Project Gies an art tribute to Gies Goossens
I started Project Gies 27 June 2012.
Project Gies is meant to encourage a dear friend and gallerist of mine who battles cancer: Gies Goossens, Galerie 3G, Sittard, the Netherlands.
70 artists who are under contract at the gallery participate in this project by making a little piece of art(15 x 15 cm) to show her we, the artists of her gallery, care for her(and her partner Peter Widdershoven.)
The idea is to bring all the artists together in the gallery at 12 August 2012, 14:00 hrs to handover our pieces of art to Gies and Peter. The artists who can not be there at August 12 sent in or delivered their artworks at my adress or at the gallery.
The artists reactions where overwhelming! It showed how close both Gies and Peter have ben and still are with "their" artists.
I cannot speak for all artists about the way they met and feel for eachother, but i can speak for myself. This is my story:
It was in the summer of 2007. I displayed my Alzheimer-themed paintings at Promesse d'un Voyage, Brunssum. During one of the days of this cultural happening, a man and a woman came up to me. They were both overwhelmed by my paintings, especially the woman. She spoke about the paintings. She understood my paintings. She felt my paintings. Finally oth of them said they were starting a gallery and they wanted me to be one of the first artists to display my paintings.
The next day she returned to see the paintings again!
In the summer of 2010 I was walking through the streets of Sittard and bumped into a windowpane. As I looked into the shop I noticed some beautiful pieces of bronze made by Marc Truyen. This was a gallery in the making and even this stage of the gallery already felt good.
Within a couple of days after stumbling upon this gallery, I received an email......
It was from the same woman as I spoke to in Brunssum.... She had opened a gallery in Sittard and wanted me to display my paintings. Just to be sure..... I went to see the gallery....... it was the same gallery, I stumbled upon. Now fully functioning, with beautiful artpieces spread around in a wide and white space, there she came walking down the stairs. Smiling. I was sold.....
During the next display, my paintings were to be shown. So it happened. Peter and Gies had kept their word. This still means a lot to me!
After this display many visits followed. Always a warm heartfelt greeting, a warm handshake, a tender kiss(3 to be specific.... the Dutch way :-) ) Time after time this heartfelt warmth, a talk, laughter, time.......
In July 2011 i had started Projectmailartbooks. Within a short period of time this project turned out to be a success and I wanted to display it. My first thought was Galerie 3G. I mailed Peter and Gies, asking to have a look at it and take their time to decide. I was in no hurry. The next day I received Gies' answer: It's these artprojects, we started our gallery for.... A couple of days later the first display of Projectmailartbooks at Galerie 3G was a fact and a major success!!!
In June 2012 there's that pitch dark news of Gies battling cancer... again.
As if stung by a bee, I wanted to do something to encourage Peter and Gies. But how? I came up with this project's idea. How to find the emailadresses of all the artists of Galerie 3G? Simple: I called Peter, explained the project's idea and the next day i sent an email to 150 arists... Project Gies was on the move.
It's people like Peter and Gies for whom i started Project Gies, just like they started a gallery for artprojects like mine. What better match in art can be made?
This is my story. Every artist of Galerie 3G will have his or her own story. Maybe one day they will tell theirs. That's not up to me to decide. Perhaps it's even pre-mature to even think so.
Anyway, I hope the artists involved, Peter and Gies have enjoyed Project Gies. I sure did!
Furthermore: after talking things through with Peter and Gies, Peter and I will make a book about Project Gies(subtitle: AN ART-TRIBUTE). The artists partcipating, deliver a photograph of their artwork for Project Gies to me, along with some text. They alsomake sure I will be able to use a photogragh of their artpiece for commercial use concerning the Book "Project Gies, an art-tribute".
Also a video will be made of the handing over of the artpieces to Gies and Peter. Stef Grit will be documenting the project on video and it is for private use by Gies, Peter and me. The video will not be shown on the internet.
Art can make the heart beat faster with joy, but it also is able to tear open wounds that have never been seen, heard or felt. It makes people aware of a lot of things never seen, heard or felt before. It's there to be seen, heard and felt.
I would like this project to be a project of encouragement for all those who battle a disease.
On 9 december 2012 the book PROJECT GIES ART TRIBUTE was presented to the participants at Galerie 3G.
The artists involved are:
Adeline Schuffelen-Meens
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Alda Brunenberg
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Anja van Rijen
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Anne Barneveld
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Annemie van der Haghen
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Ans Hameleers
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Carla Canisius
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Carlie Hennissen
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Carmen Heemels
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Cees Alfrink
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Christine Morren
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Diana Gambardella
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Dimitri Cambier
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Ed Bos
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Ed Hanssen
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Eddie Symkens
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Els Lücker
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Els Puts-Gouder de Beauregard
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Esther Ziher-Ginczinger
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Frans Lemeer
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Gerda Bouwens-Tilman
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Gertie Meys
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Godelief Ceulemans
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Hanneke Paumen
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Hein Janssen
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Iene Meulenberg
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Ineke Rutten
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Ingrid Siliakus
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Jacky Stappers
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Janine Berben
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Jef Bertels
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Jenny Roost
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Jo Pirard
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Jolanda Wijnand
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Josien Huynen
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Katja Stienen
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Leny Franken
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Leo Klein
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Lily Scheffer
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Louk Verkoelen
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Lucy Berben
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Marc Janssens
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Marc Truijen
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Margo Smeets
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Maria de Goede
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Maria Stams
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Marianne Vencken
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Marifey
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Marleen Hansen
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Marlies Hoens
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Marlies Lebesque
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Mien Huijskens
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Monika Radhoff-Troll
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Nelly van Bekkum
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Nico van Zuilen
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Nicolette Korteling-Kool
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Odine Lang
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Peter van Deursen
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Pollie Gregoor
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Resie Beelen
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Ria Munsters
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Roosje Chini
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Sandor Sinko
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Sonja Reedijk
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Sonja Schings
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Tania Verhasselt
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Wally Thissen
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Ward Windhausen
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Wied Heyning
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Wyl Janssen
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Yanette Wald
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Vicky Mantz
BY JOINING ONE OF THE PROJECTS ON THIS WEBSITE, YOU AGREE THAT THE PICTURES OF YOUR PARTICIPATING ARTWORKS WILL BE USED FOR PUBLICITYREASONS FOR THESE PROJECTS, BE IT DISPLAY'S, DIGITAL PUBLICITY, BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS OR OTHER FORMS OF PUBLICITY.
