Creating Communities

What?

Skagen AiR is the Art Museums of Skagen’s new residency programme. We want to facilitate new artistic communities and networks as well as create connections between resident artists and locals. We offer the resident artists spectacular surroundings as well as studios and lodgings.

Anna Ancher, P. S. Krøyer, Michael Ancher, Laurits Tuxen, and the other Skagen painters formed a strong artist colony in the town of Skagen during the 1880s, which thrived during the next thirty years. Revolving around these painters, many other artists came to Skagen to work, to be inspired, to dwell, and dine: writers, composers, architects, designers, and actors came to the little town nestling in the vast and extensive landscape.

Skagen AiR taps into this extraordinary legacy. First, artists of all kinds are given the opportunity to work in historical studios – P. S. Krøyer’s and Michael Ancher’s studios are among the workspaces provided. Second, the residency programme ensures that every artist will be in touch with nature, the town, and its people. This part of the residency will be organised through dialogues with artists, local partners, and the museum.

Why?

Community-building through art defines the history of the Art Museums of Skagen. The museum was founded by a group of friends: painters P. S. Krøyer, Michael Ancher, and Laurits Tuxen along with local businessmen Degn Brøndum and Victor Christian Klæbel. They wanted to preserve the works of art and relationships that had been created in Skagen and thus founded Skagens Museum in 1908.

Many years later, in 2014, it was only natural for the museum to merge with the two artist’s homes, Anchers Hus and Drachmanns Hus, and to ensure that what had become an important cultural heritage was preserved in the best possible way and, moreover, under the same organisation.

One museum and two artist’s homes called for a revitalisation of the community building that was implemented in the 1880s onwards. The Skagen painters were progressive and modern, and we want to see artists of our time inhabit their spaces, leave their footprints across Skagen, and revive the idea that Skagen is a place where art happens.

Working together!

Collaboration is an integral part of this residency programme. We do not ask you to leave your artworks here, but we ask you to give something to the town. This could be a reinterpreted tour of the museum, teaching school children, or working with the local business community, or something completely different.

We have suggestions for collaboration projects, but we will be very pleased if you come up with your own ideas for collaboration yourself.

In Skagen AiR, we collaborate with the Skagen Business Association (Skagen Erhvervsforening), the Skagen Chamber of Commerce (Skagen Handelsstandsforening), and the Skagen Department for Education (Skagen Skoleafdeling), and others from the local community.