Address by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, on the occasion of the presentation of the titles of Master of Art

One hundred and seven Masters of Art have been designated for the excellence of their
 skills and their talent, thus accepting to transmit
personally to a student their knowledge and techniques.

More than 90 young professionals have been trained in the
framework of this initiative.

Through the promotion of art masters, it is all professionals of
 crafts that we thank for their talent and commitment to
preserve those skills that the world often envies us.

The device of the masters of art allows to safeguard the rare know-how
 or exceptional professionals, who are
 only those who can transmit them. Through this transfer of skills from a
 As teachers of students, they preserve and perpetuate their professions, in
 adapting to new technologies, renewing their own creation.
They are heritage smugglers.

You know my particular interest in crafts. I have
 in this area a proactive policy of relaunching these
 trades. I want my department to continue its efforts to
 enhance the excellence of art masters and their students, and improve
 the transmission of these exceptional know-how. But I want to do
 more. While crafts are finally recognized as a true
 wealth, I want to give more visibility to the Masters of Art and
 their students, giving a solid and lasting foundation to this device
original.

I thank the mission of the crafts for its work, the members of the
 Council of Crafts, and Masters of Art who understand and
support the evolutions I wanted to bring to this device.

You know my particular interest in crafts. I have
 in this area a proactive policy of relaunching these
 trades. I want my department to continue its efforts to
 enhance the excellence of art masters and their students, and improve
 the transmission of these exceptional know-how. But I want to do
 more. While crafts are finally recognized as a true
 wealth, I want to give more visibility to the Masters of Art and
 their students, giving a solid and lasting foundation to this device
original.

I thank the mission of the crafts for its work, the members of the
 Council of Crafts, and Masters of Art who understand and
support the evolutions I wanted to bring to this device.

Crafts represent an invaluable cultural wealth; they
 form a true social fabric in itself. The support of my ministry
is acquired and their place strengthened through the following measures:

1 – Masters of Art have been representing excellence in crafts since 1994
 Appointed by the Minister of Culture, they undertake to
 know-how. I want to ensure the sustainability of this
 transfer of rare know-how by keeping with me the Council
 of crafts, and I entrust to the National Institute of Crafts
 the organization and management of this device, with the means in personnel
 and budgets that enable it to ensure this mission in the best
conditions.

2 - To give legal status and guarantee social protection for
 students of art masters who are custodians of this transmission, I
 application to the Direction générale de la création artistique, in connection with
 the Institut des Métiers d'Art, to rapidly develop its expertise on this
 point. Several operational solutions are emerging, allowing
 support this system while respecting the diversity of situations
 Art masters as their students. This necessary evolution will have to
 in 2012. In any case, the INMA is
 From 1 January 2012, it will be responsible for monitoring and
student training.

3 - Supporting the new generation of creative entrepreneurs
 in the field of crafts, I know that applied arts schools
 and decorative arts question their evolution within the framework of the LMD
 (master’s degree). Within the framework of the European area, the
 higher education, both to maintain knowledge transfer
 to ensure the development of creative and
 research, and promote the international attractiveness of our trainings.
 Current reflections on the subject reflect the full awareness of
 schools and public authorities, state and local authorities, that this is a
 Even if these schools are not “Culture” schools,
 I am very attentive to this subject, which is crucial for the future of the trades
for the vitality of our creation.

4 - Artisans of art of excellence must be better mobilized in order to
 to intervene in the conservation, restoration and restitution of
 and museum. To this end, I ask the
 Director General of Heritage and the Head of the Department of
 France to organize a consultation with the
 to assess needs and identify barriers
 I am asking them by the end of February 2012 to tell me what are the
 the concrete opportunities offered by the current legal framework governing
restoration interventions on the collections of museums in France.

5 - I ask the central and decentralized administrations to
 and its public institutions, including the
 National Monuments, Sevres-City of Ceramics, National Furniture,
 and museums to become more involved in The Days
 Européennes des métiers d'art”. Correspondents “métiers d'art”
 have been appointed in each regional cultural affairs directorate;
 they are mobilized to participate in the success of Days, which have become
 in Europe in 2012. The aim is to create a network of “arts and crafts”
 in each region, working closely with communities
 The role and missions of DRAC correspondents
 will extend beyond the European Days of Crafts. They will
 will promote applications for the title of Master of Art, the
 visibility of art masters and their students in cultural institutions
 collaboration between artists, designers and masters of art. For
 that, I ask that funds decentralized in the DRAC be
dedicated to the promotion and development of crafts in the regions.

