Artist Residencies & Workshops near the French Pyrenees and the Atlantic Coast

A thousand-year-old castle, now a space to create.

Artist Residencies & Workshops near the French Pyrenees and the Atlantic Coast

A thousand-year-old castle, now a space to create.
The thousand-year-old guard house, home of BéArtz, Sauveterre-de-Béarn
The Guard House — BéArtz
The Pont de la Légende and medieval towers of Sauveterre-de-Béarn above the river
Le Pont de la Légende, Sauveterre-de-Béarn

2027 Workshops

A week of making with invited artists, in a thousand-year-old house in the Béarn.

  • 3–10 May · Isabelle Gaborit – Luminous Terrain, landscape in encaustic
  • 17–24 May · Jeff Hirst – Encaustic painting & printmaking
  • 30 May – 7 June · Donya Stockton – Basket weaving, sculpture & fibre art · details coming soon
  • 15–22 July · Andrew Wykes – Landscape drawing & painting · details coming soon
  • 20–26 September · Nuala Clarke – Light and luminosity in acrylic abstract painting
  • 4–10 October · Sharon Griffin – Sculpting the head in clay
  • 18–25 October · Glen Rogers – Making magic with monotype printing
See all workshops & book →

Workshop or residency?

A 45-second clip: the studios, the village, and the difference between joining a workshop and coming for a residency.

BEArtz — Arts in the Béarn

A thousand-year-old castle, now a space to create.

The Guard House (formerly À Boste) is a thousand-year-old fortified guard house on the Camino de Santiago, privately owned and lovingly renovated by its founder. The residency hosts artists, and welcomes workshops led by invited artists, in a warm, home-like atmosphere, full of art in every corner. Many artists return year after year, drawn by a sense of belonging, continuity, and creative inspiration.
BéArtz is a living, evolving residency rather than a polished retreat — the building has the character and texture of its thousand-year-old stone, and is classified 3 Stars by the French Tourist Office. The studios are part of an ongoing development. We have a new large studio in a separate building in the old village forge.Participants come to make work in a beautiful, character-rich environment with local food, real village life, and a community of artists. We are a small, intentional space, well suited to artists at any level who value an historic and eclectic atmosphere.

“A unique opportunity to experience historic lodging, a beautiful location (totally walkable) and a host dedicated to meeting the needs of students as development of the center evolves.”
— Vicki, Great Falls, USA

New: a studio-loft residency in Paris. Light, space and a secret garden, just 600 m from the city. Combine Paris with the Pyrenees. Discover the Paris loft →

The Gave d’Oloron seen from the village ramparts, with the Pyrenees on the horizon
The Gave d’Oloron from the ramparts, with the Pyrenees beyond

Who BéArtz is for

BéArtz may suit you if…BéArtz may not suit you if…
You want to make work in a historic, character-rich environmentYou are looking for a luxury retreat or hotel-style concierge service
You enjoy village life, local food, and the rhythm of southwest FranceYou require step-free access or fully adapted mobility facilities
You are comfortable with stone staircases, spiral stairs, and uneven historic spacesYou are uncomfortable with old buildings, multiple levels, or sloping cobbled streets
You value atmosphere, conversation, and creative community over polished perfectionYou prefer highly standardised accommodation or contemporary hotel finishes

A note on accessibility: the house has several levels, a historic stone spiral staircase, and a number of steps at the entrance. The village itself is built on a hill with sloping cobbled streets.

Studios · Ateliers

Artists at work in the large forge studio during a workshop
The forge studio during a workshop
The attic studio under old oak beams
The attic studio

Life at BéArtz · La vie à BéArtz

Workshop group at dinner on Clara’s terrace above the river
Where we usually eat: Clara’s terrace above the river
Two artists relaxing in the wooden tower lookout above the village rooftops
Evening in the tower lookout
A shared lunch of salads, falafel and flatbreads
Lunch together
A long table of artists dining by lamplight at the local arts café
An evening at the local arts café

BéArtz is also a non-profit · BéArtz est aussi une association

Alongside the residency, BéArtz is a non-profit arts association (loi 1901). Through it we have hosted concerts, run weekend workshops for Ukrainian refugees, and supported a number of artists’ workshops and residencies. As we grow, we hope to bring more of the village into what we do.

En parallèle de la résidence, BéArtz est une association loi 1901 à but non lucratif. À travers elle, nous avons accueilli des concerts, organisé des ateliers le week-end pour des réfugiés ukrainiens et soutenu plusieurs artistes dans leurs stages et résidences. En nous développant, nous espérons associer davantage le village à nos activités.

Supporting BéArtz: donations to the association are welcome. US donors can give through CAF America and receive a US tax deduction. Please write to info@be-artz.com for details.
Les dons à l’association sont les bienvenus : écrivez-nous à info@be-artz.com.

The area · La région

Snow-capped Pyrenees above green Béarn hills
The Pyrenees
Morning mist in the valley with mountains behind
Morning mist in the valley

Une petite maison forte millénaire, aujourd’hui un espace de création.

BéArtz occupe une maison forte millénaire (anciennement À Boste), située sur le chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle et restaurée avec soin par sa fondatrice.
La résidence accueille des artistes ainsi que des ateliers animés par des artistes invités, dans une atmosphère chaleureuse et habitée, où l’art est présent dans chaque recoin. Beaucoup d’artistes reviennent année après année, attirés par un sentiment d’appartenance, de continuité et d’inspiration créative.
BéArtz est une résidence vivante et en constante évolution plutôt qu’une retraite lisse ou standardisée — le bâtiment porte la texture et le caractère de ses mille ans d’histoire, et les ateliers font partie d’un développement en cours.
Les participants viennent y créer dans un environnement beau et plein de caractère, avec une cuisine locale généreuse, une vraie vie de village et une communauté d’artistes.
Nous sommes un lieu à taille humaine, particulièrement adapté aux artistes de tous niveaux qui privilégient l’atmosphère historique et l’authenticité à une finition de type hôtelier.

Note concernant l’accessibilité : la maison comporte plusieurs niveaux, un escalier en colimaçon en pierre et plusieurs marches à l’entrée. Le village lui-même est construit sur une colline avec des rues pavées en pente.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Workshops at BéArtz are independently led by invited artists. BéArtz provides the setting, accommodation, and studio spaces, and may recommend local excursions and restaurants.

Click here to see workshops

Fiery sunset over the Pyrenees
Sunset over the Pyrenees

Walk with me

Most mornings I post a Bonjour and a photo from my walk with my dog Pepita, around Sauveterre or wherever I happen to be. Follow my photo journey on Facebook.

Newsletter

News from BéArtz, now and then: new workshops, residencies and life in the Béarn. Unsubscribe anytime.
Des nouvelles de BéArtz de temps en temps : stages, résidences et vie en Béarn. Désinscription à tout moment.