Art Association Gelsenkirchen
The Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen is a registered association for the mediation and promotion of young, contemporary art.
history
The Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen eV was founded in 1968. At first he called himself "Kreis Gelsenkirchener Kunstfreunde". The association's ideas and goals were laid down in statutes, which mainly related to the presentation of contemporary art and its performers, as a distinction to the official museum exhibitions. Local young artists should receive special support. The program continues successfully to this day.
The first chairman of the Kunstfreunde Association was Paul Szepan (1968 to 1971). He was followed by the doctor Dr. Rainer Decker (until 1974). Then Uwe Obier, later head of the Municipal Gallery Lüdenscheid, took over the association and pushed through the renaming to "Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen eV". Obier's successor was (until 1983) the journalist and art critic Anneliese Knorr , clerk for public relations in the cultural office and head of the municipal gallery. She continued Obier's program and has initiated successful exhibition series such as “Teachers - Students”, which began with the exhibition “Günther Uecker and his students”.
In 1983 Paul Szepan took over the chairmanship again for a short time, only to hand it over to the architect Ulrich Daduna a year later, in 1984, a local politician with a focus on culture.
In addition to promoting young artists, the Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen started extensive presentations in the 1980s and 1990s with the themes of “Art and Advertising”, “Corporate Culture” and “Art and Design”. This catalog of topics, which is supported by Anneliese Knorr as deputy chairwoman, contrasted with Ulrich Daduna's commitment to “art in the landscape”, “art and architecture”, “art in public space”, “object and art” on a communal and regional level. With this in mind, the "Art Mile Gelsenkirchen" was created in 1990 in connection with the 1997 BUGA.
activities
The project "Art on the Tree" has existed since 1993, which began with the "Blue Poplar" by Stefan Pietryga . Every year an artist is asked to artistically work on a tree that has been approved for felling in the Berger facility on Adenauer Strasse in Gelsenkirchen-Buer .
A monthly magazine, the "Mitteilungen", was published for members and interested art lovers. These information sheets dealt with current topics, accompanied art events, interviewed cultural politicians and provided a detailed preview of important exhibitions. The editor was Anneliese Knorr.
Ulrich Daduna made the day trips to museums a much frequented facility, in which members and guests can take part. The leitmotif is to visit new or expanded museum facilities and the corresponding collections; A special focus is on trips to the new and renovated museums in the Netherlands and Belgium.
A support for the projects of the art association that should not be underestimated is the good cooperation with the cultural administration and the art museum Gelsenkirchen . The exhibition program in the art museum on Horster Strasse in Gelsenkirchen, which is alternately supported by the art museum and the art association Gelsenkirchen, is shaped by this fruitful cooperation. While the museum primarily reveals art developments with well-known artists from home and abroad, the art association directs its interest towards progressive outsiders and promising young artists. In both cases this also includes Gelsenkirchen artists.
At the end of the year, the Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen regularly organizes public art auctions, at which works by artists who have exhibited at the Kunstverein can, with a little luck, be auctioned for cheap.
In addition, the Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen is a member of the association of the Kunstvereine Ruhr.
Exhibition locations
- the art museum Gelsenkirchen on Horster Strasse in Gelsenkirchen-Buer
- Berger systems on Adenauerallee in Gelsenkirchen-Buer
- various places in public space in the region
management
Ulrich Daduna, architect (1st chairman) and Leane Schäfer, art historian and director of the Gelsenkirchen Art Museum (2nd chairman)
Exhibition series of the Kunstverein
- Art in the landscape
- Art mile
- Art and design
- Resumes
- Teachers - students
- Room installations and object art
- Painting and object
- open up - art, technology, innovation
- Art on the tree (Berger Feld on Adenauerallee, Gelsenkirchen-Buer)
- Studio gallery of the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe