Nienke van der Wal
Young Collectors Circle was built for the new generation of art collectors to maintain the art scene’s vitality and boost interest in emerging artists. Its founder, Nienke van der Wal, shares her story including how she’s navigating business as we re-open, how she’s raising funds for YCC, and her top tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Hustle Amsterdam (HA): Where are you from? And what brings you to Amsterdam?
Nienke van der Wal (NW): I am Dutch. I was born in Rotterdam, raised in Friesland, NL lived in Louisiana for studies, and ended up in Amsterdam in 1999 — as of this year I have officially lived most of my life in Amsterdam. I graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Masters in Communications and have built most of my career here.
HA: Tell me about your business? What is your mission?
NW: I work with cultural institutions on cultural entrepreneurship. At the moment, some of my clients include the National Maritime Museum, the Dutch Dance Days, and Over het IJ Festival. I’m also the founding director of Art Projects Amsterdam, a foundation that sets out to establish more economic independence in the arts. In 2016, Art Projects launched the Young Collectors Circle, a successful platform for emerging art collectors, and has recently developed a business curriculum for art students.
HA: How are you handling our new “normal” due to the coronavirus outbreak? What impact has it had on your business? How has the transition to working remotely been for you? Are you being strict with a routine or taking it day-by-day?
NW: I think we are just starting to feel the real economic effect of this pandemic. The past months were all about surviving, but now it’s all hands on deck to rethink the way organizations can thrive in this new situation. I am working with new clients on (re)positioning themselves, creating a strategy to preserve and/or activate stakeholders, and to define opportunities in terms of programming, marketing and financing in a sustainable manner. I am happy that I can meet people in person again, and that Soho House — my ‘office’ — is open again. I’ve missed human interaction and although I greatly enjoy working from home in my PJ’s, the combination of these two really works best for me.
Young Collectors Circle, for the past months, has and is investing in sustainable ways of digital programming. We are also celebrating the impact we’ve created so far as we look to the future. Since its foundation in 2016, Young Collectors Circle’s mission has been to create sustainable support for the art world by building a community of art lovers. After only three years, our efforts generate over one million euros annually.
HA: Why Young Collectors Circle? What brought you to art and community building?
NW: When the last economic crisis hit, I started working with a Dutch museum to generate income for them by exporting exhibitions to countries where the economies were booming, but where qualitative art exhibitions and art education were in high demand. Part of the acquisition phase was researching local art communities and structures, and researching those made me understand the importance of art collectors.
We always say, “buying art is something that’s bigger than the empty wall over your couch.” Private art collectors start buying from young artists long before they’re recognized by the big institutions. The art scene needs a new generation of collectors to maintain its vitality. Collectors don’t just support the arts financially, but also create interest in new artists and art forms. Learning this made me wonder why no one I knew was collecting art, and what was stopping them, even if they did have the means and the interest in art?
I got together a team and we identified the obstacles for a new generation of art collectors. This is how Young Collectors Circle got started. We built a platform for art lovers and emerging art collectors designed to help you figure out what makes your heart tick, to explore different art forms, to find out how art is priced, and to learn what all those technical terms mean.
We offer 360 degree insights into the art world — Young Collectors Circle opens up the art world in an accessible way by organizing studio and collection visits, tours at academies, galleries and fairs, and by providing knowledge through master classes and courses. Our platform is a game changer for the arts — it successfully activates a new generation of art supporters and contributes in a sustainable way to a thriving art sector.
HA: What is the current state of Young Collectors Circle? Do you have six and 12-month goals for your business?
NW: It is Young Collectors Circle’s goal to double its members this year. The next step is expanding the scope to different countries. There has been serious interest for Young Collectors Circle in the UK, US, Japan, and Belgium. We are kicking off our program in the latter as soon as the situation around Covid-19 allows for it - the plans are all ready to roll out.
HA: What kind of obstacles do you face in your company? How do you handle them?
NW: Because we are pioneers, it has been difficult to bring people to understand what we do and how we are impacting the art world. This will be true for anyone who is starting something completely new. Once we established ourselves and became very visible in the media and the art world, we also started to see copycats, here in the Netherlands but also in other locations. This upset me, until one of our board members congratulated me: When people start copying you, it means you are the market leader. It’s interesting how a different point of view can change your outlook.
