Friends' campaign 2013

  • Annual donation of at least €20 - free museum admission for donors with partners and for the programme of lectures and guided tours at the weekends.
  • Annual donation of at least €100 Free museum admission for donors with partner and for the programme of lectures and guided tours at the weekends. Plus an annual special ceramic gift - this year a first-choice copy of Goedewaagen's Drenthe vase, designed by Sander Alblas.
  • Adoption. Since the foundation Keramisch Museum Goedewaagen was recognised in June 2011 as a charity on the basis of the ANBI-guidelines, it is also possible to make a tax-advantageous donation according to the Giving law and thus adopt one of our museum projects for 2014. You can deduct up to 125% of the donation. Interested? Please consult your tax advisor - we will be happy to inform you further.
annual premium for the friends action-2013

Your donation is welcome at Rabobank 36.07.77.090, IBAN: NL33 RABO 0360 777090.

The activities

As a relatively small and unsubsidised museum, the Stichting Keramisch Museum Goedewaagen relies for its income on the proceeds from admission, guided tours and workshops as well as on donations and bequests from the friends of our museum. The museum, founded in 1989, is now known as a centre of ceramic activities that annually presents a large number of exhibitions, which time and again demonstrate the intensive research carried out by various study groups of ceramic documentalists and committed collectors affiliated to the museum. In 2012 and 2013, for instance, we first presented a unique presentation of Gouda green pottery to commemorate the foundation of the Gouda pottery factory - later known as the Star - on 14 May 1612, for which even the preserved glaze recipes from 1921 were put into practice.

The opening of the Goedewaagen depot in Nieuw Buinen on 8 October 1963 was then celebrated with an equally unique, because almost complete, retrospective exhibition of all ceramic designs by designer-ceramist Zweitse Landsheer from the period 1952-1960. Equally surprising is the exhibition, which will run until 30 March 2014, of the plate designs of the Goedewaagen-Distel studio from 1923. Never before have so many different decors been on display.

Through the personal commitment of, in particular, the collectors Dirk-Jan Nienhuis of the Meentwijck Collection and Bert-Jan Baas, the museum presents, in addition to an ever-growing collection of decorative earthenware from the Art Nouveau and Art Déco period, high-quality tiles from the most important Dutch factories.

Status and plans

The museum foundation operates independently from the Royal Goedewaagen factory. The exhibition rooms and the depot are rented from the factory. The museum does not pay salaries. In 2010, the appointment of chairman of the board M. Hendrikse led to a professionalisation that resulted, among other things, in the ANBI status, file 79683, being obtained. Because of the recognition as a charity, the museum received several important ceramic donations and legacies in 2012 and 2013.

Partly thanks to the help of webmaster Rupan Panchalingam from Webassen, a widely acclaimed website has been set up that extensively documents the exhibition programme as well as the newly acquired loan collection. The media's response to the museum's activities can be followed in the Press Information section.

But we would like to go further and for that we need your help as a museum friend. Our aim for 2014 is to achieve the following.

  • The outdated display cases - once designed by Aldo van Eyck for the Groninger Museum - must be fitted with energy-efficient LED lighting instead of the expensive halogen lamps. For this purpose, the display cases also need to be refitted with new ceilings. Cost € 3500
  • The used Audiovisual equipment that has been running seven days a week since 2010 is in urgent need of replacement. Cost € 1000.
  • In view of the international response to the museum, we are striving for a German and English version of the museum site. Costs are at least € 2500 per language.
  • For many, especially older visitors, the lack of good signposting to the museum in Nieuw Buinen, but also in Stadskanaal, is a constant source of complaint. According to the guidelines of the municipality of Borger-Odoorn, this can only be remedied with signs from the ANWB. The costs for 6 strategically placed signs amount to € 2800.
  • The museum essentially has a relatively small collection of its own - it is therefore the museum's ambition to start acquiring important loans and thus better meet the recognition standards of the Dutch Museum Association. For acquisitions and necessary restorations, there is currently no budget available.
  • If the Dutch Museum Association grants our museum the status of accredited museum and visitors therefore receive free admission with the museum year card, we will also need a new, separate cash register and pin connection.