6- The development of crafts requires a renewal of
 productions by artisans. Innovation and creation are in reality
 already present in the production of craftsmen and masters
 art; they can be encouraged by developing collaborations
 between craftsmen and designers, visual artists, architects, etc.
 In order to complement the public and private arrangements for this support, and
 to take into account the specificity of the craft, the DRAC may
 provide technical and financial support to these projects in their phase
experimental.

7 – I ask the INMA and the Department to provide
 communication based on the latest developments in the arts and talent
compose them.

I am very pleased, finally, that we have organized the exhibition of
 unique pieces made by new art masters in galleries
 of the Royal Palace. These original works are the testimony of a vitality and
a creativity that never ceases to renew itself.

I will now give each of the new Masters of Art a
 diploma produced by the Atelier du livre d'art et de l'estampe de l'Imprimerie
 in which a great art technician, Mr. Joël Bertin, works,
 we honor today. I ask each of the new graduates
please join me on the podium when their name is announced.

François LESAGE, Embroiderer
 Heir to a long tradition of embroiderers for haute couture and lending
 to wear, you make your first weapons for singular collections
 by Elsa Schiaparelli. After an apprenticeship in the family workshop,
 you fly to the United States to open a workshop on the avenue la
 most famous of the American West, Sunset Boulevard, where the know-how and
 the virtuosity you have acquired in France quickly open the
 doors of Hollywood studios. But your father’s death puts an end to this
 and in 1949, you took over his studio. Over the years,
 sixty, your innovative talent blossoms and emancipates from the weight of the
 tradition. You are experimenting with new materials, treatments
 and count among your clientele of great names of
 fashion such as Lanvin, Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, Grès, Patou, Yves Saint
 Laurent. During the eighties, you meet Christian
 Lacroix, then ten years later, Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier for
 which your house will produce masterpieces. You do not stay
 there: in 1992, you founded an embroidery school to transmit and
 perpetuate your art, where students and amateurs come to learn
 embroidery from around the world. In 2002, your home entered the galaxy
 Chanel, and you become for Karl Lagerfeld an irreplaceable partner. He
 will say of you: I do not design fashion without embroidery, nor embroidery
 without Lesage." Inspired creator and performer of the most famous fashion designers,
 you have made the largest collection of embroidery for sewing
in the world.

Joël BERTIN, typesetter
 You discovered your vocation at a young age. Your fierce
 will backed by the hazards of life have allowed you to advance in
 your path to excellence. After a learning in typography and
 in foundry at Auteuil Apprentice Orphans, you get a CAP of
 Estienne school. You are then immediately
 Meaulde-et-Renou establishments in Paris thanks to your
 double skill. But you feed the secret dream of integrating
 the National Printing Press, which you consider as the saint of saints. In
 1977, you join the team of founders of this
 institution. In 2003, you return to your first love and become
 team leader within the Atelier du Livre d'Art et de l'Estampe where you
 will have at heart to want to perpetuate the know-how so particular
 mechanical composition as well as cast iron
 letter, mechanical or manual. From the rewriting of the characters of
 the National Printing Bureau, including photocomposition services,
 pre-press and manufacturing, you will build a solid experience
 recognized internationally. You are working with
 artists from around the world such as Zanuzucchi, Ra Anan Levy or
 many art publishers like Maeght, Editart-Genève, editions of the
 Conference magazine, Agencia Literaria Carmen Balcells
 Traces editions. You have also developed new techniques
 innovative, such as the adaptation of some foundries to the Didot or
 cast iron fastener with slot for Japanese clasp, in
 particular for the book of the artist Miquel Barceló. You have
 chosen to transmit your know-how to Philippe Mérille, who
 same passion as you for this profession. Your willingness to transmit your
 knowledge is fully recognized with the completion of this diploma of
Art master, whom I am happy to present to you.

Gérard BORDE, ceramist
 After a prestigious debut in the Manufacture de Sèvres where you
 participate in the production of sculptures of contemporary artists
 different than François-Xavier Lalanne, Zao Wou Ki, Etienne Hajdu or
 Fance Franck, you are creating, in Limoges, a research and
 ceramic production to develop objects design. Traveling, you
 now oscillate between Limoges, where you hold the
 Technical Director of the Centre de Recherche sur les Arts du Feu et de la
 Land (CRAFT), and Tarbes where you teach at the School of Art and
Ceramics of the Pyrenees. You study and implement projects

of artists and designers contributing to innovation, constantly looking for the limits of ceramic material. Over eighty
 projects you have developed, such as the Lithophanian Stained Glass
 porcelain made with Philippe Favier and that we will discover in
 the exhibition dedicated to Masters of Art, collaborations with Marc
 Couturier, Martin Szekely, Yann Kersalé
 Urban ceramic Ubacer street furniture that combines designers
 international porcelain factories in the Limoges region.
 You are a perfect demonstration of the new uses of ceramics
 which is constantly opening up to new exceptional artistic projects.
 You have prepared the transmission of your know-how to your student,
 Aurélie Vrignon and the master of art diploma that I present to you
 today testifies to your perfect mastery for the job you
exercise.

