The Athens School of Fine Arts is experiencing a severe operational crisis as nearly 40% of its workshops have been forced to shut down, leaving students unable to access essential coursework in multiple artistic disciplines. Seven out of the institution's 18 workshops have closed their doors, creating significant gaps in the curriculum and raising serious concerns about the quality of education being provided to aspiring artists.
Rector Erato Chatzisavva explained to Kathimerini that the school is struggling with chronic understaffing issues that reached a critical point after four workshop directors retired simultaneously in August 2024. The departures have created a domino effect across the institution, with engraving programs reduced to just one functioning workshop, sculpture limited to two workshops, while painting has managed to maintain eight operational facilities.
The Greek Education Ministry has attempted to address the staffing shortage by allocating eight new faculty positions to the school. However, all of these positions were announced at the assistant professor level, creating a bureaucratic roadblock that prevents the workshops from reopening. Under current Greek law, only associate professors or full professors are qualified to direct workshop programs, leaving the newly allocated positions unable to fill the leadership void left by the retired directors.
Rector Chatzisavva suggested that some existing faculty members may prefer having lower-ranking colleagues handle the majority of the workload, potentially contributing to the reluctance to promote assistant professors to the necessary levels. This institutional dysfunction has created a situation where available teaching resources cannot be properly utilized due to administrative constraints.
Students at the Athens School of Fine Arts report that conditions continue to deteriorate beyond the workshop closures. The school's facilities on Pireos Street lack basic security measures for workshop spaces, leaving expensive equipment and student artwork vulnerable. The administrative infrastructure has been reduced to just three staff members, making it nearly impossible to handle the day-to-day operations of a major art institution.
"The school is extremely underfunded," stated Antonis Lazos, president of the student council, highlighting the financial constraints that compound the institution's operational challenges. The funding crisis has affected every aspect of the school's operations, from maintaining equipment to providing adequate support services for students and faculty.
The crisis has also impacted student admissions, with the school reducing its intake from the typical 120 students to just 76 for the current academic year. This dramatic reduction in enrollment capacity has left many qualified applicants without opportunities to pursue their artistic education. In response, 28 rejected applicants have filed a formal petition with the Education Ministry, challenging the reduced admission numbers and seeking intervention to restore normal enrollment levels.
The situation at the Athens School of Fine Arts reflects broader challenges facing Greece's higher education system, where budget constraints and bureaucratic inefficiencies continue to undermine the quality of academic programs. As the institution struggles to maintain basic operations, students and faculty alike are calling for immediate government intervention to prevent further deterioration of one of Greece's most prestigious art schools.
