The La Napoule
Art Foundation is recognized as a not-for-profit organization
sponsoring international, multidisciplinary programs as an
avenue for cultural exchange, in particular between France
and the United States. The Artist-in-Residence Program serve
to promote creative exploration and exchange among persons
of diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Incorporated in the
State of New York, the Foundation was established in 1951
by Marie Clews to preserve the works of her husband, Henry
Clews (1876-1937), and to ensure the continued use of the
Château as an art and cultural center. The Château
de La Napoule provides an environment conducive not only to
individual creativity, but also to artistic collaboration.
Situated just west of Cannes, overlooking the Mediterranean,
the Château occupies a site first settled by the Romans
more than 2,000 years ago. The castle, originally erected
by the Villeneuve family during the fourteenth century,
was destroyed and rebuilt eight times before its purchase
by Henry and Marie Clews in 1918. The American couple restored
the ruined monument according to their extremely personal
interpretation of the French Middle Ages. Two ancient towers,
dating to the Roman and Saracen periods, were integrated
into the Château complex; the design of the gatehouse,
cloister, portals and terraces reflect the Clews’
eclectic, neo-medieval fantasy. Four acres of walled, formal
gardens designed by Marie Clews, separate the Château
from the village of La Napoule. It is Henry Clews’
own sculptural decor, combining wit and turn-of-the-century
sensibility that makes the Château de La Napoule a
monument to the couple’s passion for artistic expression.
The Artist-in-Residence Program serves to share the Clews’
dedication to promoting the arts by offering artists a unique
atmosphere in which to live and work. The location of the
Château - in a region rich in culture, history and
artistic traditions - is ideal. At the heart of the program
is the concept of providing the individual artist with time
and space for the creative process.
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
STUDIO SPACE
LIVING ACOMMODATIONS
