Artist Siemen Dijkstra from Dwingeloo will receive the Cultural Prize of Drenthe this year. Dijkstra, who is seen as an authority in the field of color woodcuts, was surprised earlier this afternoon in his studio by culture deputy Nelleke Vedelaar. He will receive the prize on 11 April in the Atlas Theater in Emmen.
The Cultural Prize of Drenthe, a bronze medal and 10,000 euros, has been the most important award of the province of Drenthe since 1955. It is awarded every other year.
‘Unique technique’
Dijkstra (1968) grew up in Pesse and has lived in Dwingeloo since he graduated from the Groningen Academy Minerva. “The landscape of Drenthe inspires him to create stunning color woodcuts. But his concern about the increasing pressure on that landscape is also a source of inspiration. Siemen Dijkstra is a committed artist,” says Annette Timmer, chair of the advisory committee.