About us
The best studio in Central Amsterdam to get inspired for professional art lessons and for workshops for adults, children and companies
Welcome to Ateliers Westerdok
In an inspiring environment on the Westerdok, close to Central Station Amsterdam, Ateliers Westerdok offers beautiful, spacious and light studios.
Ateliers Westerdok is a cultural meeting place where various activities are on offer.
In our Art and Exhibition space we hold exhibitions, provide artistic workshops to amateurs, professionals and children, and organise lectures, film evenings, cultural events and meetings with catering.
Anyone interested in learning to paint and draw is welcome at the studio.
There is a wide choice of courses for beginners and the more advanced under the guidance of contemporary artists. There are also lectures, art dinners, movie nights and art trips.
Professional artists and creatives wishing to work independently will find a suitable environment at one of our Open Life-Drawing Sessions
For children there is the Kids’ Academy, which provides weekly lesson and holiday art weeks.
Companies and parties are welcome to make use of the inspiring space for creative gatherings, art workshops, or a cultural event, complete with organic catering.
Ateliers Westerdok encourages people to take active part in making art as much as possible. Attention is paid to craft and techniques, but in the end, a personal, contemporary interpretation is at the heart of all our lessons and in the development of the participants. The art teachers are all artists with a modern art education, mostly connected with contemporary art galleries and they teach with a refreshing view.
The spacious and light art studio, with its high-ceilings, is located at the Westerdok in Central Amsterdam , between Het IJ and De Jordaan, only 8 minutes walking distance from Amsterdam Central station.
Art teachers
Sanne has a teaching diploma to teach entry level drawing, from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Arnhem/ ARTEZ (1994). After this she worked for several years as a sculptor and sculpture teacher in regular Amsterdam schools. In 1997 she founded her first studio where she also taught art - Atelier Sanne, in the former ROC-building at Westerstraat 187, Amsterdam. Sanne took the initiative, in collaboration with others from Stichting SJAAN, to re-develop this large building of 5,000 m2 for cultural purposes. Thanks to these years of dedication, support to the realize this initiative was initially positive. However, after Amsterdam Council sold the building, Atelier Sanne moved to the Westerdokseiland under the new name - Ateliers Westerdok. In the ensuing years the nature of her work has become very varied. She is the director of the organisation but also organises events, creates art and is the face of the studio. Amid all of this she still teaches art to children and gives workshops for companies and internationals. Her teaching gives emphasis and space for experimentation, research as well as technique. ‘Through our creative abilities, we can stand out from the crowd and discover what our own private contribution to the world should be!’
The expressiveness of Paul’s work is often in the details. The stimulating particularities and details of his work give form to his approach. His drawings and painting depict a dramatic, fatalistic world with both humour and fantasy. His addicted drive to give form to his ideas result in a plethora of drawings and paintings. Some of these are large canvases but also often a series of smaller drawings and miniature paintings where a semi-realistic painting and drawing style is combined with abstract elements. The worlds of art, the colonial past and other contemporary elements regularly feature, in filtered form, in his works. Paul graduated in 1993 from the Rietveld Academy and lives and works in Amsterdam. He has won numerous prizes, including the Koninkiljke Prijs voorde Vrije Kunst (1995 and 1997) and the Prix de Rome in 1998. More recently, in 2028 he was awarded the Van Ommeren de Voogt prize. Paul regularly exhibits at art fairs and galleries here and abroad. Alongside his work as an artist he also teaches and a number of art institutions. For the Ateliers Westerdok he teaches, amongst others, foundation year courses and the free drawing and painting lessons.
Tatyana Yassievich was born in 1968 in St. Petersburg. Her art studies began when she was thirteen years old at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Under the auspices of the Art Academy, she graduated from Joganson High School. She then continued her studies at the Industrial Design faculty of Mukhina Art Academy. In 1991, she came to the Netherlands as an exchange student, where she completed her studies in painting at the Utrecht School of the Arts. She then completed a post-graduate course at The Ateliers, in Amsterdam. Since 1994 she has worked as a professional artist. She works with galleries and presents her work regularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia and other European countries. In 1996 she was awarded third in the European Painting Prize. Tatyana teaches foundation year classes, free drawing and painting and model & portrait drawing/painting at Ateliers Westerdok.
