Art Academy of Nuremberg

The Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, founded in 1662 as the first school of art in German-speaking central Europe, sees itself as a laboratory engaged in unrestricted research and creativity. Liberal and applied arts constitute the main areas of instruction.

In the classes for fine arts, sculpture, fine arts, painting, artistic concepts, art education, gold- and silversmithing, as well as graphic design, the professors and students carry out candid discussions. The master courses of Architecture and Urban Research as well as Art and Public Space are among the most renowned in their fields.

The Academy tries to make all forms and expressions of contemporary artistic practice possible and to comprehend these in their proper social and historical-critical contexts. The basis of such education is the encouragement of each student’s individual development; thus, for conceiving and achieving his artistic goals, each student is himself largely responsible. The educational goals are the attainment of individual competence and of skills in theory and practice that allow for growth and development.

Creative discourse thrives upon differing aesthetic points of view. For this reason, specialists from a wide variety of disciplines are regularly invited as guests; thus, students may gain insight into fields that are seemingly unrelated to art. Changing appointments and guest professorships stimulate and broaden the spectrum of artistic endeavor.

Teaching takes place today in an ensemble of transparent pavilions that were designed by Sep Ruf and have been classified as an historical monument. Located at the edge of the city, the campus offers an intensive work atmosphere. Artistic techniques are taught in outstandingly well-equipped workshops. In the exhibition hall of the Academy and in the Galery of the Academy, young artists, some for the first time, publicly present their work. In addition to the main location in Nuremberg’s Zerzabelshof district, the college has been using space in the historical imperial castle in Lauf since 1985 as a branch location in which to accommodate the art education and art pedagogy classes.

Partnerships with colleges in Western and Eastern Europe—Budapest, Helsinki, Cracow, Palermo, Riga, Sassari, Urbino, Vienna—make it possible for students to complete part of their course of study abroad.