On the 29^th of May 2010. in Donetsk the exhibition of art works made by people with fewer opportunities “Open Space for artists” took place.The participants of the exhibition were representatives from public organizations of disabled people from Donetsk region.

The exhibition featured paintings, embroidery, handicrafts, works made in decoupage technique; items made of beads, thread, clay, wood, applications from various materials. The visitors were very surprised that all work crafts were made by people with disabilities. Their impressions they left in the guestbook. One of the guests wrote: “Thank you for the pleasure. This exhibition proves that human possibilities are endless! ”

Many guests and participants took part in an art master class, which organized EVS volunteer Stephen Kiers. He offered guests to draw some pictures with eyes closed or hands bound. Thus they felt how it’s like to be a person with a disability. All young people were delighted with such interactive workshop. They longed for communication in English with peers from other countries. Though Ukraine is a European country but youth still have limited access to information, non-formal education, travelling without visas, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.

Steven invited them to join the Art Club which he is going to start in September and discuss all topical for young people issues. Stephen Kiers came to Ukraine and does his volunteer service thanks to the “Youth in Action” Program supported by the EU.

Some of his project objectives are:

• Make other young people acquainted with a concept of volunteering;
• Raise Ukrainian youth interest in participating in different activities organised by local NGOs;
• Help children and youth with fewer opportunities to become involved into social life and intercultural dimension.
• Encourage youth activists to design socially-oriented projects where they will be able to realise their creativity, good intentions, develop leadership and organizational skills, gain experience and help other people
• Help young people to become involved into interesting and useful activities and find an alternative to smoking, using drugs or watching TV.
• Promote EVS and opportunities for youth provided by this service.
• Promote good image of volunteers among Ukrainian general population

Steve also facilitate activities which will help to get to know European people from West and East Europe. He will also have an opportunity to learn how to organize outdoor activities with disabled children and youth.

For a update about his EVS project, go to: http://art.ngo.dn.ua/news/news-14-05-2010_en.htm

The workshop linoleum cutting by Gemma Gabarron took place at the  “kunst in de kop” atelier at the Westststraat. Gemma Gabarron, a native from Spain has been working as a European volunteer at Richter, and in this capacity has taken on the task of leading the workshop linoleum cutting. This general exhibition consists of various works of art plus a detailed explanation about linoleum cutting. Working with linoleum is an old technique remembered by many as an old school activity. This technique is still a lot of fun and for who would like to try or relive those back to school activities materials will be provided, so give it a try!!

The main part has been reserved for the Helderian artist Floor Fraenkel who has been painting for many years at the “kunst in de kop” atelier and as well as this has been taking lessons from a artist that lives in Den Helder; Jan Nijhof.

It will be a challenge to walk past these colourful canvasses without looking at them. Especially the forceful colour combinations are fascinating and full of movement. A trademark of Floor Fraenkel is the innocence and frankness of her way of painting, which results in a modern Cobra style, full of dynamics, rhythm and movement, generally with a lot of elements such as people,flowers and animals. 

We are happy to invite you to the opening of this fascinating exhibit. This will take place on Saturday the 22nd of May at 16.00 hours in the presence of both artists. The exhibition ends at 03 juli 2010.

Kate Chackymenky, a young English speaking female artist, has decided to organise her first exhibition including landscape, portrait, nude & still-life paintings, at the Richter Gallery Den helder. The opening is 03 april at 16:00 hours. 

In the rush to accept & even glorify violence, sickness even obesity can people still appreciate beauty & strength? This artist truly appreciates the female body & wants to show it at its best. Everybody nowadays knows dangers & negatives, but can somebody still enjoy the positive things that our senses can provide without being jealous? The exhibition is not for people who can’t stand seeing explicit nudes, but will definitely satisfy those interested in realism & fine technique. 

Photographs will not be allowed as there are some unique pieces. The artist will also be there sometime painting & may also invite certain members of the general public to pose as models live.

 If you are unable to attend the opening, you can visit the exhibition at your own leisure until Saturday 15 May every Wednesday until Saturday from noon until 17.30 at Juttersplein 2a in Den Helder

In this exhibition 4 (local) Helderian artists namely, Ad Biersteker, Ton Selderbeek, Gerda Pronk and Henk Hofstra will present their remarkably varied and diverse bodies of art. This consists of paintings as well as special images on one side purely inspired by materials trying to reach the soul or representing his thoughts between ratio and intuition, on the other side the start of point is pure realism.

This all happens with a fluent brush-stroke, remarkable use of colour, pure intuition and the capturing of movement within the materials. That this creates an exiting and enervating exhibition is something, which you will be able to discover yourselves on Saturday.

If you are unable to attend the opening, you can visit the exhibition at your own leisure until Saturday 27 March every Wednesday until Saturday from noon until 17.30 at Juttersplein 2a in Den Helder.

