Drawing Centre Diepenheim (founded in 2008) has its origins in the vibrant history of its predecessors Galerij 1881 (1981-1990), Beeld-en-Route (1983-1990) and Kunstvereniging Diepenheim (1990-2021).
In 1981, the first art institution for professional visual arts in Diepenheim was founded: Gallery 1881, located in Diepenheim’s former town hall. Ten years later this evolved into Kunstvereniging Diepenheim, a presentation institution that existed for over thirty years and was located in what is now the Drawing Centre on the Grotestraat.
The rich exhibition history of the Kunstvereniging has put Diepenheim on the map as a location for leading contemporary visual art in the Netherlands. A status that is affirmed by the artists’ gardens and artworks in the public space. The presence of the Kunstvereniging in Diepenheim led to the creation of two large museum exhibition locations, a workshop, studios, a theatre and accommodation. Diepenheim has grown into a thriving art location, known and loved throughout the Netherlands and (far) beyond.
Drawing Centre Diepenheim was established in 2008 as part of the Kunstvereniging, and in 2011 was given its own exhibition building. In 2021 the Kunstvereniging transformed into Drawing Centre Diepenheim, located in the space at Grotestraat 17. Sustained by its cultural heritage, Drawing Centre Diepenheim will face the future as a platform for art that specialises in the medium of drawing, to add value within the field of art and culture and to fulfil a meaningful role in society.
Details of the thirty-year exhibition history of Kunstvereniging Diepenheim can be found in the online archive. The Gardens are the living heritage of Kunstvereniging Diepenheim.