New York highlights Dutch art and culture this week in a five-day event. “There’s plenty of interest here for Dutch art. But New Yorkers want to know a lot more about it”.

The past five years the event wasn’t advertised all that much, but that has now changed, says Rifko Meier of non-profit organisation Going Dutch.

From Pelosi to De Kooning
The opening day’s main event was the screening of HBO's Citizen USA, a film by Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of Nancy Pelosi), Michiel Vos (Alexandra’s husband) and DJ Ruud de Wild.

The same day the Museum of Modern Art allowed a select party to view Willem de Kooning’s work in private. “Just imagine having the MoMA, after closing, all to yourself and 29 others, with no one else around,” Meier says. 

“Tentoonstelling”
One of this year’s cultural highlights is expected to be an exhibition of Dutch art titled Tentoonstelling, the Dutch word for exhibition. The show will combine young contemporary artists with old Dutch masters, Meier explains. “The curators are engaged in a lively discussion. Who should be included and why? The debate itself reveals the extent to which Dutch art has an international reach.”

Erwin Olaf
As a master of light Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf often mirrors old Dutch masters. How appropriate then that this very week he should have been awarded the Johannes Vermeer Prize 2011 for the high quality of his entire oeuvre.

“Just by chance his US representative is on our creative team. So we have high hopes of including his work in our show," Meier says.

(cl/tt)

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide