TEFAF Welcomes Applications for Its 2025 Philanthropic Initiatives Museums and Curators Are Invited to Apply for Restoration Grants and Curator Education Programme

TEFAF WELCOMES APPLICATIONS FOR ITS 2025 PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES MUSEUMS AND CURATORS ARE INVITED TO APPLY FOR RESTORATION GRANTS AND CURATOR EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Maastricht, Netherlands, 21 August 2024 – The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has announced that applications for the 2025 TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF) and Curator Course are now open. TEFAF is a not-for-profit foundation that champions expertise, excellence, and variety in the global art community. As part of TEFAF’s dedication to supporting the international art community, the organization spearheads philanthropic and educational initiatives that bolster the symbiotic relationship between TEFAF and global institutions.

TEFAF MUSEUM RESTORATION FUND

TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF) was established in 2012 to support and promote professional restoration and related scholarly research of significant museum artworks. Championing art in all its forms, applications for its grants are open to museums from all over the world, for artworks of any age.

Each year, €50,000 will be allocated to projects. The committee of independent experts usually selects two beneficiaries, each of which receives €25,000 to support a restoration project, which will be presented at TEFAF Maastricht and New York. Applications for 2025 are open until Monday, September 30, 18:00 CET. The online application requires images of the project, details of the conservation plan and a budget. The winning project will be announced in early 2025, with a special presentation at the TMRF stand during the Maastricht fair, supported by Aon.

Last year’s grants were awarded to the National Gallery of Ireland (Ludovic Mazzolino’s “The Crossing of the Red Sea”) and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, USA (Pietro Fancavilla’s “Nymph and Satyr”). Previous recipients include the Detroit Institute of Arts (Titian’s “Judith with the Head of Holofernes”); Singer Laren in the Netherlands (Whistler’s “The Girl in the White Muslin Dress”); Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf (Zurbarán’s “Saint Francis of Assisi in Meditation”); and the Musée Rodin in Paris (Rodin’s “Absolution”), among others.

TMRF provides an opportunity for institutions to secure funding to restore and potentially revitalize a work in their respective collections and expedite its public display. The fund supports the international art community’s vital work in preserving artistic and cultural heritage.

For further information visit www.tefaf.com/foundation/museu...

CURATOR COURSE

Newly introduced in 2024, the TEFAF Curators Course brings together the academic world and art market, offering emerging museum curators an unparalleled gateway to gain knowledge, insights and network opportunities with their international peers during TEFAF Maastricht. The course has been developed in partnership with the University of Maastricht and will expose curators to the expertise that makes up the TEFAF vetting and exhibitor communities along with globally renowned art world authorities. Applications are open via the University of Maastricht’s webpage and will close on October 16, 2024.

This prestigious program is designed for museum curators eager to deepen their understanding of the art market dynamics and expand their networks. Over five days, participants will gain unparalleled insights from seasoned art market professionals, participate in hands-on assignments, and engage in high-level discussions about art market dynamics.

Emerging curators are invited to submit a CV, a letter of motivation, and a senior colleague's reference. Following this, a committee including curators from the Los Angeles County Museum, J Paul Getty Museum and Maastricht University reviews all applications before making its shortlist, which is then subject to references. Ten participants are selected annually to enhance their curatorial skills and broaden their professional horizons.

Past participants included The Cleveland Museum of Art, M+ Hong Kong, Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna, Toledo American Art, National Gallery of Art Washington, Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Glasgow,Minneapolis Institute, Zayed National Museum Abu Dhabi and Royal Museum Africa Brussels.

The course is led by Prof. Rachel Pownall, Founding Director of the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership with the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Guest lecturers include Sarah Hilliam, Director of Development at the National Portrait Gallery; Maastricht University’s Dr Donna Yates, a specialist in the illicit trade in cultural objects, art and heritage; and Anders Peterson of ArtTactic market research. Supported by AXA XL, the course runs from March 12-16, 2025, in Maastricht.

Arnika Groenewald-Schmidt is a curator at the Galerie Belvedere in Vienna who took part in the 2024 course. She comments, “The TEFAF Curator Course takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey into the art market; it initiates the professional dialogue between museum curators, art dealers and private collectors in a very personal way. I will benefit from this inspiring exchange for a long time.”

For further information visit https://www.tefaf.com/foundati...;###

ABOUT AXA XL

AXA XL Insurance is the P&C (Property & Casualty) and specialty risk division of AXA, known for solving even the most complex risks. AXA XL offers traditional and innovative insurance solutions and services in over 200 countries and territories.

As part of its specialty risk offering, AXA XL protects a range of objects, including fine art, antiquities, antiques, jewelry, watches, classic cars, raw and polished gemstones, and bullion, from thousands of years to weeks old.

Over the past 50 years and well into the future, AXA XL, a leading global insurer of fine art and specie, has and will continue to redefine how it serves and services its collector, museum, corporate, gallery, conservator, and artist clients across Europe, the UK, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific region, with a sincere consideration for the way valuable objects are insured and cultural patrimony is protected.

ABOUT TEFAF

TEFAF is a not-for-profit foundation that champions expertise, excellence, and diversity in the global art community. This is evidenced by the exhibitors selected for its two fairs, which occur annually in Maastricht and New York. TEFAF is an expert guide for private and institutional collectors, inspiring art lovers and buyers everywhere.

ABOUT TEFAF MAASTRICHT

TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world’s premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, covering 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Featuring over 270 prestigious dealers from some 22 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest artworks currently on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th-century design, and works on paper.

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