Local Artists Invite You to Les Ateliers Forcalquier Festival in July

The association Les Ateliers Forcalquier invites you to the eleventh edition of their festival, “Les Ateliers Ouverts, “from July 26 to 29, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Dedicated to art, this emblematic event in the heart of summer is an excellent occasion to discover Forcalquier and the creative, friendly spirit that is part of the town’s DNA. Every street corner will reveal a new creation in this charming town, recognized for decades as a cradle of artistic life. Artists and craftspeople will open the doors of their shops and studios, inviting you to discover their work.

©Sébastien Renard

Visit Artist’s Ateliers

During the weekend, more than 60 creators will be on hand to talk with you and explain their work. They’ll share their know-how and passion, constantly exploring new materials, media, and techniques. The works on display—paintings, sculptures, photographs, ceramics, weavings, jewellery, and more—will be available.

A local guide will offer tours (in French) combining history, heritage, and workshops/galleries. The event is also designed with families in mind, with art workshops for children on the Place du Palais. For music lovers, a Battucada will add a rhythmic touch to your artistic experience.

Whatever your appetite for art, this event will captivate enthusiasts and the curious alike in a convivial atmosphere!

Who are the Artists?

Here is an introduction to some of the artists and craftspeople you can meet this summer in Forcalquier:

Lucy Allard: Her work takes us on a journey between dreamlike and intimate worlds with an exuberant palette of colours and patterns. @lucy.allard on Instagram

©Lucy Allard

Galerie ARTY, Made in Forcalquier, located at 7, rue Bérenger, will have pieces from these three exhibitors:

©Nathalie Compain

1. Nathalie Compain
   “My artistic approach has always been oriented towards feminine art. Sacred femininity, the body as sanctuary, the heart as direction, various techniques and media to speak of connections to the environment, to society and to the beings around us.”
2. Laëtitia König, Victroian Rehab
   All Victorian Rehab jewellery is unique, made from antique timepieces from the 1900s through the 1970s, butterfly wings, scarab elytra, gemstones, and antique prints. Wanting to break away from the heavy and masculine effect of mechanical parts, Laëtitia König, the designer, is inspired by Victorian jewellery, the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods. Here is her website.
3. Terra Mea Ceramics: Discover the contemporary ceramic designs on their website.

©TERRA MEA

Catherine Biglietti: “I remain faithful to clay for the pleasure of modelling, but bronze attracts me for its durability and its ability to defy the laws of gravity.” Catherine’s website.

©Catherine Biglietti

Lucil Brocato, La Tendresse Des Loups: “My interest in primitive arts and mythology is expressed aesthetically in my creations through symbolic or totemic inspirations and raw design. Each piece of jewellery is crafted from recycled silver and brass.” Lucil’s website.

©Lucil Brocato

Bobol – Bénédicte Mourgues-Narcy: Bénédicte creates utilitarian and decorative pieces and jewellery, all of which pay tribute to the beauty and delicacy of porcelain. She also collaborates with chefs to develop objects for the table, such as a recent collaboration with the nearby Convent des Minimes for their gourmet restaurant, Le Feuillée. Discover her work here.

©Bobol

Hugues Breton: In his work, Hugues is attentive to the friction between real and imaginary, mixing photography, collage, and watercolour. Through contact with contemporary poetry, he has also added video production to his work, leading to installations combining painting and video. Discover more about his work on Instagram @huguesbreton.

©Hugues Breton

Pierre Buteau: Animal sculptures from steel salvaged from old agricultural or industrial machinery.

©Pierre Buteau

Patrick Ciuti: “My gallery-workshop offers an artistic rendezvous with original creations: oil on canvas, drawing, watercolour, etching techniques: etching, woodcut, burin.” Here is his website.

©Patrick Ciuti

Wendy Coleby Watkins: Artist- painter. “Impressions of landscapes, memories of time and place merge on my canvases, which often integrate several materials: acrylics, watercolours, inks and pastels as well as textiles and collage, alternating opacity and transparency in superimposed layers.” Discover her work on Instagram @wendycolebywatkins_artist.

©Wendy Coleby Watkins

Luc De Backer: “I am a sculptor (wood, clay, plaster…), currently working with glued wood, sometimes back-lit, in a raw and abstract style.” #upcycling. Discover more on Luc’s website.

©Luc De Backer

Hervé Déléris: enameller

©Hervé Deléris

Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie: Jeanne is inspired by the splendours of nature, the drama of light and shadow, and the fruits of human genius, from the finest architecture to the creativity of the small child. Her favourite medium is watercolour. Explore Jeanne’s work on her website.

