Centre d'art Le Lait

What Centre d'art Le Lait does

Centre d'art Le Lait is a French non-profit contemporary art centre (association loi 1901) founded in 1982 and headquartered at 5 rue de l'École Normale in Albi, Tarn. It has held the 'Centre d'art contemporain d'intérêt national' label from the French Ministry of Culture since September 2019, positioning it among a nationally selected cohort of art centres. The centre delivers a programme of contemporary art exhibitions (188 documented to date), artist residencies (45 documented), public events (vernissages, screenings, concerts, conferences), and a digital distribution platform called Playlist. It also maintains three physical sites — its Albi headquarters, the Maison des Métiers du Cuir in Graulhet (hosting the cross-sector 'L'art de la rencontre' residency with the Graulhet leather industry), and a programme presence at the Musée-mine départemental in Cagnac-les-Mines — together with a workshop and education facility called Le Labo.

Its core educational offering is an Éducation Artistique et Culturelle (EAC) programme serving schools from maternelle through university, teachers, social and medico-social institutions, and prison audiences, supported by a managed artothèque of roughly 400 contemporary multiples available for institutional loan. Major exhibitions in 2025-2026 — Félix Blume, Adrian Schindler, Jean-Charles Massera and Isabelle Giovacchini — have been co-produced with national and international partners including GMEA, CPIF, Casa de Velázquez, Matadero Madrid, Villa Médicis and Fondation des Artistes, and the EU co-funded tekhnē programme.

The business model is overwhelmingly grant-funded by French public institutions (DRAC Occitanie, Département du Tarn, Région Occitanie, Ville d'Albi) under the national-label framework. Direct earned revenue is intentionally limited: free general admission in Albi, fee-bearing paid workshops and group tours (€5–€120), €3 admission at the Graulhet venue, and artist edition sales (e.g., €100 silkscreen print by Giovacchini) via HelloAsso. Customer-facing channels include the bilingual website, a newsletter, social/earned media, an EAC outreach service, and physical programming at the three venues.

Name

Centre d'art Le Lait

Legal name

Centre d'art Le Lait

Website

https://centredartlelait.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centre d'art Le Lait is a French non-profit contemporary art centre founded in 1982 in Albi, Tarn, holding the 'Centre d'art contemporain d'intérêt national' label since 2019, and serving schools, teachers, social institutions, artists and the general public across the Tarn department through exhibitions, residencies, EAC programmes, an artothèque and the Playlist digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Center / Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film) (EDAJAJAF)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Artist residencies
• Art education programs
• Cultural mediation
• Public art center

Headquarters

HQ city

Albi

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public funding and subsidies: The centre d'art Le Lait operates as a non-profit association (association loi 1901) and is primarily funded through public subsidies from the French Ministry of Culture (DRAC Occitanie), the Department of the Tarn, the Occitanie Region, and the Ville d'Albi. These institutional grants support its core missions of artistic production, exhibition, and cultural mediation.
2. Workshop and education fees: Fees are charged for certain workshops and art education sessions (e.g., 10€ per atelier, 100€ per session for mini-cours Passerelles), providing a modest revenue stream alongside the free general admission policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Centre d'art Le Lait is a contemporary art center that curates and presents exhibitions of contemporary visual art, hosts artist residencies (including the 'L'art de la rencontre' series with the Graulhet leather industry), and runs an extensive cultural mediation and art education (EAC) programme. It also manages a departmental artoth\u00e8que of approximately 400 contemporary art multiples, produces limited artist editions, and operates the 'Playlist' digital platform extending its programming online.

