Van Gogh Brabant buys museum Vincentre Nuenen

Van Gogh Brabant purchased the Vincentre museum and adjacent land from Woningstichting Helpt Elkander on Thursday. This marks an important step toward realizing the planned expansion and renovation of this Van Gogh heritage site. The purchase was made possible thanks to a loan from the municipality of Nuenen and donations from the Province of Noord-Brabant and the regional business community.

Museum Vincentre is located in the former council house of Nuenen, a recognized Van Gogh Monument. The acquisition of the property gives substance to the ambition to protect Brabant Van Gogh Monuments through purchase and thus preserve them for future generations. Through sustainable exploitation, Van Gogh Brabant aims to increase the regional economic and social contribution of the Van Gogh heritage. In the short term, the organization also wishes to purchase the Vincent van GoghHuis in Zundert and the Van Gogh Church in Etten-Leur.

Vincentre opened in 2010 and receives some 20,000 visitors annually from home and abroad. In recent years, the capacity of the current museum proved too small to properly accommodate the increasing number of visitors. Therefore, an expansion plan for the museum on the adjacent property was initiated last year. Thanks to municipal and provincial contributions and donations from companies such as Eindhoven Airport, Dela, Kuipers, Simac and Airbnb, this plan can now be implemented. Simone van der Heiden (director Vincentre): "A large team of volunteers takes visitors from all over the world on a daily basis in the footsteps of Vincent in a hospitable manner. Their enthusiasm and professionalism not only impress guests, but now also gain the trust of investors." Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and the museum will remain open to the public, except for a short period of time.

Van Gogh Brabant will continue to raise private financiers and funds in the coming years in order to strengthen the quality and international appeal of the Van Gogh heritage in Nuenen and in the rest of Brabant. According to Frank van den Eijnden, Van Gogh Brabant director, investments in a better cultural and internationally appealing offering are essential for the region. "A strongly growing economy needs an attractive cultural offering and a fine green environment. The heritage of Vincent van Gogh unites all these qualities "