The beginning – de Glaswerkplaats
In the beginning of 2002 Ton Verdegaal started ‘de Glaswerkplaats’ in the 9 streets. A shopping district in the center of Amsterdam. de Glaswerkplaats was basically a studio for his stained glass work. He started a few years earlier with making stained glass windows at home. With the opening of the small store/workplace (18 m2) in 2002, a new chapter began.
Besides making/repairing stained glass windows for people, Ton started selling the glass art he made. Earlier he had learned the technique of glass fusion and he bought a glass oven. He started experimenting with different styles and he found his in the American hard edge painters, especially Barnett Newman. Also, the work of Mark Rothko was a big inspiration. Besides his own work, Ton Verdegaal recognized talent in other people. He started inviting artists to display their work at de Glaswerkplaats.
For a long time, this concept was a great success. Locals and tourists found an interest in the unique vibe of the store with its unique content. More important for de Glaswerkplaats was that there was a lot of work with stained glass windows. People spend more money on their house, so there were more renovations. Also, the 9 streets area changed from local business owners to bigger brands.
Concept change – A View of Holland
In 2014 the concept of de Glaswerkplaats started changing. Ton stopped making stained glass windows and glass art. He sold his workplace materials. He wanted it to be a store. A store where, for example, a tourist can find a special souvenir. He called this exclusive gifts & souvenirs. He put a lot of energy in finding the best artists for his store to make a well-balanced collection of paintings, glass art, and anything he thought would fit.
An example of what Dutch Accent was going to be, was the exhibition A View of Holland. 12 Painters showed their view of Holland in different styles. This all was exposed over three shops in one street. de Glaswerkplaats, KunstHaar galerie-kappers and Lunchcafé Nielsen. It was a success and gave Ton the courage to move on with the concept of Dutch Accent.
A new start – Dutch Accent
Since the beginning of 2015 de Glaswerkplaats officially continued as Dutch Accent. The small store is totally renovated. All to make it a store instead of a studio. It is now a small gallery with a lot of paintings. Well arranged and well exhibited. de Glaswerkplaats is also a little present with glass art from different artists. Dutch Accent will continue to look for talent that represents the Dutch culture and/or dutch landscapes. Souvenirs that can define a trip to Holland, or a gift to anyone that has a special feeling with Holland.
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