The Foundation
The Vroman Foundation is a not for profit “Public Benefit Organisation” set up to preserve the work of Leo Vroman and his wife Tineke. The Foundation brings this multifaceted work to the public’s attention through various activities. There are exhibitions of his visual work and there is support to artists and scientists whose work represents the Vroman spirit: enthusiastic, curious, exploratory and idiosyncratic.
““So, am I a realist
Or surrealist?
Silly thing, you’ve got it wrong:
Vroman””
(from: his poem ik ook)
Purpose
The poet, scientist and artist Leo Vroman was a man of many talents, who made it clear that he wanted to help other talented people take on projects that combine visual arts, poetry and/or science. The Foundation therefore has multiple goals:
- The acquisition, care, management and conservation of the visual art, poetry, prose, and scientific work of Leo and Tineke Vroman;
- maintain accessibility and visibility of Leo and Tineke Vroman’s diverse oeuvre;
- The management and commercialisation of the rights to the intellectual property of Leo and Tineke Vroman, including any associated rights (in the widest sense of the word);
- The instantiation of a “Vroman grant” designed to financially support artistic projects that touch on at least two of these three areas: visual art, poetry and science, and are in the spirit of Leo and Tineke Vroman’s own work.
Policy
The Foundation intends to reach this goal by:
- Providing funding to support the above-mentioned goals;
- Representing and receiving the author’s intellectual property rights, rights to re-use and other related rights associated with Leo and Tineke Vroman’s work, inasmuch as these rights are not legally owned by other parties;
- All remaining means such as legacies, gifts, subsidies etc.
- The Foundation has a Public Benefit Organisation (ANBI) status
Recent Activities
2023-2024
- De Vroman Foundation streeft ernaar de Vroman Fellowships voort te zetten met externe financiering.
- De getuigenis van de eerste fellow, Ilya Fedotov-Fedorov, toont het belang van de Vroman Fellowship voor zijn persoonlijke en artistieke ontwikkeling. Daarom zijn de KNAW en de Vroman Foundation op zoek naar fondsen om de fellowships in de toekomst voort te zetten.
2022-2023
- Maude van der Beuke was chosen as the new Vroman Fellow (Vroman- beurs), in consultation with the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht
- Peace banner displayed on the Amsterdam Dam Square May 2022
- Work on the biography of Vroman, written by Atte Jongstra, continues
2020-2021
- Refresh of the Vroman Foundation website
- ‘Fellowship’ (the Vroman grant) in partnership with the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht;
- Exhibitions including the Friends of Leo Vroman
- Research at Libertum (formerly known as the Gouda Resistance Museum) into the design and development of an indoor journey in the Gouda Chocaladefabriek building inspired by Vroman’s poem Vrede (Peace);
- Research into the forthcoming Vroman biography with sponsorship, illustrations and research materials.
- Collaboration with the Green Alliance/National Forestry Management organisations on art inspired by Vroman in the Goudse Hout outdoor recreation area.
2019
- ‘Fellowship’ (the Vroman grant) in partnership with the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht;
- Exhibition ‘Warm, Red, Wet and Sweet – Leo Vroman’s Blood’ in collaboration with the Rotterdam Natural History Museum. Support through sponsorship, display objects, organisational staff, and promotion (opened in November 2018)
- Participant in Museum Night with the Rotterdam Natural History Museum.
- CD presentation by Bart Hovenaars of Leo Vroman’s poetry set to music;
- Support for development and in the unveiling the Vroman public bench in Utrecht.
- For more projects see the Projects section in the navigation area
“The sun makes flowers, warmth, green,
The sea makes quietude – what do we make?””
(from” De auto en zijn vrouw: The car and his wife)
Remuneration policy
The Foundation is a not for profit and serves the general societal good. The board members are not compensated for their activities. No vacation benefits are paid.
Financial Responsibility: Balances, income and expenditures (in Dutch)
Vroman Foundation board information
The Board
Theo Mulder, Voorzitter
Jetske Spanjer, Secretaris
Noelle Gracy, Penningmeester
Members
Marien Brand
Peter Huijgens
Bertram Mourits
Ronald van Rossum
Maayke Sluman
Advisory Board
Peggy Gracy-Vroman
Geri Griffin-Vroman
Lilian Gonşalvez
Cees Nooteboom
Huub Oosterhuis
Contact
info@vromanfoundation.com
KvK: 51603926
ANBI : 8500.93.478