Laurent NOGUES, graphic designer in embossing, gilding and inlay
 Barely graduated from the National College of Applied Arts and
 Olivier de Serres, you are founding your company Créanog in
 1994, inscribing your company in the spiritual heritage of the Creations
 Fournier, long led by your father. With exceptional know-how
 that you hold in the field of embossing, hot stamping and
 on paper, you then bring a dimension
 additional to the graphic creation that will open the doors of
 customers such as Christian Dior Parfums, Chanel, the
 Monnaie de Paris, Cognacs Lheraud. Mainly for you
 luxury clientele, you are working to register your
 exceptional know-how in contemporary creation and realize
 documents such as press kits, invitations, greeting cards,
 brochures, boxes, packaging for Narcisso Rodriguez, Thierry Mugler,
 Saint Laurent, Henessy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Cartier... By combining
 new technologies and traditional printing techniques in
 volume and relief, you also elaborate magnificent works for the
 National Monuments Centre, on the Sainte-Chapelle, the Pantheon,
 Carcassonne and the Abbey of Cluny intended for the visually impaired,
 embossing or hot stamping reproductions of fallen works
 in the public domain such as embossing the Sun King, and marking
 warm tapestries of Bayeux, or finally artist prints
 You have chosen to pass on to your student Annie Bocel
 your incomparable know-how that you are the only one to master. It’s
with the greatest pleasure that I give you the diploma of Master of Art.

Yves PARISSE, Baccarat crystal engraver and tailor
 You joined the prestigious Baccarat House in 1975 as an apprentice,
 then you climbed one by one all the levels to reach the
 Head of the engraving and large decoration workshop.
 You chisel the crystal of Baccarat to realize works
 extraordinary, magical, prestigious or mythical works, that
 you sometimes revive, from archives. Artists and
 designers such as Philippe Starck, Jaime Hayon, Ora Ito also do
 very often call on your exceptional talents. So you are today a
 recognized and sought-after expert, and you invest yourself with passion in
 transfer of your profession. Always ready to train a succession
 and transfer one of the great know-how of luxury to the
 French, you were a teacher of size and engraving in high school
 and then trainer at the European Research and
 training in glass arts. Today, you teach your art within
 even from your workshop to the Baccarat crystal. We know how much
 your profession is demanding, how long its apprenticeship can be,
 how much it takes patience and dedication to be able to
 transmit to Ambroise-Guillaume Macel, your student who shares the same
 passion you for this art. It’s to encourage you in this way
I am pleased to present you with the Master of Art diploma.

Michael WOOLWORTH, lithographer
 It is at the age of eighteen that you begin alongside Franck Bordas and
 you collaborate with renowned artists, including Jean Dubuffet. Then
 for a few more years, it was with Gilles Aillaud, Henri Cueco,
 Erro, Daniel Pommereulle, that you work. True specialist of the
 stone lithograph, engraved wood, monotype, linocut and etching,
 you create your own workshop in Paris in 1985, starting with a
 huge project of 100 lithographic plates of scenes inspired by
 Don Quixote for the surrealist painter Matta. Over time, your
 workshop is transformed into a creative laboratory, where the art of printing is
 constantly reinvented. Innovative, you design several techniques
 printing for unusual media. In 2004, for an exhibition
 contemporary art at the Louvre, you are developing a «carpet» in
 lithography on 84 plaster pieces of 3 m x 9, composing the work of
 the Spanish artist José Maria Sicilia. You regularly invite
 artists come to work in your workshop. These are Bertrand
 Lavier, Jim Dine, Jaume Plensa, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Stéphane
 Bordarier, Jean-François Maurige, Marc Desgrandchamps, Djamel Tatah...
 You also devote part of your time to an editorial activity and
 the establishment of exhibitions for the defense and dissemination of the art of
 contemporary print. Your scholarship in the great tradition of the
 arm press, your extensive experience in the techniques you have
 chosen to transmit to your student Julien Thory that you have estimated
 worthy to accompany your research fully justify the diploma of
Master of art I am delighted to present to you.