Old Masters & Young Audiences: A Challenging Combination for Museums and Art Dealers
This year's CODART Patrons Salon is dedicated to the theme Old Masters, New Generations: The Challenge of Attracting Young Audiences. Many museums with collections of Old Masters grapple with the question of how to attract and interest young audiences in this type of art. The same topic is relevant for dealers in old art. Who are the collectors of the future? Are collectors under 40 even interested in Dutch and Flemish Old Masters? How does a dealer reach this new generation, and how is this different or similar to the strategies used by museums? What role will collectors of Old Masters play in the future, and how do they relate to the museum world? What value can a collectors network have regarding these issues?
Overview
We are pleased to announce that the following speakers will share their ideas and expertise concerning this topic. Nienke van der Wal is co-founder of the Young Collectors Circle, a platform aimed at starting collectors. From her experience with this group of people, she will shine a light on what is current among young collectors. Geert-Jan Janse is director of the Rembrandt Association. Thanks to its 17,500 members, the Association is able to support acquisitions by Dutch museums. How does the organization reach a new generation of art lovers, and how can they be enthused about the Old Masters? Sander Bijl is the owner and director of Bijl-Van Urk Master Paintings, which specializes in Dutch and Flemish Old Master paintings. He founded the gallery at the age of twenty. What is his experience with reaching a younger generation of collectors? Edouard Dumolin is a young collector of drawings and paintings by Dutch and Flemish Old Masters. What sparked his interest in this art and how did he start collecting? How does he see the future of collecting Old Masters?
The panel will be moderated by Christi Klinkert, Senior Curator of Old Masters at Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, and board member of the Friends of CODART Foundation. She will be able to provide an insight into the ways museum approach this challenge of reaching a younger target audience. The speakers will be happy to respond to questions from, and points raised by, members of the audience.
This TEFAF Talk took place at TEFAF Maastricht on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Program
9:30 – 9:55 welcome with coffee and tea
9:55 – 10:00 word of welcome by Maartje Beekman, director of CODART
10:00 – 10:40 introduction to the speakers and panel discussion
10:40 – 11:00 closing words and time for questions from the audience and discussion, led by the moderator
Image: Willem van Haecht: Apelles schildert Campaspe, 1630, Mauritshuis, Den Haag