©Jeanne B de Sainte Marie

Martine Devrieze: “Vertiginous peaks are my favourite subjects, allowing me to express my delight in nature. Nature remains an infinite field of exploration. Animals and people appear more and more often at the bend of a path…”

©Martine Devrieze

Julie Dauchez Diabate: Julie is a painter and dancer. She regularly travels to Burkina Faso. Her intense, colourful acrylic portraits pay tribute to the people of Africa and the rest of the world. Follow Julie on Instagram @julieee_dauchez.

©Julie Dauchez Diabete

Françoise Gorenflot, FBG Créations: Françoise weaves unique pieces on traditional looms with noble, luxurious natural fibres. “I like to work with patterns and colors through dyeing: Ikat techniques, warp painting, Shibori. My yarns can be extremely fine to let light shine through or very thick for rugs.” Follow Françoise on Instagram @francoise_fbgcreations.

©Françoise Gorenflot

Fiona Keane: A fresco artist and fabric screen printer, Fiona is interested in patterns, colour, and illusion. She works on old photos, using gouache paint, collage, and sewing to create a link between the early 20th century and the present day. She will show up in her home at the Les Ateliers Forcalquier Festival, just a bit outside the town centre. Discover her universe of pattern and colour, which is well worth the visit! Find out more about her work on Instagram @fiona.keane.18.

©Fiona Keane

Iggy Martin: Nothing is lost; everything is transformed! These one-of-a-kind objects are made from mechanical parts in wood and metal. Here is Iggy’s Instagram profile, @iggy_conception.

©Iggy Martin

Dominique Gardey: “The creation of my steel sculptures is based on a specific field of geometry. The structures thus created present illusory curves, induced by the singular assembly of rectilinear elements giving them the impression of having been deformed. I call all my work Induced Curves.”

©Dominique Gardey

Bruno Gauclain: Bruno expresses himself instinctively, using oil paints and palette knives. He paints the nature of Provence: flowers, trees, paths, and the heritage of the Luberon. He enjoys painting in his gallery and passionately explains his technique.

©Bruno Gauclin

Feng Ge: Feng is deeply concerned with the energy of thought and gesture and their pictorial completion. Heir to the Impressionists, this Chinese painter, who has lived in the region since 2013, distinguishes himself by the strength of his line and the vital energy of his pictorial expression, inherited directly from his calligraphy practice—Feng’s website.

©Feng Ge

Eric Klein: “I try to make tangible what I have been given to see, which is often only invisible.” Through simple accumulation, recomposition and spatialization, my assemblages attempt to give new life to the Forgotten: fragments of stone, wood, metal, fabric, family memories, travel, and encounters. Discover his Instagram feed @ericklein999.

©Eric Klein

Karine Girault and Paolo Fayet: Paolo paints and draws, and Karine knits beads and colours. Together, they explore spontaneous, singular creations to link and connect universes that mirror each other.

©Girault Fayet

Christophe Léman-Perucca: Christophe is a Franco-Italian artist who has worked under various pseudonyms. His work includes texts, films, drawings, paintings, photographs, and performances. Humour plays an essential role.

©Christophe Léman-Perucca

Célia Lepelletier: “I’m a graphic designer, illustrator, painter. My illustrations on kraft, India ink and watercolour take you into a colourful, dreamlike and vegetal world.” Discover her work on Instagram @_celia_lepelletier_.

©Célia Lepelletier

Les Mirettes at Place Martial Sicard in Forcalquier is a boutique featuring these six (6) creators.

©Les Mirettes

1. Myriam Aït Amar: Myriam creates functional and decorative objects in porcelain decorated with fine gold and jewelry in brass and silver—her website.
2. Audrey Borthayre: Hand-turned and decorated stoneware utility ceramics. She offers courses and workshops.
3. Aneth Clottes: Painter and ceramist, creating colourful paintings, collages, and glazed earthenware. Her studio is in the old town of Forcalquier, rue Marius Debout. Follow her profile on Instagram @anethclottes.
4. Maud Fizet’s Ninarosa Creations: Her website designs poetic porcelain jewelry decorated with fine gold in bright, cheerful colours.
5. Laetitia Marty: “As a ceramist, I create narrative sculptures and poetic landscapes in chamotte stoneware, as well as other unique pottery pieces.” Discover more on her website.
6. Sébastien Renard: photographe naturaliste. Nature photographer Sébastien Renard offers an eco-responsible line of photos of his adopted Provence. His art prints are on wood and recycled fibre paper. Here is his website.

Elisabeth Molimard: “For me, woodturning is a way of life. Between the creative and the utilitarian, I continue to explore the sobriety rounded forms, always fascinated by the generosity of wood essences.”

©Elisabeth Molimard

Maison Passère – Galerie: The Maison Passère presents contemporary and multifaceted works, including painting, sculpture, photography, and video, in a beautiful 18th-century residence. “Quartier Libre” exhibit from July 19 through July 31. Find out more on the website.

