Foundation established for the Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr from among the citizens of Mülheim
Due to the initiative of Mülheim citizens, a separate foundation for the Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr was established in 2013. In May 2013, it was recognized as an independent foundation by the Düsseldorf district government. Its purpose is to collect and accumulate capital in order to use this income to continue to make the city's art museum attractive in the future.
"The foundation offers," says co-founder and board member Dr. Carsten Küpper, "the opportunity to make endowments and to contribute to the Mülheim Art Museum and art in Mülheim through bequests."
The founders of the foundation, who are close to the "Förderkreis" (Supporting Association), would like to create an additional source of funding alongside the basic municipal funding and underline their civic commitment to one of the oldest art museums in the Ruhr region. The cultural-historical collection of Mülheim citizen Robert Rheinen, acquired by the city in 1909, laid the foundation for today's art museum.
For decades, the citizens of Mülheim have been significantly committed to "their" art museum: Among the most prominent citizens are the Mülheim Nobel Prize winner Karl Ziegler and his wife Maria, who bequeathed their collection of classical modernism to Mülheim and its citizens and established their own foundation for their paintings. With its income, the Ziegler Collection Foundation today contributes significantly to the attractiveness of the museum and its exhibition program. The Mülheimer Kunstverein, which has been in existence for over fifty years, facilitates art tours and a wide range of cultural education programs. Finally, the Friends of the Kunstmuseum have been able to acquire high-caliber works of art for the Kunstmuseum in recent decades and to selectively expand the collection with young art from Mülheim.
This newly established foundation ensures that what has been achieved so far will continue in the future and that future generations will be able to enjoy the art treasures. It supports the Kunstmuseum in meeting the changing social demands placed on museums in the future.
The foundation's board of directors consists of Oliver Koop, Dr. Carsten Küpper and Dr. Thomas Rox from Mülheim an der Ruhr. In addition to Hermann Blümer, Rainer Grillo, First Chairman of the Mülheim Kunstverein, Dagmar Mühlenfeld, Mayor of Mülheim, Dr. Beate Reese, Museum Director, and Martin Weck, Chairman of the Board of the Sparkasse Mülheim an der Ruhr, have been appointed to the Foundation's Board of Trustees.