The Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou was the initiative of President Georges Pompidou (1911-1974), who wanted to create an original cultural institution in the heart of Paris completely focused on modern and contemporary creation, where the visual arts would rub shoulders with theater, music, cinema, literature and the spoken word. Housed in a building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, whose architecture symbolizes the spirit of the 20th century, the Centre Pompidou first opened its doors to the public in 1977. It is one of the most visited attractions in France. Some 6 million people pass through the Centre Pompidou's doors each year.In a unique location under one roof, the Centre Pompidou houses one of the most important museums in the world, featuring the leading collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe, a vast public reference library with facilities for over 2,000 readers, general documentation on 20th century art, a cinema and performance halls, a music research institute, educational activity areas, and bookshops. Unwavering in its interdisciplinary vocation and its core mission, to spread knowledge about all creative works from the 20th century and the new millennium, each year the Centre Pompidou holds thirty or so public exhibitions plus international events. Exhibitions include cinema and documentary screenings, conferences and symposiums, concerts, dance and educational activities – many of which go on to other venues in France and abroad.
Bibliothèque Kandinsky, centre de documentation et de recherche du Musée national d'art moderne-Centre de Création Industrielle
The collections of this specialized, international, heritage-oriented library affiliated with the Centre Pompidou are intended for research and exhibition purposes. They are exclusively devoted to 20th and 21st century works of art, design, architecture, photography, film, video and new media. The available resources also comprise related documents pertaining to art criticism and theory, aesthetics and museum studies. In addition, the library has a significant collection of contemporary artists' books.Originally reserved for museum curators, under specific conditions the library exceptionally allows associated researchers and students enrolled at Parsons Paris School of Art + Design to access the collections, with the academic supervision of Parsons Paris' instructors.
Internship Scholarship at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou
Parsons Paris and the Bibliothèque Kandinsky have created a joint framework that enables select juniors and seniors whose work displays academic merit to benefit from the unique opportunity to obtain an internship/scholarship at the Bibliothèque Kandinsky during the course of their studies. Candidates must be proficient in the French language.
Les Arts Décoratifs is a private, not-for-profit organization whose mission, since 1882, has been to promote the applied arts and support the relationship between industry, culture, and design. Originally known as the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs (UCAD), Les Arts Décoratifs operates the museums (Arts Décoratifs, Mode et Textile, Publicité), and the Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs from its location in the Rohan and Marsan wings of the Louvre complex. It also comprises the Musée Nissim de Camondo, located in the Hôtel Camondo (63 rue de Monceau), and the Ecole Camondo, a school of design and interior architecture (266 boulevard Raspail). Les Ateliers du Carrousel offer training workshops in arts and crafts for students of all ages and abilities throughout the organization's three sites. All of these institutions function collectively to uphold the mission of Les Arts Décoratifs: "to keep alive in France the culture of the arts which seek to make useful things beautiful" by preserving, enriching, and documenting its collections; transmitting knowledge and skills; promoting contemporary design; and developing links with industry.
The Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs is a research library dedicated to the decorative and applied arts. Boasting an impressive collection of 120,000 publications-including exhibition and sale catalogues, books, periodicals, 19th-century Japanese books and scrolls, photographs, and other printed records-the library is integral to the institution's missions of education, preservation, and documentation, and is an invaluable resource for researchers and designers. Of particular interest is the Maciet picture collection, a compilation of engravings and original photographs begun in 1885, which lines the walls of the library in 5,000 albums classified by subject.
Parsons Paris School of Art + Design supports the Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs through an annual donation dedicated to acquisitions for the collection, demonstrating the school's ongoing commitment to research in the fields of art and design. This new partnership gives students and faculty at Parsons Paris privileged access to the library's resources.
For more information on Les Arts Décoratifs, visit www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Lead by Francois Lesage, La Maison Lesage is among the premier embroidery suppliers worldwide. Exemplary workmanship responding to the innovative needs of an emerging generation of couturiers gained La Maison Lesage a clientele of fashion greats including: Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Scherrer, Lacroix, and Gaultier. In 2002, Francois Lesage joined the Chanel galaxy and continues to provide this extraordinary craftsmanship to the leaders of the industry.
Guardian of the disappearing savoir-faire of the craft of embroidery, Francois Lesage established a school to pass on this great tradition. Since its inception in 1992, the Ecole Lesage, located on the ground floor of the Maison Lesage on the rue de la Grange Batelière, has unveiled its embroidery secrets and specialized knowledge to students from around the world.
In 2009, Parsons Paris School of Art + Design and the Ecole Lesage have partnered to provide our students with an opportunity to learn this great craft and be a part in preserving this technical and artistic heritage.