©Galerie Passère

Catherine Pasteau, Atelier du Mille Pattes: Catherine is a potter who creates and presents her glazed clay farmyard. These are unique pieces to embellish your gardens. Here is her website.

©Catherine Pasteau

Lise Petermann designs and makes jewelry, mobiles, and embroidery in her workshop boutique at Place Saint-Michel. She will welcome you and help you find your favourite piece of jewelry, giving your day a touch of discreet and remarkable concrete poetry. Check out her work at @lisepetermann on Instagram.

©Lise Petermann

Karine Soudan: Self-taught, the human face inspires me…my pieces are in chamotte stoneware and left rough.

©Karine Soudan

Yanira Yariv: Yanira works in sculpture and unique, practical, hand-painted pieces of porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware. Through an expressive narrative, she questions and interprets the events in her intimate imagination and the echoes of transformations in today’s world. Discover more on this website.

©Yanira Yariv

The list above is just a sampling of the artwork you can discover in Forcalquier this summer! The complete festival programme, with a map showing the artists’ locations, is available on the Les Ateliers Forcalquier website.

©Sébastien Renard

Where to Eat in Forcalquier

For lunch, dinner or a stop for an afternoon sweet, we suggest a few spots in town:

Restaurants:

L’Art Bistrot
Place Saint Michel
Overlooking the Medieval fountain on the square, this newly opened restaurant serves fresh, simple food made daily.

Pois Chiche
Place St Michel
@poischiche_forcalquier

Avanti
Place Saint Michel
Italian food. Small and friendly.

Le Bas-Alpin
1 Rue Plauchaud
For a light and informal bite to eat with some wine. (wine bar)
Website

Le Jam
The Moroccan menu includes couscous and tagines.
2, Rue Mercière

l’Esperluette
28 Boulevard de Latourette
Below the street level, you can eat on the terrace. Vegan dishes are available.
Website

L’Innattendu
22, Boulevard Latourette

L’Atelier Margaux
5, Boulevard Latourette
Fusion, cuisine du monde, sushi, tartares, Poke bols, Home-made desserts

For a short art break:

Boulangerie La Source
Sandwiches, quiches, breads and sweets. Outdoor eating below street level
14, Boulevard Latourette

Flazzi
Award-winning homemade ice creams and Italian pastries.
16 Boulevard Latourette

Chez Émée
Place Saint Michel
The charming proprietor, Émée, will serve you her excellent ice creams and sorbets with a smile!

Créations Gourmandes Forcalquier
28 Boulevard Latourette
Pastries by Pierre-Jean François
Outdoor terrace and takeaway
Website

Guest Author Bio

Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie is an artist, designer and illustrator-author of children’s picture books.
She is Franco-American, born in the United States and hails from Michigan in the Great Lakes Region. After a career in automotive colour and fabric design in the US and Europe, she settled in France, thus completing the round-trip of her French-Canadian ancestors. Her work has been exhibited and published on both sides of the Atlantic and showcased in the Paris’ Bibliothèque Forney collections and the Mazza Museum, University of Findlay, Ohio.

How to connect with Jeanne:
Website
Instagram @justjeanneb

Touring Ideas Near Forcalquier

Art scene: In 2014, a small group of artists created the Association Ateliers Forcalquier. Primarily located in the historic centre, rue Marius Debout, they decided to group their efforts, thus creating a dynamic community and giving visibility to their work. The creative arts (art, craft, music, theatre) have been integral to the Forcalquier scene for decades. Association Ateliers Forcalquier organises the festival. Its sixty-some members work in diverse mediums – clay, glass, wood, paper, paints, textiles, photography and more.

Gorges du Verdon: The Grand Canyon of France! Turquoise waters, impressive cliffs, and a beautiful lake for various water activities. If you are in the South of France, you should visit the Gorges du Verdon. The most accessible part of the gorges on the water can be found at the Pont du Galetas near Salles-sur-Verdon, on the road leading to Moustiers Sainte-Marie. You will find rental spots for pedal boats, electric boats and kayaks on both sides of the river near the bridge.

Market: The Forcalquier Monday morning market is as beautiful as many other large Provençal markets. It’s in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region and is located close to Valensole. In July, you’ll see the vast expanses of lavender fields in the Valensole plains with mountains in the distance.

Remarkable Garden: The Salagon Priory has gardens with over 1,700 plants. Located just outside the village of Mane, the site has changed through the ages from a Gallo-Roman villa (1st century AD) to a museum and historical monument since 1981. However, traces of the earliest inhabitants date to the Neolithic period, 10,000–4,500 BC. Find out more.

Visitor Guide to the Alpes de Haute Provence