Konstfack, or University of Arts, Crafts and Design, is a

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

for higher education in the area of art, crafts and design in Stockholm, Sweden.

History

Konstfack has had several different names since it was founded in 1844 by the ethnologist and artist

Nils Månsson Mandelgren Nils is a Scandinavian given name, a chiefly Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Latvian variant of Niels, cognate to Nicholas. People and animals with the given name * Nils Bergström (born 1985), Swedish ice hockey player *Nils Björk (1898–1989), ...

as a part-time art school for artisans, under the name "Söndags-Rit-skola för Handtverkare" ("Sunday Drawing School for Artisans"). The school was taken over by ''Svenska Slöjdföreningen'' (today known as

Svensk form Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

) the next year and renamed ''Svenska Slöjdföreningens skola''. In 1857, the first two female students (Sofi Granberg and Matilda Andersson) were accepted, and the following year female students officially were invited to apply. It became a state school and was renamed ''Slöjdskolan i Stockholm'' (Handicraft School in Stockholm) in 1859; and in the context of a thorough reorganisation, where the school was divided into four departments in 1879, to ''Tekniska skolan'' (The Technical School). From 1945 it was known as ''Konstfackskolan'' (The school of art departments), when the institution was divided into the departments devoted to distinct disciplines that remain largely today: ''Textile, Decorative art, Sculpture, Ceramics, Furniture and Interior Design, Metal'' and ''Advertising and Printing''. The school also obtained official status and had a two-year day school and a three-year arts and craft evening school. To this was added a two-year higher Arts and Crafts school and a three-year Art Teacher institute. It was given the status of a ''högskola'' ("university college") in 1978. From 1993 it was called just ''Konstfack'', the short form of the name formerly used colloquially.Björkman, Ivar; Konstfack 2006-07, Stockholm 2006. ISBN /91-85549-00-2, ISBN /978-91-85549-00-9. Long located on Norrmalm, between Klara kyrka and Hötorget, the school was in 1959 moved to a new building on Valhallavägen with well-equipped workshops, designed by architects Gösta Åberg and Tage Hertzell. In 2004, it once again moved to the former headquarters of LM Ericsson at Telefonplan in

Stockholm Municipality Stockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm ( sv, Stockholms kommun or ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It has the largest population of the 290 municipalities of the country, but one of the smallest areas, mak ...

. The 20,300-square metre interior of the old factory building was redesigned by among others architect

Gert Wingårdh Gert Wingårdh (born 1951) is a Swedish architect whose company, Wingårdh arkitektkontor, maintains an international practice.''Gert Wingårdh; Thirty Years of Architecture'', Mikael Nanfeldt (ed.) (Birkhäuser Publishers for Architecture, 2008 ...

Education

Following the standards of the Bologna process, Konstfack offers bachelor's degree programmes (3 years, 180 ECTS credits, Bachelor of Fine Arts), and master's degree programmes (2 years, 120 ECTS credits,

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts a ...

). There are also Art Education programmes (teacher programmes, 4,5 years and 5 years). The 2-year Animation education existed between 1996 and 2005; and was located in Eksjö. There are seven Bachelor's Programmes : *Ceramics and Glass *Fine Art *Graphic Design and Illustration *Industrial Design *Interior Architecture and Furniture Design *Textiles *Metal Design The Undergraduate Program is conducted in Swedish. There are five Master's Programmes: *Craft (Dept. of Craft) *Design (Dept. of Design, Interior Architecture and Visual communications) *Fine Art (Dept. of Fine Art), and *Visual Communication (Dept. of Design, Interior Architecture and Visual Communications) * Visual Culture and Learning One goal of Konstfack's two-year Graduate Programmes is to attract both Swedish and international students, and the education is held mainly in English. There is also a doctoral program given in collaboration with Royal Institute of Technology: * Art, Technology and Design

Professional courses

Konstfack offers courses for professionals, for example CuratorLab and Research Lab.

Departments

Konstfack has four departments: * ''Craft'', * ''Design, Interior architecture and Visual communications'', * ''Fine Art'' and * ''Department of Visual Arts and Sloyd Education''.

Examinations and The Spring Exhibition

The third year of the bachelor's program and the second year of the master's includes a degree project, ten weeks at BFA-level and twenty at MFA-level, ending with a public examination and, if the student passes the examination, an exhibition for all graduating students: the Spring Exhibition (''Vårutställningen'' in Swedish). The annual exhibition usually takes place at Konstfack during two weeks in May, with around 150 exhibiting students, and attracts thousands of visitors.
Link to the official website for the Spring Exhibition 2015 (English version)

Notable alumni

A selection of some distinguished former students at the different departments at Konstfack (Art or designer groups referred to by their collective names): Fine Arts:
Hilma af Klint, Cecilia Edefalk, Ingela Ihrman,

Stig Lindberg Stig Lindberg (17 August 1916 in Umeå, Sweden – 7 April 1982 in San Felice Circeo, Italy) was a Swedish ceramic designer, glass designer, textile designer, industrial designer, painter, and illustrator. One of Sweden's most important ...