Sarah Barkmeijer was educated at the KAKB in the Hague, where she graduated in Spatial Visual Arts. Use of her imagination is central to her work. Next to her work with spatial art installations, she has worked in video and animation. In 2009 she obtained an introductory qualification in Video Design from the HKU (University of Arts Utrecht). Next to her activities as an artist, teaching the creative process is her greatest passion. In 2018 Sarah also opened a patisserie. At art school she had learned the power of conceptual thought and aesthetics, but missed the artisan ideals of her youth. The unlimited possibilities of vegetarian cuisine give full expression to her creativity and craftsmanship. So Lady Fruitcake was born and she now brings together taste, conceptual thinking and aesthetics in her organic/vegan patisserie. Sarah teaches the Kunstclub
Born in 1972 in Minsk, Russia, Vika Mitrichenko works with various materials including clay, plaster, cement and polyester. She has studied at The Belarus Academy of Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academy (ceramics) and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. Her work has been exhibited at the Stedelijk museums of both Amsterdam and Den Bosch, in the Prinsessehof in Leeuwarden, the Ministery of OCW Den Haag, the MAD museum in New York and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. She teaches at the Rietveld Academy and has organised workshops for the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, AKV | St.Joost Den Bosch, Wackers Academy (Amsterdam) and CREA, the University van Amsterdam’s cultural department
Joeri Lefévre is a freelance illustrator/concept-artist creating a variety of illustrative content for gaming and other media. His services range from pre-visualising concept-art to final Illustrations. Over the last few years, he has worked on game and animation productions, helping to explore and develop the right style for each of these projects. As an illustrator, he usually works on backgrounds for video-games and animations but occasionally does traditional illustration work also. The root of his style is always a dialogue between a traditional, hand-drawn or painterly approach and the specific stylistic needs of every project. Besides his freelance activities, he also explores the world of painting in the studio or on the street. Joeri facilitates the Open Model-drawing sessions on Thursday evenings.
Cathelijn van Goor graduated from the KABK in The Hague in 1999, in free graphics, where she combined photography with drawing by means of lithography. After graduating, she mainly focused on making drawings. The most important question in her work is to what extent technological developments actually deliver the progress they aim for. She has visited Tokyo, New York, Delhi, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong to research the consequences of the rapid developments in large modern cities. In 2012 she did a five month residency at the CEAC in Xiamen, South China. Her works have been shown in New York at Glowlab Gallery, the Bridge Art Fair, the Conflux Festival and at Fountain Art fair, Miami. In China at the CEAC in Xiamen and the Redtory in Guangzhou and the CEAC also showed her work in Djupivogur, Iceland. In Amsterdam her work has been shown at Galerie Witteveen, Galerie Art Affairs, the Inkijk-Galerie, 2x2 Projects and De Service Garage. And also at the Teylersmuseum, Gemeentemuseum The Hague, at the RAW Art Fair, De Fabriek in Eindhoven, Extrapool and at Drawing Center Diepenheim. Her works are included in the collection of the Teylers Museum and the print room of Leiden University. In 2016 she worked in the interior studio Het Pompgemaal in Den Helder, of the Mondriaan Fund. She also received grants from the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, the Stokroos Foundation and the Mondriaan Fund, including most recently the work contribution Proven Talent. At Ateliers Westerdok, Cathelijn teaches the basic year and the drawing course. http://www.cathelijnvangoor.nl/
Willem grew up in Oegstgeest near Leiden. He studied sculpture at the Royal Academy of the Hague and at the Rijksacademie for Sculpture in Amsterdam. He makes both graphic and photographic work as well was drawings and paintings whereby concepts, symbols, drawings and meaning all come together. He specialises in printing techniques, drawing and multi-media. Also very active as a teacher, Willem gives lessons at the Royal Academy of Sculpture and gives custom-made workshops for institutions and companies both here and abroad. At Ateliers Westerdok, he teaches foundation year classes as well as multi-media.
Ruud Ritsma is in 1941 geboren in Amsterdam en deed daar de avondopleiding van de Rietveld Academie. Tijdens zijn opleiding heeft hij veel geëxperimenteerd met verschillende stijlen en technieken maar het leukst vond hij daar altijd het tekenen en schilderen naar model. En eigenlijk doet hij dat nog steeds.
Ook werkt hij graag buiten. Vooral boten, havens en industriële landschappen hebben zijn voorkeur. Hij probeert een schilderij altijd in een keer te voltooien om zo de frisheid en spontaniteit te bewaren. Dat lukt niet altijd, er wordt dus veel weggegooid of overgeschilderd. Het gaat hem vooral om het plezier van het tekenen en schilderen!
Ruim twintig jaar is Ruud verbonden aan Ateliers Westerdok (voorheen Atelier Sanne), waar hij lesgaf in schilderen met olieverf en nu nog steeds een werkplaats model leidt.
Hij is lid van de plaatselijke kunstenaarsvereniging in Landsmeer en van de kunstenaarsvereniging Sint Lucas en neemt regelmatig deel aan groeps- en solo-exposities.
Bij Ateliers Westerdok leidt Ruud de werkplaats model op de dinsdagochtend en woensdagavond.
Born in 1993, Amber Moonen graduated in 2015 from de Hogeschool voor Beeldende Kunst en Vormgeving in Amsterdam. From a young age, she was interested in two dimensional art and after graduation, focused her study on oil painting. Her art is figurative with an emphasis on using a dark, earthy colour palette. People feature prominently in much of her private work. The person figures as a character in the picture she is creating. Her work is personal but influenced by traditional painters of the old school. Amber facilitates some of the Open Model-drawing sessions.
