About

Erwin Maas ( Director Performing Arts: Specialist Theater, Classical and Contemporary Music) holds a M.F.A. in theater directing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts in NYC and an M.A. in Media Arts & Production – Documentary Filmmaking from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Besides working as a director and teacher of theater, he is excited to also contribute to the field by building cultural bridges between the USA and the Netherlands through his work at the Consulate.

Erwin is a Fulbright Fellow and received numerous additional awards and prizes, including the Royal Prince Bernhard Cultural Award, Shubert Foundation Fellowship, Matthews Theatre Fellowship and VandenEnde Foundation.

Gabri Christa ( Director Performing Arts: Specialist Dance, Jazz & World Music) holds a M.F.A.  from the University of  Washington and  BA from the School for New Dance Development, College of the Arts, the Netherlands. She  brings to the position at the Cultural Department, her background as a choreographer and filmmaker. As an active artist, she enjoys adding another layer to her contributions to the field by helping and advising fellow artists and institutions in the USA and in the Netherlands alike.

Awards include a John Simon Guggenheim fellowship for Choreography.  Her film “High School” received an ABC TV award for Creative excellence. Gabri was invited to the Pangea Day Film Festival as “One of the World’s 100 most promising Filmmakers”.  Her writings on dance and film have appeared in several publications. www.gabrichrista.com

The Cultural Office, located at the Dutch Consulate-General in New York, supports and promotes art and culture from the Netherlands in the United States, including the Caribbean territories.  Our task is to implement the Netherlands’ international cultural policy. We act as cultural intermediaries between the Dutch and American art worlds to facilitate cultural partnership and exchange.

The Cultural Office coordinates the cultural network in the US, including that of the other missions in San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and at the Embassy in Washington. We distinguish between the following art and culture-related categories:

• visual arts
• cultural heritage
• creative industry (games, design, fashion, architecture)
• dance
• e-culture
• film
• literature
• music
• theater

The Cultural Office in New York, the United States’ cultural capital and epicenter of the American cultural sector and international cultural developments. We exchange information with the other missions in the US cultural network and also help them process grant applications. One of our tasks is to implement Dutch national and international cultural policy in the US. We inform American cultural professionals – curators, programmers, publishers, producers, distributors, policymakers, agents and journalists – about art and artists in the Netherlands, Dutch cultural events and new developments in the arts world in the Netherlands. We advise American cultural professionals seeking to invite Dutch artists to the US and inform them of opportunities to apply for funding. We also advise the Dutch government and cultural funds on the quality and cachet of American locations such as museums, galleries, theatres, concert halls, cultural centers, etc. In addition, we regularly represent the Dutch government at cultural events such as festivals and conferences.

It is also important to know what we do not do. We do not promote individual artists or companies, we do not book performances or exhibitions, we do not negotiate contracts and we do not finance American artists wanting to perform or exhibit in the Netherlands. In other words, the Cultural Office is not an organizer. However, we can initiate activities, and ensure that they are carried out by operators in the cultural field and provide funding.

Dutch art collections in the United States

Dutch art enjoys a surprisingly high profile in the United States. Dutch design and architecture, in particular, have not gone unnoticed. Sectors that have received extra attention and funding, for instance Dance and Youth Theater are also doing well. This is important, because it shows that consistent investment in international cultural policy pays off.

Besides temporary exhibitions, the US is home to numerous collections of Dutch old masters, which are often part of museums’ permanent exhibitions. You can find an overview of these collections on the CODART website. CODART is an international network of curators of Dutch and Flemish art, and its website shows that Dutch works of art are very well-represented in American museums. For more information see www.codart.nl.

Funds and institutions

Dutch cultural policy focuses on theme and content. Alongside individual artists, various foundations and funds have a considerable impact on the sector. If you have any questions about Dutch cultural policy,  visit the website of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science: http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/.

International cultural policy is the joint responsibility of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Education, Culture and Science.

Cultural organizations, art and culture funds, arts institutions, authorities and diplomatic missions in the Netherlands and abroad can apply to SICA, the Dutch Centre for International Cultural Activities, for information on cultural activities and funding. This implementing organization promotes the Dutch cultural sector’s international activities and ambitions and creates a platform for opinion-forming on international cultural policy. For more information: www.sica.nl.

Grants for cultural projects

The Cultural Office budget supports cultural projects and promotes Dutch art and culture in the US. The budgets are intended for project activities initiated by American organizations in partnership with Dutch artists or institutions. Consequently, applications can only be made by American organizations. The Cultural Office also aims to generate sponsorship in the US, in addition to Dutch support.