Université since 2022. It trains students in contemporary creativity and offers two degrees: the Diplôme national d’art and the Diplôme national supérieur d’expression plastique.
The Fine Arts school offers a wide range of artistic activities. The “Open School” brings together a gallery, a café, an art collection, a programme of cultural events, and amateur art classes, all of which is open to the public. Anyone can come visit an exhibition, work in the library, attend a lecture, have a coffee on the outdoor terrace, take an art class, or even borrow a work of art!
All Over
Every year, Nantes-Saint-Nazaire’s fine arts school welcomes over 600 applicants for its open courses. Within these workshops, children, youth, and adults can learn and refine visual art techniques, like drawing, painting, photography, live model drawing, sculpture, and more.
This summer, the school reveals a new side of itself by opening three previously unseen exhibition spaces. The “Open School” gallery showcases work by final-year students made during a study trip to Marfa, Texas. The showroom features pieces by professional artists Eugénie Zély and Clément Laigle, following their 2024 residency in the same abovesaid city. Little by little, visitors explore the school’s inner corridor and its workshops to discover a selection of student works from the public courses, curated by Virginie Bourget. From amateurs to professional artists, visitors are immersed in the school’s multiple creative journeys.
Flash tours daily at 4:30 PM. Duration: 20 – 30 min
No reservation needed, subject to availability.
2 All. Frida Kahlo, 44200 Nantes
How to get there?
Parking(s) nearby: Parking Les Machines, Parking Les Nefs, Parking CHU 1, Parking Gloriette 2
Public transport: Gare de l'État, Prairie au Duc, République, Médiathèque
Self-service bicycles: Palais De Justice (n°44), Prairie Au Duc (n°45), École D'architecture (n°77), Machine De L'île (n°43), République (n°46), Médiathèque (n°34)
Visual artworks.