News — Mar 9, 2023

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and ABN AMRO are entering into a long-term partnership to promote equal opportunities and inclusion in the cultural sector.

One of the activities embraced by the new partner is the successful Blikopeners programme. Each year, the Stedelijk recruits 15 new Blikopeners from all over Amsterdam. The Blikopeners are a group of open-minded young people aged between 15 and 19, ranging from high school students to college students and starters, who work at the museum for a year. The Blikopeners are, quite literally, open-minded, and have an open mind for art, design, and the museum. By sharing their personal take on art, they open other people’s minds as well.

ABN AMRO also shares the Stedelijk’s commitment to a fairer representation of women artists in the museum. In the years ahead, the bank will support several exhibitions spotlighting female makers. ABN AMRO will also accelerate the museum’s journey towards sustainability, and help the museum to tighten up its environmental policy.

Rein Wolfs, director of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: “We are delighted that ABN AMRO is joining us as a partner to help us achieve our mission as an advocate of equal opportunities, inclusivity, and sustainability. The support of ABN AMRO accelerates our progress towards reaching these incredibly important goals.”

Blikopeners
Blikopeners. Photo: Tomek Dersu Aaron

Sander Bestevaar, Head of Partnership, Events & Foundations ABN AMRO: “We are pleased to add the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam to our Art and Culture Sponsorship portfolio once again. This social partnership means we can help the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam to realise its goals more swiftly with regard to equal opportunities and sustainability. As a long-time partner in the fields of sports, society, the arts and culture, we know that sponsorship contributes to positive change and helps to make ambitions a reality. We’re looking forward to collaborating on the selected projects.”