The beginning – de Glaswerkplaats

The location

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

Affiche ‘A view of Holland – 2014’

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.