The project will bring together a maximum of 16 professional youth workers to work together to explore concepts of citizenship and to learn skills which they can use with their own target groups to support them in becoming active and creative citizens within Europe. The impact of the training will therefore be not only on participants, who will have the opportunity to develop themselves, but also on the target groups of the organizations that they represent. 

Partners:  the project will be managed by Richter, which is an NGO from the Netherlands, and is head responsible to deliver the training and travel arrangements. Richter organizes over 15 youth exchanges and trainings/seminars per year: we are also much involved in EVS programs as a sending and hosting organization.

 Richter will be working in close co-operation with U-GO, a new youth arts and youth work NGO based in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. U-GO’s vision is that all young people in Europe have access to quality youth work which uses the arts as a tool for informal learning. The local Serbian partner who is ONO – Omladinska Nevladina Organizacija. ONO is a NGO, which started its work in year 2005, with the aim to improve the quality of life of young people and to encourage their social inclusion and activism. ONO is responsible for accommodation, food and local transport. Also the study visits are there responsibility and is a part of the practical side of the training.

The aims of the training are: to explore the theme of the active and creative citizen,  to advocate for the techniques of informal learning,  to explore the Youth in Action program and place it in the context of youth work,  to develop cooperation across Europe and enhance European networking

 The objectives of this project are for participants: to learn about youth work and youth arts practice in different parts of Europe,  to develop a shared understanding of European citizenship, to be able to use the techniques of informal learning with young people within their own organizations,  to have a good working knowledge of the EU Youth in Action Program,  to develop new projects together.

Working methods: The training is designed as a process of informal learning and peer education using participants’ own experiences in the fields of youth work, youth arts and international cooperation. To be successful this will require participants to have an active input in sharing knowledge and experience, and to be willing to learn new skills from the trainers and from each other.  

The methods employed over the 6 days of the training will include verbal and visual presentations,  small group discussions, plenary debates,  game playing, drama exercises, study visits and cultural presentations.

Venue: Becej, Serbia

Duration: 6^th to 13^th March 2010

Six full working days, plus two days for traveling.

Happy New year and all the best wishes for everybody.

The Richter Foundation invites you for the opening of an exhibition by Vlad Dumitrescu Petrica, an artist originally from Romania and first exhibition outside his home country. The opening will be on 14 November at 16:00 hours,

The exhibition is his first words spoken to the world of photography, a chance to share with others what he had discovered during his stay in the Netherlands, fragments and aspects that are nearby our eyes. The artist lived the last 6 weeks in Den Helder at Richter and to worked towards an exhibition what is called WATER-ing.

Touch by the local surrounding of Den Helder, touch by the amount of water, Vlad’s   exhibition is a reflection and a result after a deep visual analyze. The expression of a silent zoom in or a noisy zoom out, of water and a view sides into dark drops of liquid.

Despite the common subject, the artist hopes that the gathering of properties of water is distinguished. The artist selected images that can “speak” of the inside contrasts of Water appearances.

Surrounded by water, guided by several objects and installations, connected with lyrics, stepping on the water, all could represent a resonant medium of a “character” which the artist hope to expand.

You are welcome to join us and the artist at the opening of this fascinating exhibit on Saturday the 14^th of November at 16.00 hours, the exhibit will run until the 23rd of December.

Saturday 3 October 2009 I had the chance to be present at the opening of Babs Straalman exhibition in Richter Gallery (Den Helder, Noord Holland). After I met the artist I had the pleasure to take a short interview which I want to share with readers of this website.

As a drama teacher, Babs studied in Leeuwarden different ways of communication through arts, making first steps into her professional formation as a future artist.

Interested in drawing and painting from teenage years she persevered in art of illustrations but also contributed to (the) making of several plays(from text to stage image), being involved in set-design and create(ing) costumes. Babs life and surroundings are a daily source of inspiration because she enjoys every morning walking near the sea, analyzing details of nature, of architecture and all she finds interesting for keep in mind folders. Her sketches can describe the process of assimilating components of everyone’s environment and also explain her act of simplifying information in the direction of creating a new visual story.

Some of her favorite artists are Hundertwasser, Escher, Klimt but also appreciate well done children books which she enjoys so much. She find these books inspiring because it speaks in one page a story. That’s the way she always wanted to tell a story in one picture. Message of her works is more than evident : Freedom of human being, ESCAPE from a conventional-reality , quotidian space which sometimes suppress our happiness. Spontaneity of shapes and lines take face of her overflowing imagination.

From contemporary art she is attracted mostly by installations(reason for her past projects that involves works of art borned from recycled materials). She is consciously about the power of reflecting others through this huge Mirror – Art.

Meet subjects in Babs’ exhibition? Bird houses, flying machines, flying animals, boats(big or small) all captured in a world that stays under the sign of free game played frankly but in the same time, one that constructs a serious puzzlement of wishes and hopes.

13.10.2009

(Vlad Dumitrescu –Petrica , editor for DesignYourself online art magazine)

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