Les Arts Décoratifs is a state-approved not-for profit private organization founded in 1882, in the wake of the Universal Exhibitions, when a group of collectors banded together with the idea of promoting the applied arts and developing links between industry and culture, design, and production.
An original, multi-faceted institution, Les Arts Décoratifs pursues the objectives it was given at the outset: “to keep alive the culture of the arts in France which seek to make useful things beautiful” and to maintain close links with industry, forging numerous partnerships in various fields.
Les Arts Décoratifs is divided into three major sites in Paris:
• at 107 rue de Rivoli, the Rohan and Marsan wings of the Louvre house the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Library of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
• at 63 rue de Monceau, the Musée Nissim de Camondo is installed in the Hôtel Camondo
• and 266 boulevard Raspail is the home of the Ecole Camondo, a school of design and interior architecture, since 1988 which derived its name from being formerly attached to the Musée Nissim de Camondo.
The art and craft workshops known as the Ateliers du Carrousel operate on all three sites.