Art and Crafts in Cassis
The light in Cassis is unique. Gentle in the morning, brilliant at midday and golden at the end of the day, it transforms the landscapes and reveals the contrasts between the sea, the stone and the sky.
It is this light that attracts artists. It gives the works a special atmosphere, somewhere between intensity and the gentleness of life.
Cassis is more than just its landscapes: it’s also its atmosphere.
A village on a human scale, where you can take your time, observe and feel.
This sensitive dimension is at the heart of its identity:
a place where you come to see as much as to experience.
In the centre of the village, several galleries offer paintings, photographs and contemporary works inspired by the area.
Some artists open their studios and share their world, often influenced by the sea and surrounding landscapes.
Ceramics, illustration, textile design… Cassis also showcases skills that are rooted in the identity of Provence.
Cassis’ image is strongly linked to its emblematic landscapes: sea, port, creeks and light.
These elements are the main markers of its tourist and artistic appeal.
For decades, Cassis has attracted designers for :
This unique setting encourages creativity and nurtures a genuine local artistic culture.
Many painters have been attracted by the charm of Cassis and its light.
Works depicting the port, the village, the creeks and the surrounding countryside can be found in major museums.
Every year since 1995, the association “L’Art et la Manière” has organised the “Place aux Peintres” exhibition. This intimate outdoor exhibition brings together around 35 talented artists, painters and sculptors. It takes place one Sunday a month from April to October.
More than 300,000 visitors say they came to our beautiful region after seeing a film shot there. (CRT PACA figures).
The Bouches du Rhône department has been one of the most filmed by filmmakers in love with Provence ever since the cinema was first set up in La Ciotat.
Between 1920 and 2026, more than 50 films were shot in Cassis, some of them in their entirety, others just for a few sequences.
Filmmakers were attracted by the light and by the setting of our quiet little fishing port.
From the legendary Naïs to Fantômas, not forgetting Bienvenue Chez les Chti and Sur un arbre perché, the joviality of the South blends with comical dialogue, pastis, cicadas, pétanque, fishing and sunshine. The accent, the gestures typical of exotic Provence, the narrow streets, the turquoise sea, the hills, everything comes together to make a unique film.
In Cassis, art is everywhere.
In the light, in the landscapes, in the details of the village.
Here, you don’t just visit.
You look, you feel… and you’re inspired.
Yes, thanks to its light, its landscapes and its atmosphere, Cassis attracts many artists.
Yes, there are several galleries and exhibition spaces in the centre.
Some artists open their studios, particularly during the high season.
Morning and sunset offer the most beautiful light.
