Eight new master-apprentice pairs announced for French craft preservation program
On April 7, the French Ministry of Culture revealed eight new pairs for the Maîtres d'art-Élèves program, which has been safeguarding rare crafts since 1994. Each pair will work together for two years to transmit endangered skills. The 2026 cohort includes expertise in stucco, cutlery, bow-making, paper marbling, baroque lute making, Renaissance and baroque instrument making (recorders, oboes, cornets), silver gelatin printing at the Picto laboratory, stucco marble and stone illusion techniques, and hand-loom weaving of silk velvet. The program has trained 150 masters to date.
Key facts
- Program Maîtres d'art-Élèves initiated by French Ministry of Culture in 1994
- Eight new pairs announced on April 7
- Each pair works together for two years
- Skills include stucco, cutlery, bow-making, paper marbling, baroque lute making, Renaissance/baroque instrument making, silver gelatin printing, stucco marble and stone, hand-loom silk velvet weaving
- Program has produced 150 masters
- Pairs involve a master and an apprentice
- Location: France, with specific reference to Caen and Guédelon
- Picto laboratory mentioned for silver gelatin printing
Entities
Institutions
- Ministère de la Culture
- Picto
- Guédelon
Locations
- Caen
- France