Collection Meierijstad @ Galerie Door

The municipality of Meierijstad has a beautiful and extensive art collection, as well as a clear desire to bring this collection to the attention of an even greater and wider audience. Galerie Door in Mariaheide is one of the locations where residents of Meierijstad and beyond can get acquainted with the gems of Meierijstad.

Masterpieces
A large part of the Meierijstad art collection can be seen at the RAADhuis Schijndel in permanent exhibition “the Art of the …”. In addition, Museum Jan Heestershuis hosts alternating exhibitions including works by or related to Jan Heesters, Dorus van Oorschot and other regional artists. Yet there are always some masterpieces which – for lack of time and space – are not continuously shown to the public. Annique Heijmans (Medewerker Programmering Kunstcollectie Meierijstad) and Marike de Kroon (Curator municipal art collection and Museum Jan Heestershuis) explain: “We do our best to open up and display as much work as possible. Because the museum has limited space and also limited ‘hands’ to set up exhibitions, we started looking for other ways to bring our art a bit closer to the citizens of Meierijstad.”

Galerie Door in Mariaheide
One of those ways is the cooperation with Galerie Door in Mariaheide. Just a few months ago, the gallery celebrated its fifth anniversary, which was celebrated with a speech by alderman for culture Menno Roozendaal, among others. Gallery owner Doreen Timmers explains: “A gallery in Mariaheide is quite unique, but it also has a social purpose. I was born here and know the area. There is a lot of interest in art and culture and for Brabanders you have to keep the threshold low. With a gallery in Mariaheide and not in the big cities, the distance between art and local people is literally small. And we notice this, because besides many interested people from the big cities, more and more people from the immediate surroundings come to visit as well.”

Collaboration
The municipality’s desire to show more art locally, and a local gallery that wants to make art accessible, has led to a great collaboration. Each quarter, the Art Collection Meierijstad lends a work of art to the gallery, which gives it a prominent place in its space. Gallery owner Doreen Timmers talks about the work and the link to the exhibition. The first work currently hanging in the gallery is a beautiful painting by – how could it be otherwise – Jan Heesters. It is a portrait of Mies van Oppenraaij. The painting is one of the gems Jan Heesters has painted. Apart from showing a striking resemblance to the woman, the portrait tells something about our local history, and about love. Timmers: “This is such a beautiful and intimate work by Heesters, I am delighted that we can show this tender and heartwarming canvas to our visitors during the winter months. We want to share this history, beauty and this passion for art!” In this way, local art gets more attention and also the depth it deserves.

Also interested in seeing art from the Art Collection Meierijstad? Visit Galerie Door every Friday and Saturday from 11am to 6pm.
(Please note that the gallery is closed during outdoor events and on Carnival Saturday 18 February 2023)

click here to find out more about the Art Collection Meierijstad