Jiri was always fascinated by paintings and took up painting himself many years later. He studied with several painting teachers/artists. Art is now a passion for him and challenges him to represent things. He paints and draws in realistic and figurative styles with a preference for chalk and acrylic as materials. The direct interaction with the model inspires his expression and work.
Jiri facilitates some of the Open Model-drawing sessions.
Sook was born in South Korea and studied Applied Arts at the Youngman College in Daegu. In 1996 she took courses in life-drawing at the Academie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. She arrived in Amsterdam in1997 and then took painting lessons at Atelier Sanne (today Ateliers Westerdok). Here she has also been an enthusiastic participant of the walk-in life-drawing sessions, in the meantime developing her own, personal style. Working directly from models remains here preference and this is where she draws the most inspiration. Of all the techniques that she works with, such as oils and pastels, Sumi-e remains her favourite. Sumi-e is an Japanese technique that involves drawging directly onto rice-paper with a brush. Sook also regularly prepares delicious Korean buffets at the Atelier. Her Sook Sushi is infamous! Sook assists the life-modeling walk-in sessions.
HOW TO GET HERE
Ateliers Westerdok is located on Westerdokseiland in the centre of Amsterdam – close to Central Station and the Law Courts (Paleis van Justitie) on the river the IJ.
The address is Westerdok 318, the entrance is in the sidestreet: Winthontstraat 13.
Walking time to and from Amsterdam CS is about 8 to 10 minutes.
ON FOOT FROM AMSTERDAM CENTRAL STATION (APPROX. 8 MIN.)
Take the rear exit North side (IJ). Turn left in the direction of the ferry boats and walk with the water (HET IJ) on your right, towards the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel). At the roundabout by the Chamber of Commerce, continue along the IJ. Once opposite the Law Courts (Paleis van Justitie) you cross the Westerdoksdijk to Westerdokplein. Once you’ve crossed onto this square, turn to the right by the houseboats. Here the Westerdok begins, and you walk along to number 318, which is the building on the right on the corner of the Winthontstraat.
BY BUS
From station Amsterdam Central, take city bus 48, heading for Houthavens (get on at the bus stop opposite the Victoria hotel). Get off at the Westerdoksdijk bus stop.
From station Amsterdam’s Sloterdijk station, take bus 22 to Spaarndammerstraat and transfer here to bus number 48, direction Central Station.
BY BIKE
Ateliers Westerdok is located between the river IJ and the Jordaan area, parallel to Bickers Island and the Golden Reaal .The Westerdok starts where the Prinsengracht canal ends. Bike north along the Prinsengracht towards the Noordermarkt. Cross over the Haarlemmerdijk, pass under the railway bridge and turn left immediately after the bend to the right. Cross over the modern silver footbridge and continue 100m to the studios on your right.
BY CAR
By car from Leiden and Alkmaar you take exit S102 from the A10 Ring and drive straight on. Once you’ve passed by Houthavens and the Silodam on the left-hand side, the Westerdokseiland starts on the right-hand side, starting from the building with the sharp point, at its corner
From Utrecht and Amersfoort, you take exit S114 from the A10 Ring and from the Piet Hein tunnel, go past Central Station. After the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel), take a sharp right and then the first left onto Winthontstraat.
There is sufficient street parking space on Westerdokseiland (please note the high parking charges in Amsterdam Centre).
You can also park your car at parking IJdock: https://parkereninijdock.nl
Tips: cheap parking at P+R Sloterdijk, then take bus 22 or 48, exit at stop Westerdoksdijk
Or cheap parking at P+R Amsterdam Zeeburg, take tram 26 to Central Station en then bus 48, and get off at stop Westerdoksdijk.
ATELIERS WESTERDOK
Westerdok 318,
1013 BH Amsterdam
Tel: 0204210151
info@atelierswesterdok.nl
Studio rental
Our spacious, light and attractive studios are located in an inspiring environment on the quay of the Westerdok. Our multifunctional studios are suitable for various purposes: for meetings and presentations, inspiring gatherings, networking drinks or festive gatherings.
Anbi status
The range of lessons and workshops for adults are activities of the Ateliers Westerdok foundation.
The range of lessons and workshops for children are activities of the Ateliers Westerdok Education (Kinderakademie) foundation.
The Ateliers Westerdok Foundation is a cultural Public Benefit Organization (cultural ANBI). Donors of cultural ANBIs have an extra tax advantage, because an extra donation deduction applies to them. Private individuals may increase a gift to a cultural ANBI by 1.25 in their income tax return and deduct it as a gift. For more information about the ANBI status, click here.
Name: Ateliers Westerdok foundation
RSIN number: 8138.18.667
Mailing adress:
Ateliers Westerdok
Westerdok 318
1013 BH Amsterdam