Product overview

Centre d'art Le Lait is a contemporary art center established in 1982 in Albi, Tarn, France. The center operates as a unified cultural institution offering exhibitions, artist residencies, art education programs (éducation artistique), artist editions/publications, and public events. Its core offerings include rotating exhibitions at its venue and partner locations, the 'L'art de la rencontre' residency program with Graulhet's leather industry, educational services including school visits and workshops at Le Labo, management of the departmental art library (artothèque), artist edition prints, and the digital Playlist platform. The center is labeled 'Centre d'art contemporain d'intérêt national' by the French Ministry of Culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expositions (Exhibitions) Annual programme of contemporary art exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists, held at the centre's venue in Albi and at partner venues. Free admission for the general public.
• \u00c9ducation artistique et culturelle (Art Education) Art education programme for schools from kindergarten to university, including group visits, workshops, artist residencies in schools, and the departmental art library (artoth\u00e8que) with nearly 400 contemporary artworks.
• R\u00e9sidences (Artist Residencies) Artist residency programmes including 'L'art de la rencontre' series in partnership with the Graulhet leather industry, international residencies, and cross-residencies supporting artistic creation and collaboration with local crafts.
• \u00c9ditions (Artist Editions) Limited edition artist prints (screenprints, lithographs, engravings) and publications produced in collaboration with exhibiting artists, available for purchase.
• Rendez-vous (Public Events) Public events including guided tours, artist encounters, workshops, film screenings, conferences, and vernissages complementing the exhibitions programme.
• Artoth\u00e8que d\u00e9partementale (Departmental Art Library) Departmental art library management for Coll\u00e8ge Jean Jaur\u00e8s d'Albi with approximately 400 contemporary art multiples available for loan to schools and public institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission for all visitors to the centre d'art (Albi venue)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• DCA (Association française de développement des centres d'art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Lait is a member of DCA, the French association for the development of contemporary art centres, which provides a national network for professional exchange, advocacy, and collective representation of France's network of centres d'art.
• LMAC (Laboratoire des Médiations en Art Contemporain - Midi-Pyrénées)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Lait participates in LMAC, a Midi-Pyrénées/Occitanie laboratory for mediation in contemporary art, which fosters research and professional exchange among cultural mediators in the region.
• BLA! (association nationale des professionnel.le.s de la médiation en art contemporain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Lait is a member of BLA!, the national association of contemporary art mediation professionals, supporting best-practice sharing and professional development in audience engagement.
• Air de Midi (réseau art contemporain en Occitanie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAir de Midi is the Occitanie regional network for contemporary art. Le Lait participates in this network alongside other regional art centres, sharing resources, information, and collaborative initiatives including the annual guide of artist aid in Occitanie.
• DRAC Occitanie (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles / ministère de la Culture)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRAC Occitanie is the regional office of the French Ministry of Culture and the centre's primary public funder. It provides ongoing operational and project-based subsidies and grants the centre its national art centre label.
• Département du TarnflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of the Tarn is a permanent institutional funder and partner, notably supporting the artothèque, the De Clou à Clou school programme, and subsidising middle school workshops. It is also the operator of the Musée-mine departmental where Le Lait co-produces exhibitions.
• Région Occitanie Pyrénées-MéditerranéeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Occitanie Region is a permanent institutional funder and partner, supporting the centre's artistic programming and production, as well as artist mobility and international cooperation projects in the region.
• Ville d'AlbiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Albi is the centre's host city and a permanent institutional partner, providing financial support and hosting the centre at its premises at 5 rue de l'École Normale.
• GMEA - Centre National de Création Musicale d'Albi-TarncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GMEA is Le Lait's key cultural partner for sound art and music projects. They co-produced Félix Blume's 'Au-delà du son' exhibition (2025) and the tekhnē project co-funded by the European Union, focused on sound creation with and for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
• Centre Photographique d'Île-de-France (CPIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPIF co-produced Isabelle Giovacchini's exhibition 'Répliques, fragments, plongées' (2026), bringing its photographic expertise and network to the project.
• Fondation Bon Sauveur d'Alby (including CSDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation operates the Centre Spécialisé Déficients Auditifs (CSDA), which partnered with Le Lait and GMEA on Félix Blume's sound art project designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, as part of the tekhnē European co-funded programme.
• Ville de GraulhetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Graulhet is the initiator and key partner of the 'L'art de la rencontre' programme, hosting the programme at the Maison des Métiers du Cuir and providing support for artist residencies with the local leather industry.
• Graulhet Le CuircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraulhet Le Cuir represents the leather industry ecosystem of Graulhet and is the industrial partner for the 'L'art de la rencontre' residency programme, providing artists with access to workshops and craftsmen of the local leather sector.
• Musée Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Leonor Serrano Rivas' exhibition 'Del Otro Mundo' (2025), contributing to interdisciplinary programming around medieval manuscripts and contemporary art.
• Les Abattoirs, Musée - Frac Occitanie ToulouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Leonor Serrano Rivas' exhibition, expanding institutional collaboration beyond the Tarn to the regional contemporary art collection centre.
• Fondation des Artistes (Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporter of Isabelle Giovacchini's exhibition 'Répliques, fragments, plongées', providing funding and recognition as part of the artist's prize (Prix Boukris, 2023) trajectory.
• Villa Médicis (Académie de France à Rome)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Isabelle Giovacchini's research on the Lake Nemi archaeological project, providing residency and research support as part of her prize-winning trajectory.
• Galerie Carlier | Gebauer (Berlin/Madrid)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeonor Serrano Rivas is represented by Carlier | Gebauer gallery, which partnered on her first solo exhibition in France at Le Lait.
• tekhnē (EU co-funded project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTekhnē is a European Union co-funded project (with GMEA, Le Lait, and partners) focused on artistic and technological creation. Félix Blume's 2025 exhibition and related work with deaf audiences were produced under this programme.
• Musée Arthur Batut (摄影博物馆)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe photography museum in Albi partnered on the artothèque programme (providing photographs from its collection for loan) and participated in the 'Visite à deux voix' event with Dominique Blanc, its director, for Giovacchini's exhibition.
• Scène Nationale d'ALBI•TarncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Scène Nationale is a key cultural partner for joint events including film screenings and debates, such as the 'Pompei, Sotto le Nuvole' screening with Gianfranco Rosi and the 'Persona' Ingmar Bergman film event.
• Espace photographique Arthur BatutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe photography space partners with Le Lait's artothèque, providing photographs from its collection for institutional loans to schools and cultural institutions.
• ArtsP (Tarn secondary school art teachers group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtsP is a collective of Tarn secondary school art teachers who engage in an annual artist residency programme with Le Lait. Félix Blume was the 2025-2026 resident artist, with students producing sound sculptures installed on lakes.
• ConcepTruelle (archaeology consultancy)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchaeologist Elodie Martin-Kobierzyki (ConcepTruelle) collaborated on educational workshops 'Fouiller, relever, révéler' (archaeology workshops for families) and guided visits in connection with Isabelle Giovacchini's exhibition on archaeology and photography.
• Casa de Velázquez (Madrid)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdrian Schindler, artist of 'Tetuan, Tetuán, تطوان', benefited from a residency at Casa de Velázquez. The institution is listed as a partner/supporter of the exhibition.
• Matadero MadridminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdrian Schindler held residencies at Matadero Madrid and lists it as a partner institution for his exhibition at Le Lait.
• Fujifilm FranceminorOthersFujifilm France is listed as a supporter of Isabelle Giovacchini's exhibition, providing material support for her photographic work.
• FotogramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner for Jean-Charles Massera's exhibition 'Après, on peut aussi se dire que...'. Fotogram likely provides technical or curatorial support for photographic/film aspects.
• Le cloître de la MadeleineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner for Jean-Charles Massera's exhibition. May serve as a satellite or co-presentation venue for related events.
• DSDEN Tarn (Direction des Services Départementaux de l'Éducation Nationale du Tarn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSDEN Tarn is the departmental education authority and a partner in the ArtsP residency and broader EAC programmes, connecting the centre with schools across the Tarn.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Palais de Tokyo: Major Paris-based contemporary art centre focused on emerging artistic practices and large-scale exhibitions. Comparable curatorial mission (emerging artists, experimental programming), though at metropolitan scale and budget.
• Centre Pompidou: France's flagship national contemporary and modern art institution. Far larger in scale and scope, but sets the national programming context Le Lait operates within and competes against for cultural visibility and high-profile artist engagement.

