Open Call: New Stained Glass for Nantes Cathedral

The French Ministry of Culture, through the regional cultural affairs directorate (DRAC) of the Pays de la Loire, has launched a public art commission for the creation of new stained glass for the western facade of the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul in Nantes. The cathedral reopened on September 27 after the fire of July 18, 2020, but the large window of the west facade, a major element of the monument, was destroyed and has not been replaced.

The call invites a duo to apply: a lead visual artist working with a master glassmaker (maitre verrier). Together they are asked to propose a contemporary work in dialogue with the architecture and history of the monument. The commission covers the high bay and two bays of the triforium, roughly 50 square meters of glass in total.

Four candidates will be selected from the applications to develop a full project proposal. Each of the candidates who is not ultimately chosen receives an indemnity of 8,000 euros including tax for their project work. The contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of 2027.

This is a rare opportunity to place a major contemporary work within a historic French cathedral, joining a long national tradition of commissioning artists to create stained glass for heritage monuments. Applications are managed through the French Ministry of Culture's catalogue of procedures and partner calls. The deadline to submit a candidacy is Friday, July 10, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.