Museum de Oude Wolden

Museum de Oude Wolden (; ), abbreviated as MOW, is a regional museum in the village of Bellingwolde in the Netherlands. The museum focuses on art and history of the regions of Oldambt and Westerwolde in the east of the province of Groningen.

The museum opened on 10 August 1973. In the first decades, it primarily exhibited historical objects documenting everyday life. In the late 1990s, the museum started to exhibit artworks of artist collective De Ploeg and magic realist painter Lodewijk Bruckman. Since 2012, it has a permanent display of paintings by Bruckman and temporary exhibitions.

The museum is an independent foundation that is mainly funded by the municipality of Bellingwedde. From 2013 to 2016, the museum had around per year. It is one of the lesser-visited museums in Groningen.

Location Museum de Oude Wolden is located at the Hoofdweg in the village Bellingwolde in the municipality Bellingwedde in the east of the province Groningen near the Dutch–German border. It is situated in the south of the region Oldambt and in the north of the region Westerwolde.

The old museum building is the restored backhouse () of a former mansion () of which the fronthouse was destroyed during a World War II bombing.Friggo Visser, "Charmant museum ouderwets opgezet" (in Dutch), Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1988. Retrieved 20 September 2013. In 1977, the building was expanded with a new wing for ()."Streekmuseum als nieuw" (in Dutch), Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1977. Retrieved 20 September 2013. In 2012, the building was renovated and received a new glass entrance,Arjan Brondijk, "Opening museum De Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde pas in juli" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2013. which cost in total.Museumbeleidsplan 2009–2012 (in Dutch), Municipality of Bellingwedde, 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2013.

History Streekmuseum de Oude Wolden (Regional Museum the Old Wolds) was opened on 10 August 1973 by the mayor of Bellingwedde Jurjen Jan Hoeksema.Peter van Mensch, Museums of the Netherlands, 1745–2012 , Mensch Museological Consulting. Retrieved 24 August 2013. In the late 1960s, the province of Groningen requested the national government for subsidy to open a new museum in Bellingwolde. The subsidy was not granted, but the state paid indirectly for the restoration of the museum building via a subsidized employment project.

In 1976, the museum exhibited primarily historical objects from the regions of Oldambt and Westerwolde, such as agricultural machines, traditional costumes, and archaeological and geological finds."Museum bezoeken? best leuk!" (in Dutch), Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1976. Retrieved 20 September 2013. After the expansion in 1977, the museum had enough space to hold temporary exhibitions, group the historical objects thematically, and display a 19th-century grocery store inventory. By the late 1980s, a barber shop and shoemaker's inventory were shown in the museum. In 1988, the newspaper Nieuwsblad van het Noorden called the museum "charming" and wrote: "A museum like De Oude Wolden is meaningful because of its rather complete documentation of everyday life in the 19th and early 20th century."

In 1998, the museum started to exhibit paintings by artists of De Ploeg,"Bellingwolde herontdekt werk Ploegschilders" (in Dutch), Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1998. Retrieved 20 September 2013. an artist collective established in the city Groningen. In 1999, the museum also exhibited paintings by Lodewijk Bruckman, who lived in Bellingwedde for some years. At the time, the press described De Oude Wolden as a museum with historical artefacts and artworks by De Ploeg and Bruckman."Groningen telt vele bijzondere en pittoreske musea voor fijnproevers" (in Dutch), Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1999. Retrieved 20 September 2013. In 2003, De Ploeg celebrated their 85th birthday with an exhibition in the museum."Ploegers vieren verjaardagsfeest in ...Bellingwolde" (in Dutch), Dagblad van het Noorden, 2003. Retrieved 20 September 2013. In 2010, seven 17–19th-century icons with an estimated value of were stolen during a break-in in the museum."Waardevolle Russische iconen gestolen" (in Dutch), Eindhovens Dagblad, 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2013. At the time, the museum offered a reward of for tips that would lead to the recovery of the icons."Beloning voor tip over gestolen iconen " (in Dutch), Dagblad van het Noorden, 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2013.

The museum dropped the word streek (regional) from its name and now calls itself Museum de Oude Wolden (Museum the Old Wolds).Museum De Oude Wolden, Bellingwolde (in Dutch), Museum de Oude Wolden, 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2013.Museum De Oude Wolden, Bellingwolde (in Dutch), Museum de Oude Wolden, 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2013.Museum de Oude Wolden (in Dutch), Museum de Oude Wolden, 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2013. Since the renovation in 2012, the historical objects and the artworks by De Ploeg are no longer on permanent display, the museum now focuses on art, region, and history with Bruckman's paintings and temporary exhibitions.Programma (in Dutch), Museum de Oude Wolden. Retrieved 5 July 2013. In 2017, the museum became an independent foundation, although the municipality of Bellingwedde still owns the building and the collection.Arjan Brondijk, "Museum De Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde officieel op eigen benen" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.

Exhibitions

Lodewijk Bruckman The museum has a permanent exhibition of paintings by Lodewijk Bruckman (1903–1995). Bruckman lived in Bellingwolde in a hotel opposite to the museum from 1987 to 1989. He donated 21 paintings to the Bellingwedde municipality in 1988.Magisch-realist Lodewijk Bruckman (in Dutch), Leeuwarder Courant, 1994. Retrieved 18 September 2013. These paintings, which are now exhibited in the museum, are mostly still lifes in a style which is described as realistic, surrealistic, or magic realistic.Lodewijk Bruckman (1903–1995) (in Dutch), Studio 2000. Retrieved 4 October 2013.

