Villa Albertine An American residence for French creatives and artisans

A groundbreaking, ambitious idea

Aware of the cultural and economic stakes for every field of creation, especially crafts and design, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has decided to create a fourth Villa de la France abroad. Villa Albertine is an edgy, ambitious project aiming to update the idea of residency by promoting a new, more flexible kind of system geared to the host country’s realities. In this spirit, the Villa will move beyond the traditional single- location model and expand its residencies to the country’s 10 biggest cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Synergy between France, the United States and beyond

The Villa Albertine will operate as a cultural and economic platform between France and the United States with the aim of encouraging French artists to travel to the United States for inspiration, networking, encounters and an entry into the local ecosystem. The fourth villa will create opportunities to rethink the synergy between France, the United States, the Arab world, French-speaking countries and other French residences, such as the Villa Kujoyama.

First residents in autumn 2021

Each year, the Villa Albertine welcomes 60 creators for custom-designed, one to three-month residencies. Three are designers and artisans. The Villa announced all its residents and partner institutions in autumn 2021. For over 20 years, the foundation has worked to promote craftsmanship. This project benefits greatly from its support. It will fund 31 residencies for craft and design professionals over the next five years.