ÉSAL Metz-Épinal

Presentation

The ÉSAL (École supérieure d'art de Lorraine) is a public institution of higher art education spread across two sites, Metz and Épinal. Born from the merger of the art schools of these two cities, it awards the national degrees of the art curriculum: DNA (bachelor's level) and DNSEP (master's level), under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.

Teaching

The pedagogy is based on the model of higher art schools: practice workshops, personal project supervision, theoretical courses (art history, aesthetics, media culture), languages and workshops with outside speakers. Students gradually move from a shared multidisciplinary foundation to more autonomous work, validated by a dissertation and a diploma exhibition.

The two sites have complementary orientations: Metz develops teaching around art and communication / graphic design, while Épinal focuses on printed image, publishing and printing techniques — a heritage linked to the city's tradition of imagery. Depending on the site, workshops cover screen printing and engraving, photography, video and sound, volume, as well as digital tools.

Context

Located in the Grand Est region, in close proximity to Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, the school is part of an environment conducive to cross-border exchanges and international mobility. Metz also offers an active artistic context, notably with the presence of the Centre Pompidou-Metz and local contemporary art structures.