Temporary exhibitions The museum has two concurrent temporary exhibitions: a larger exhibition spanning several months and a smaller monthly exhibition that features a regional artist. The smaller exhibitions are called 24K, which refers to an area around the museum with a radius of where the artists are from and the supposed quality of the artworks.Arjan Brondijk, "Vaste expositieruimte voor regionale kunstenaars in museum Bellingwolde" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.

The larger temporary exhibitions since the renovation in 2012 include: Typisch Hollands! (2012; Typically Dutch!) with works of nineteen Dutch artistsArjan Brondijk, "Max van den Berg opent vernieuwde MOW in Bellingwolde" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2013. Het einde, een nieuw begin (2012–2013; The end, a new beginning) with works by De PloegStart expositie Groninger Kunstkring De Ploeg Het einde, een nieuw begin in MOW (in Dutch), Marketing Groningen, 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2013. Weer terug in Groningen (2013; Back again in Groningen) with works by Chinese artist Zhuang Hong Yi"Zhuang Hong Yi weer terug in Groningen " (in Dutch), Westerwolde Actueel, 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013. Vooruitgangsvisioenen (2013; Visions of progress) about the history of canalization in Westerwolde"Tentoonstelling over kanalisatie Westerwolde" (in Dutch), RTV Noord, 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013. 24K XL (2014) with works of 27 regional artists from previous 24K exhibitionsArjan Brondijk, "Grote publieke belangstelling voor opening grootste tentoonstelling ooit in museum De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014. Net echt (2014; Like real) with more than 40 works by Lodewijk BruckmanArjan Brondijk, "Lodewijk Bruckman exposeert in museum De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014. Voor de draad ermee (2014–2015; Coming clean) about quilting and textile artArjan Brondijk, "Quilt- en textielexpositie in museum De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014. Want reizen is ook verdwalen (2015; Because travelling is also getting lost) with works by Dutch artist Yvonne StruysArjan Brondijk, "Reizen en verdwalen in De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2015. Retrieved 2 Februari 2015. Streekgenoten (2015; Fellow regionmen) with photography of the region WesterwoldeArjan Brondijk, "Wethouder Lea van der Tuin opent Streekgenoten in museum De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015. Onder Vuur (2015–2016; Under Fire) about the First Münster War of 1665–1666Arjan Brondijk, "Onder Vuur, 350 jaar Eerste Münsterse Oorlog" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015. 24K XL (2016) with works of 20 regional artists from previous 24K exhibitionsArjan Brondijk, "De Oude Wolden maakt zich op voor overzichtstentoonstelling 24K XL" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016. 100% Maya (2016) with works by Dutch artist Maya WildevuurArjan Brondijk, "De Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde weer open na brand" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016. Duizend Dingen (2016–2017; Thousand Things) with various objects and art works from the museum collectionArjan Brondijk, "Lea van der Tuin opent expositie Duizend Dingen in MOW" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016. Trillingen (2017; Vibrations) with works by 24 artists of the collective VanTyNaarLoArjan Brondijk, "Expositie Trillingen in museum De Oude Wolden" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017. Uit Siberië (2017; From Siberia) with works by artists from Tyumen, SiberiaArjan Brondijk, "Expositie Uit Siberië in De Oude Wolden feestelijk afgesloten op 5 november" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017. Verknipt (2017–2018; Cut up) with works by quilting collective De Duikvlucht"Opening tentoonstelling 'Verknipt'" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 5 September 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.

Administration

Year Visitors Year Visitors 2003 2,636Intermuseaal Extra (in Dutch), Museumhuis Groningen, 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2013. 2010 2,922 2004 2,011 2011 2,906 2005 2,043 2012 1,798 2006 1,812 2013 4,800Bezoekcijfers erfgoedinstellingen Groningen (in Dutch), Museumhuis Groningen, 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015. 2007 1,792 2014 4,350 2008 1,965Bezoekcijfers musea aangesloten bij Museumhuis Groningen (in Dutch), Museumhuis Groningen. Retrieved 19 August 2013. 2015 4,683"Museum De Oude Wolden trekt meer bezoekers" (in Dutch), RTV Noord, 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 2009 3,221 2016 4,942

The museum is a foundation. It has board of three members, a small paid staff (), and around 20 volunteers.Rob den Boer, "Interview: Kunstenaars vertellen het verhaal van hun streek " (in Dutch), Het Beeldende Kunstjournaal, 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2013. Peter Yspeert has been the foundation chairman since 2017. Obby Veenstra has been the museum director () since 2010. In 2010, the municipality of Bellingwedde has guaranteed to fund 95% of the museum's budget for the next fifteen years. The annual costs for the municipality are . The rest of the budget comes from other subsidies and (ticket) sales.

The entrance fee for the museum is , but it is free on Wednesdays, during special events, and for children under 18.Openingstijden (in Dutch), Museum de Oude Wolden. Retrieved 11 January 2014.Arjan Brondijk, "Marja Bos, MOW, cijfers, de klok en de klepel" (in Dutch), Het Streekblad, 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014. In 2008, the annual total of included around visitors. In 2014, a municipal council member claimed the amount of paying visitors was 50% in 2011, 35% in 2012, and 32% in 2013, and director Veenstra claimed it has been around 40% for years.