Willemstad, Curaçao
Uniarte announces the start of a new activation phase, which will unfold from its new headquarters at Bloemhof. This step reflects Uniarte’s ongoing commitment to contemporary and interdisciplinary artistic practices in the Dutch Caribbean, with a renewed focus on collaboration, experimentation, and professional development.
In previous years, Uniarte was initiated and carried by its founder, Sharelly Emanuelson, who developed the platform together with other Caribbean artists. From the outset, Uniarte was conceived as a structure that creates space for others to grow. Examples of this vision can be traced back to initiatives that emerged through, from, or after Casa Moderna in Punda and the Cartagenastraat in Otrobanda. Artists and collectives such as Avantia Damberg, Albert Schoobaar, Teatro Kadaken, Guenn Gustina, Chris Peralta, Piso Sero, and others were part of this formative period.
As part of this long-term vision and in line with Uniarte’s continued development, Emanuelson will now serve as a board member. This next phase intentionally creates space for cultural facilitators, programmers, and emerging curators to further develop their practices and actively contribute to strengthening the islands’ artistic infrastructure.
Thanks to support from the Mondriaan Fund, the Uniarte Foundation can expand its team sustainably for the first time. Within this framework, two positions have been made possible. Uniarte is pleased to announce that Nicole van Beusekom has been appointed to the first position. Her experience in project coordination, creative production, and community-oriented initiatives strengthens Uniarte’s operational and programmatic capacity. Within this trajectory, she is also given the space to further develop and consolidate her own practice.
For the second position, a vacancy is currently open to candidates of all ages. Like the first role, this position is designed to support the candidate in developing, deepening, and future-proofing their own practice. It is a part-time junior position, intended for (both established and emerging) creative and cultural professionals, as well as professionals seeking to retrain, who are actively engaged in or curious about interdisciplinary and artistic practices.
The position is structured as a learning and professionalization trajectory, offering guidance in developing and realizing one’s own concepts within a growing network at the local, regional, and international levels.
The new headquarters at Bloemhof provides Uniarte with a physical base for artistic experimentation, residencies, workshops, and public programs. In addition, this step includes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Bloemhof, laying the foundation for a three-year collaboration. This partnership is rooted in a shared ambition to strengthen cultural development on the island and to create a meeting place for artists, curators, and thinkers to collectively reflect on social, cultural, and ecological issues.
With this step, Uniarte looks forward to sharing new developments, programs, and collaborations from its base at Bloemhof, further strengthening connections locally, regionally, and internationally.
About UniArte
Uniarte is an art platform focused on contemporary and interdisciplinary artistic practices. Uniarte supports artistic research, experimentation, and knowledge exchange, and engages with social, cultural, and ecological contexts through exhibitions, residencies, workshops, and public programs.
For more information about the vacancy, please contact:
uniarteorg@gmail.com