About us

Leveld Kunstnartun is a residency program for artists, cultural workers and various professional art practitioners, where you stay for a shorter or longer period of time. The cluster of houses that constitute Leveld Kunstnartun is situated in the village Leveld, near Ål in Hallingdal valley. It lies at 700 meters above sea level at the foot of the mighty Skarvheimen mountains, offering opportunity for hiking, skiing mountain biking and more. We offer a quiet rural space in the Norwegian mountains, where nature, the seasons and the special light fascilitate unique working conditions and inspiration.

Leveld Kunstnartun builds on the special cultural history of this rural mountain village. Through the years artist have come here seeking inspiration. They lived on the farms and took part in the village life. Gerhard Munthe came as early as 1880. Later, from 1930 and onwards, many more arrived. The light in Leveld is one thing that fascinated them, many were part of the antroposophical movement, inspired by Goethe `s cromatology. Nils Ellingsgard, who has written about the visual arts in Hallingdal and who is himself an emminent rosepainter living in the neighbouring village Vats, claims that these artists have carved out a special section for Leveld in Norwegian art history.

More artists followed Munthe: Thor Bøhn, Gøsta Münsterhjelm, Karl Høgberg, Kaare Wildhagen, Fridtjof Smith-Hald d.y., Alvhild Bratt, Hetty Gleditsch, Pelle Roll Thommesen and Jørgen Aas, all painters.

Jens Bjørneboe and Agnar Mykle were prominent Norwegian authors. Both had their own vacation house built in the village. Jens Bjørneboe´s stabbur (storehouse on pillars), where he lived many a summer, has been moved to Leveld Kunstnartun. Gulle Brun and Signe Seim  are two local authors who have found their particular poetic voice here.

Today we receive artists from all over the world. The artists that live and work here give something back to the local community through concerts, lectures, exhibitions, workshops and cooperative projects with the local school. The mutual exchange between visiting artists and the local community is enriching for both parts, and is an end in itself. Public contact is an important component of the residency. Leveld Kunstnartun arranges a summer exhibition every year, and a cultural festival called «Stabbursfrieri» («A proposal in the Loft...») every second year.

The residency lot is a cluster of houses consisting of  two residential houses: Lærarbustaden (The Teacher´s House) and Astridstugu (Astrid´s House). Stabburet  (The Bjørneboe Loft) and Skålen (The Woodshed) function as places to work. The latest addition is Låven (The Barn), a building with spacious and bright artist studio’s in addition to a big conference room used for presentations, exhibitions and social gatherings.

Leveld´s approximately 300 inhabitants are very active and engaged. The village houses a elementary school, a kindergarten, a community centre, a swimming pool, a food store and a number of farms. Ål, 13 km away, houses a cultural centre that offers cinema, a library, a gallery, and a museum exhibiting the art of the famous artist Rolf Nesch, a shopping centre, cafés and restaurants.