Bergen Academy of Art and Design


Bergen Academy of Art and Design or KHiB is one of the two independent institutions of higher learning in the visual arts and design in Norway. It is located in Bergen, Norway.

History

Art education has long traditions in Bergen, as the first school of art was established there in 1772, modelled on the Academy of Art in Copenhagen. The present college, Bergen Academy of Art and Design, is a fairly new institution which in 1996 merged two former institutions; Vestlandets kunstakademi which had been founded in 1972 and Statens høgskole for kunsthåndverk og design which is dated to 1909.
The institution is spread across several buildings at two campuses. A new building is under construction that is designed by the architectural group Snøhetta after winning an International competition in 2005. Planned for 2009, the concept was redrawn to meet budget demands from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. It then took until 2013 before the Norwegian Government came through with the necessary funding for the project. The Academy will take the new building into use after its completion in the autumn of 2017.

Library

The Academy has a library on campus located in Vaskerelven 8. It offers books and periodicals on the subjects of art and design. Although primarily for students and staff, the library also welcomes the public.

Location

Bergen Academy of Art and Design is located in five buildings in the center of Bergen. The main building and reception area is in Strømgaten 1, just across from the Bergen Railway Station. In the vicinity of the main building the Department of Design is located at Kong Oscarsgate 62 and share a building in Marken 37 with the Department of Fine Art. The Department of Fine Art also has two more locations in buildings at Vaskerelven 8 and C. Sundtsgate 53.

Departments

Since a restructuring of the institution's departments in 2012, the academy have consisted of two departments: Department of Fine Art and Department of Design. In the study year of 2015–16 there are approximately 350 students and around 100 staff members. In addition a range of continuing and further education courses are available.
Students can take a three-year Bachelor degree or a two-year Master degree in the following areas:
The department is divided into two subject areas, Visual Communication and Furniture and Spatial Design /Interior Architecture.

Department of Fine Art

The department has eight specializations: painting and drawing, sculpture and installation, ceramics and clay, time-based art/performance, new media, textiles, printmaking, and photography.