Bergen National Academy of the Arts

The Bergen National Academy of the Arts is an art school in central Bergen offering instruction in fine arts, design, and visual communication subjects. The institution teaches students across disciplines including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, printmaking, photography, time-based art, and new media.

The academy was founded in 1972 and merged with The Grieg Academy in 2017 to form the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design at the University of Bergen. The move to a new building by Snøhetta that same year brought the previously scattered facilities together.

The academy serves as a gathering place where artists and designers from around the world work side by side in studios scattered across central Bergen. You can see student exhibitions and projects throughout the city, making creative work visible to the broader community.

The main building on Møllendalsveien is easily reached by public transport or on foot from the city center. Visitors should know that various studios and galleries have different opening times depending on the semester.

The new Snøhetta building that opened in 2017 is itself a work of contemporary architecture and shows how art institutions shape their spaces. The building design reflects the idea that the environment where artists work influences the creative process.