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Theodora Niemeijer prize

Theodora Niemeijer Prize

The Stichting Niemeijer Fonds (Niemeijer Fonds Foundation) and the Van Abbemuseum introduce the Theodora Niemeijer prize: an incentive for young female artists. This is the first Dutch prize for visual arts specifically for female artists because, in comparison with their male colleagues, they are still in the minority in exhibitions and museum collections.
The prize, with a value of € 10,000, will be awarded once every two years to the artist who presents the best project proposal for Het Oog (The Eye). Het Oog is a unique space, an inner garden, in the Van Abbemuseum and serves as a platform which is made available for six months to the artist who is selected. The public has the opportunity to see a work of art being created, and can be introduced to the artist.
The prize and the long-term support for this special presentation space in the Van Abbemuseum are a tribute to Theodora Niemeijer (1912-2004), a member of the well-known family of tobacco producers from Groningen. In 1996 she set up her own foundation in order to encourage young artists.

The period for submitting project proposals starts on 8 January, the day on which Mrs. Niemeijer would have reached the age of 100, and runs to the end of April 2012. A jury of experts will examine the proposals and after announcing the winner in June, the artist can start work in September this year.

Who can submit a proposal?

You can submit a proposal for the Theodora Niemeijer prize if you comply with the following criteria:

- Female visual artist;
- Living and working in the Benelux;
- Graduated at most 5 years ago;
- Available for the period September 2012 - February 2013.

If you meet these criteria you can submit a proposal for a project, together with your CV and a budget.

Guidelines for selection

In addition to the criteria mentioned above for submitting the proposal, the following guidelines apply for selection:

- The project takes into account the special characteristics of Het Oog: an outside space which is visible from the museum, but also (partly) from the public space outside the museum, situated between the restaurant and the museum areas. If necessary, the space is accessible to visitors.

- Preference is given to projects which have a performance element or where the creative process is visible to visitors in the space.

The jury

The jury will consist of five people: artist Lily van der Stokker, Gitta Luiten, former director of the Mondriaan Foundation, Dirk Snauwaert, director of WIELS in Brussel, Belgium, Andrea Davina, advisor of the Stichting Niemeijer Fonds and Charles Esche, director of the Van Abbemuseum.

Submitting proposals

Proposals can be submitted from 8 January to 30 April 2012.
They can only be submitted digitally, via theodoraniemeijerprijs[at]vanabbemuseum.nl.

What do you need to send in?

- The project proposal, including sketches, photographs, etc.
- The budget
- Curriculum Vitae
- Contact details (name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, website if you have one).

Questions?

Do you have any questions? For example, about the technical possibilities of Het Oog. Please contact Jennifer Müller via theodoraniemeijerprijs[at]vanabbemuseum.nl or 040-2381033.

Stichting Niemeijer Fonds

Theodora Niemeijer (Groningen 1912 – Laren 2004), the daughter of the well-known tobacco producer Niemeijer in Groningen, was a very special character with a passion for the visual arts. In 1996 she established her own foundation with the aim of encouraging young artists. She died in 2004, but the Stichting Niemeijer Fonds still exists and donates a generous sum to different artists, from musicians to visual artists, every year.

More about Stichting Niemeijer Fonds: www.stichtingniemeijerfonds.nl.

Het Oog (The Eye)

Since February 2009, Het Oog (The Eye) is a unique space, an inner garden, in the Van Abbemuseum. The space serves as a platform which is made available for six months to the artist who is selected. The public has the opportunity to see a work of art being created, and can be introduced to the artist.

The interaction between the museum, the artist and the public is important for the Van Abbemuseum; it's no longer a matter of "passively" looking at art objects. The museum is a living institute, made by and for people.

In the current climate, when the government is increasingly withdrawing its subsidies and private initiatives are becoming increasingly important, the museum has been looking for a private partner to cooperate with Het Oog. The museum achieved this with the Niemeijer Foundation, which is pleased to serve as an example and would like to encourage other private initiatives. The Niemeijer Foundation declared that it was prepared to adopt Het Oog for a period of five years for the sum of €100,000. In this way the museum can continue to carry out two projects a year in this space. In addition, the Theodora Niemeijer prize was introduced.