A Gap Year at Kragerø Art School?
«Have Confidence in Your Skill Mix» is a quote from one of our favourite american graphic designers Susan Kare who designed the quirky icons and crisp typefaces that contributed to make the Apple Macintosh an instant hit when it was launched in 1984.
She famously got the job of designing the user interface graphics of the Macintosh, after rushing to the library, borrowing books on typefaces and acing her interview, later admitting that she «… didn’t know the first thing about designing a typeface» (or computers for that matter).
It was her «skill mix» – the sum off all the different skills and experiences she had accumulated through her education and work that made her a perfect fit for the job. A gap year at Kragerø Art School will up your skill mix to the next level. Not only are you going to meet and make new friends, experience the culture, landscape and nature of Norway: You will also learn everything from the history of art and design – to drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, glass blowing, ceramics, 3d-printing, 3d-modelling, graphic design, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Land-Art, Video Art and more.
Kragerø Art School is a private school owned by the municipality of Kragerø town. This town has a population of about 10,000 with a rich history. Situated in the middle of the very popular southern coastline stretching from the Norwegian capitol Oslo to Kristiansand, the town is buzzing when the summer guests arrive in june/ july and sleepy when the last boats and guests leave in august. Small ferries transport people to the islands, for instance to Jomfruland, where you can rent a bike from Sykkel-Knut and enjoy the national park, pitch a tent and barbecue on the beach.
Treasured Norwegian artist like Edvard Munch and Theodor Kittelsen are closely connected to Kragerø. Kittelsen was born in Kragerø and had his best artistic years here working with imagery from Norwegian folklore and folk tales. Both artists drew their inspiration from the town and from the surrounding landscape. Edvard Munch painted multiple paintings depicting the small wooden houses, the people and the narrow alleyways of Kragerø. One of his most famous paintings (apart from The Scream of course) is his iconic monumental painting The Sun – which was painted in his outdoor studio just behind the school – the same sunrise and the same landscape we can see every morning from our school!
Every other year we travel to Venice for the Biennale (2026 is the next art Biennale). The school is two hours by bus or train from Norway’s capitol Oslo where you can visit museums such as the new Munch Museum, the equally new National Museum, see the latest show at the famous Opera, take a walk in the Vigeland Park or get some of the best coffee served by the finest hipster baristas with all the best beards and/or tattoos. Perfect distance for a weekend trip with friends!
Above: «Øya» by night with the full moon peering through the clouds, seen from the school. This small Island (Øya just means «The Island») lies just past Kragerø Sjømat over a narrow bridge and is a popular place for taking dips in the ocean or just having a barbeque with friends.
Above: From the narrow alleys in Kragerø: Traditional timber built houses are the hallmark of the town.
Living costs, school fees
Living costs in Kragerø are comparatively low to the larger cities of Norway: Since Kragerø is bursting with people in the summer months there are always spare rooms for rent when the school year starts in the autumn. If you contact us early we will help you find a place to live – the usual students’ accomodation, called a «hybel» (which translates to «home») is usually a rented room with your own entrance, a small kitchen and a full bath with toilet, shower, washing machine etc.
Prices range from 5000-7000 norwegian Kroner which is about 470-660 USD paid monthly, there is usually a deposit for one months rent. The school year is 8 months so you need to take heigth for 8 to 9 months rent. We will help you with translating, understanding and signing the contract: We insist on using a standard renters contract for students’ accomodations. Such contracts usually runs for a school year with a one month notice for both parts.
You should budget around for about 400 USD for food every month. There are several grocery stores in Kragerø and in addition you can get your fresh fish, shrimps, crabs or lobsters from Kragerø Sjømat (Sjømat = Seafood) or visit the local traditional butcher, Brødrene Brubakken, for handmade sausages, hams, chops or any other fresh cut you would like to order.
The school fee is 2837 USD pr. semester. There are two semesters, the first starts on the 25th of August and lasts til 19th of December. The second semester starts on the 5th of January and last out June 2026. The school fee includes all the necessary materials like clay, glass, metal, wood, paper. You are free to use the workshops and studios from 8am to 23pm Monday through Sunday – but we encourage you to take at least a day off 🙂 every week. You have also free use og the schools computer lab where we have fifteen Apple computers with always updated Adobe software and Rhinoceros 3d and two super fast Bambu Labs 3d-printers.
The typical Norwegian student finances their time at Kragerø Kunstskole through a students loan which amounts to about 15,200 USD for the year. For American students special rules apply which you can read about at the website of The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
We see an uptick in students applying for a gap year in Norway: The combination of high living standard and a comparatively low living and education cost due to the current standing of the USD and the Norwegian Krone, stunning nature and a safe and friendly environment where everyone speaks and understand english has given a 14% rise in applications from students from the United States. If you are looking for a unique gap year studying art and design, building your portfolio and your unique skill mix: Contact us and we’ll help you start your journey into the creative proffesions, if you apply for a Residence Permit before July 1st you will get your answer from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration before school starts!