Emerging players

• GMEA - Centre National de Création Musicale d'Albi-Tarn: Albi-based national centre for musical creation that is Le Lait's primary cross-disciplinary partner (co-producing sound-art exhibitions and EU tekhnē project). Comparable scale and regional positioning, with overlapping public-service mission in the Tarn.

Direct peers

• Le Parvis - Centre d'art contemporain et de culture parallèle: Contemporary art centre in Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées) sharing Le Lait's profile as a regional French centre with national label status, exhibitions, residencies, and educational outreach in a similar non-metropolitan context.
• La Panacée - Centre de culture contemporaine: Montpellier-based contemporary art centre focused on exhibitions, residencies, and cultural mediation. Comparable mix of contemporary art programming and public-facing educational activity in a regional French city.
• Centre d'art contemporain de Brétigny: National-labelled French contemporary art centre with a comparable mission of supporting emerging artists, running residencies, and delivering cultural mediation. Functions as a similarly sized non-metropolitan contemporary art centre.
• Bétonsalon - Centre d'art et de recherche: Paris-based contemporary art and research centre combining exhibitions, residencies, and a research-oriented public programme. Comparable scope as a smaller contemporary art centre with strong educational and mediation dimensions.
• Centre Photographique d'Île-de-France (CPIF): Photography-focused French contemporary art centre that is an actual institutional partner of Le Lait (co-producing Giovacchini's exhibition). Comparable structure as a publicly funded art centre with residency and mediation programmes.
• Centre d'art contemporain d'Ivry - le Crédac: French contemporary art centre also labelled 'Centre d'art contemporain d'intérêt national' by the Ministry of Culture. Comparable structure as a non-profit association presenting exhibitions, residencies, and educational programmes for similar audiences in a non-metropolitan catchment (Ivry-sur-Seine).
• MAMC+ - Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole: Regional French contemporary art institution combining museum presentation, temporary exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable structure as a publicly funded centre serving a non-Parisian catchment with similar audience-development ambitions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-d'art-le-lait

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre d'art Le Lait