(textile and ceramic designer), Annika von Hausswolff, Carl Milles, Dorinel Marc,

Johanna Billing Johanna Billing (born 1973) is a Swedish artist. Her work has been featured in major group exhibitions such as Dokumenta 12, Istanbul Biennial (2005) and the 50th Venice Biennale. Life and work Johanna Billing was born 1973 in Jönköping, ...

, Maria Miesenberger, Miriam Bäckström, Caroline Schlyter,

Karin Mamma Andersson Mamma Andersson (born 1962) is a Swedish contemporary artist. She is based in Stockholm and is married to artist Jockum Nordström. Biography Born Anna Karin Andersson, she drew and painted from an early age without any family members being inter ...

. Graphic Design & Illustration:

Carl Johan De Geer Baron Carl Johan Louis De Geer af Finspång (born 13 July 1938) is a Swedish artist, writer, musician and '' friherre'' (baron) of the De Geer noble family. De Geer was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He grew up in a castle in Skåne, in southe ...

(artist and designer), Lasse Åberg (filmmaker), Brita Granström (artist and illustrator), Lotta Kühlhorn,

Lars Hall Lars Göran Ivar Hall (30 April 1927 – 26 April 1991) was a Swedish modern pentathlete who competed at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics. He won the individual event at both Games and finished second with the Swedish team in 1952. In 1952 he ...

(advertising), Oskar Korsár (artist and illustrator), Tuulikki Pietilä (artist), RBG6 (motion graphics), REALA,

Stina Wirsén Stina Wirsén Hedengren (born 1968) is a Swedish author and illustrator. Early life and education Stina Wirsén was born in 1968 in Älvsjö, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. Her parents were Carin and Christian Wirsén. She started making art in ...

(illustrator), Ana Biscaia,

Tove Jansson Tove Marika Jansson (; 9 August 1914 – 27 June 2001) was a Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking Finnish author, novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. Brought up by artistic parents, Jansson studied art from ...

(artist and illustrator). Interior Architecture & Furniture Design:
Claesson Koivisto Rune, Gunilla Allard, Jonas Bohlin, Mats Theselius, Stefan Borselius, Thomas Bernstrand, Greta Magnusson-Grossman. Industrial Design:
A & E Design,

Katja Pettersson Katja Pettersson is a Swedish designer who has worked and studied within a broad spectrum of design. Biography Before studying industrial design at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack) she worked in theatres and with t ...

, Front (arty designers),

Veryday Veryday was a Swedish industrial design consultancy, headquartered in the Bromma area of Stockholm, with additional studios in New York City, Singapore, Dubai, and London. It was formally named Ergonomi Design Gruppen (English: Ergonomic Design G ...

(formerly Ergonomidesign), No Picnic, Propeller, Transformator Design. Ceramics & Glass:
Bertil Vallien, Per B. Sundberg, Zandra Ahl,

Christian Pontus Andersson Christian Pontus Andersson (born 1977) is a Swedish artist and sculptor, living in Södermalm, Stockholm. Christian Pontus Andersson was born in the small town Brattfors, county of Värmland, in Sweden. First working as a television journalist, ...

(artist). Art Education:

Cecilia Torudd Cecilia Torudd (born 1942) is a Swedish illustrator and author born in Lund. Since the 1970s, she has been a contributing illustrator for the children's magazine ''Kamratposten''. Background She is the daughter of Albert Levan, and Karin Malm ...

(cartoonist),

Elsa Beskow Elsa Beskow ( Maartman; 11February 187430June 1953) was a famous Swedish author and illustrator of children's books. Among her better known books are ''Tale of the Little Little Old Woman'' and ''Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender''. Back ...

(writer and illustrator of children's books), Gert Z Nordström, Jan Stenmark (artist),

Jockum Nordström Jockum Nordström (born 1963) is a Swedish artist, best known for his vivid collages, but also for his drawings, paintings and work as an illustrator. Biography Jockum Nordström was born December 19, 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden in a family with tw ...

(artist). Textiles:
Astrid Sampe, Hans Krondahl, Mah-Jong (creators of intellectual fashion in the 1960s and 1970s); Susanne Pagold (fashion journalist), 10-gruppen;

Helena Hernmarck Helena Hernmarck (born in Stockholm, Sweden, 1941) is a Swedish tapestry artist who lives and works in the United States. She is best known for her monumental tapestries designed for architectural settings. Early life and education Hernmark's pa ...

. Metal Design:
Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Gunnar Cyrén.

Sources

External links

*
The Spring Exhibition 2007
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2007 (English version).
The Spring Exhibition 2008
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2008.
The Spring Exhibition 2009
The website for the Master Spring Exhibition 2009.
The Spring Exhibition 2010
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2010.
The Spring Exhibition 2011
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2011.
The Spring Exhibition 2012
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2012.
The Spring Exhibition 2013
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2013.
The Spring Exhibition 2014
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2014.
The Spring Exhibition 2015
The website for the Spring Exhibition 2015. {{authority control Konstfack University colleges in Sweden Art schools in Sweden Higher education in Stockholm Culture in Stockholm Graphic design schools Design schools Educational institutions established in 1844 1844 establishments in Sweden