Sommerakademie Blieskastel — ARTefix

35 Years of Creative Saarland

With its 35 years, the ARTefix Sommerakademie Blieskastel is the oldest and most renowned summer art school in Saarland. It is supported by the association ARTefix e.V. — Freie Kunstschule Saarpfalz, based in neighbouring Homburg. During the first three weeks of the Saarland summer holidays, the academy opens its workshops and studios — in a place where creativity is almost unavoidable: around the baroque orangery of Blieskastel with its historic palace garden, in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Bliesgau.

Courses for Every Level

The 2026 programme spans a wide range — from classical drawing fundamentals (Igor Mikhajlov: Proportions, Perspective, Light and Shadow) to medieval calligraphy (Brigitte Jenner: Bastarda) to modern urban sketching (Armin Rohr: Architecture, Perspective, Urban Spaces). In addition, life drawing, watercolour, oil painting, printmaking techniques (linocut, etching), sculpture in stone and clay, photography, writing workshops, performance and theatre courses, as well as special programmes for children and young people.

Adult courses typically cost €200 per week (plus materials), running from Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The academy also offers Bildungsfreistellung (educational leave) for all Sommerakademie courses — meaning: working participants can claim educational leave in some federal states.

The 2026 Anniversary Musical

The very special highlight of the 35th edition: a specially composed musical „ARTefix — die unendlichen Farben der Zeit“. Rehearsed and produced during the Sommerakademie itself, it will be performed on July 9, 2026, at 7 PM in the Bliesgau-Festhalle — with participants of all ages on stage. A premiere that is both a review and a new beginning: 35 years of art school, celebrated on stage rather than in a ballroom.

The Setting: Blieskastel and the Bliesgau

Blieskastel in the Saarpfalz district is a baroque small town with a palace, orangery, and one of the most beautiful old town promenades in Saarland. Around it: the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Bliesgau, with scattered fruit orchards, lean meadows, the Blies estuary, and hiking trails that can soften even the most sceptical city dwellers. Anyone who combines three weeks of art workshop with a stroll, a picnic in the palace garden, and an evening glass of wine in one of the old town pubs has effectively booked a cultural holiday.

More Than an Art School

ARTefix is a member of the LAG Soziokultur Saar and sees itself as a low-threshold, open educational institution. Scholarships for young participants, reduced places, inclusive offers — the social aspect is part of the concept. So, if you want not only to work creatively but also to meet an interesting mix of people (teachers, retirees, students, professionals on educational leave, international guests), this is the place for you.