HA: What has been your most successful moment so far? And how do you celebrate your wins?
NW: The Young Collectors Circle launch was definitely an amazing moment. First newspaper article was pretty great too. It’s important to celebrate your wins — not just with your team, but also at home and with friends. There’s usually champagne involved.
HA: How have you accomplished what you have? Did you go to business school? Did you wing it? Fake it till you make it? Get really lucky?
NW: I believe a background in communications is very helpful when you want to start a business, since one of the most important things is to be able to get your message across.The rest of it is hard work and pushing through.
HA: Did you fundraise for your business? If so, tell me about your experience.
NW: Right now, with the art world deeply affected by the corona crisis, our mission is more important than ever. As a growing business, fundraising has been very important every step of the way: scaling up is possible thanks to grants and donations, but we’ve also recently crowdfunded through Voordekunst, taken out a loan at Cultuur + Ondernemen and launched a new Circle called the Ambassadors Circle to bring together established art collectors. We are always looking for innovative ways to grow our community: our next step is to launch our new membership model in October and aim to welcome many new members in the last quarter of 2021!
HA: How big is your team? And where are your team members located?
NW: I work with some of the very best: our team consists program manager Nadine, marketing manager Sanne, community manager Marélise and content manager Flor. We are supported by a wonderful board. Besides our team, we also work with freelancers and interns. We work from Soho House and/or remote. Zoom and our various Whatsapp groups keep us connected even during pandemics.
HA: Do you have a favorite motivational quote?
NW: Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life work super hard all the time with no separation or any boundaries and also take everything extremely personally. :)
HA: What 3 tips would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? What do you wish you had known before you started?
NW:
First off, something that has helped me is having a mentor to have a cup of coffee with every once in a while.
Second, find your community, this can be as easy as getting together with other friends who are entrepreneurs or actively searching for people in similar circumstances.
And third, be persistent but flexible. You have to firmly believe in what you do, but also be smart about adjusting when necessary.
HA: How would you describe your working style?
NW: I am a procrastinator, but I’ve learned about myself that this is my process and that I have to trust that process. It doesn’t work for me to sit down on Monday and force myself to write a proposal with a deadline a few days later. I am much better when I let it marinate in my head for a while and then when I do sit down — likely a little on the late side — it’s written in no time. One of the best ways to start that process is taking a walk in nature or running around a museum.
HA: When you’re not working on Young Collectors Circle — where can we find you?
NW: At home with my family and friends, in our holiday home in Friesland swimming in the lake and taking walks, visiting museums and galleries, and hopefully again in the future — travelling.
HA: How do you find work-life balance while being an entrepreneur?
NW: This is a tough one, but it’s something I’ve learned over time. The quality of your work doesn’t necessarily improve if you work 14 hours every day, though that is often the reality when you’re starting a business. Right now, I prioritize spending time with my daughter after school, then going back to work later that day or evening. The big plus of being your own boss is scheduling your work time on your own terms.
HA: What is your passion?
NW: Everything I do, whether it’s my own practice or the projects of my non-profit, comes down to changing the art world for the better. I am often surprised that the arts, representing the avant-garde, the gamechangers, the innovators of today and tomorrow, are lacking those same qualities in terms of entrepreneurship and business development. I am passionate about the arts, they are a major part of my personal life, and am grateful that I can make an impact by the work that I do.
HA: What inspires you most about Amsterdam? Do you have any favorite spots to work or hangout?
NW: I think the quality of life here is pretty good — great arts & food scene, lots of entrepreneurs, beautiful nature nearby. We live in the North, right on the banks of the IJ next to the Filmmmuseum. We’re close to the city center, but we also love all the new initiatives arising in the North.
HA: Anything else you’d like to add?
NW: I’d love to invite Hustle Amsterdam readers to our free, online course ‘Intro Into Art Collecting’ on October 28. You can sign up here!
Keep in touch with Young Collectors Circle on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and connect with Nienke on LinkedIn.
