What Grafisch Atelier does

Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (GAA) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (Stichting) founded in 1975 and headquartered at Doelenstraat 23 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It operates as a professionally equipped printmaking workshop and gallery, offering access to equipment and materials for etching, lithography, screen printing, relief printing (woodcut, linocut, letterpress), bookbinding, and photopolymer plate printing. The workshop is staffed by two professional beheerders (managers), Danika Kersten and Frits van Zeventer, who provide technical guidance to artists and designers on a day-rate, subscription, or per-lesson basis. A ground-floor gallery runs rotating exhibitions approximately every six weeks, with artwork available for purchase, alongside a permanent collection of works made at the workshop.

GAA generates revenue through a mix of workshop access fees (€10 half-day, €15 full-day, subscriptions from €140/quarter to €320/year, a new €125 10-ride card from 2026, and €125 one-on-one lessons), sales of limited-edition prints and publications (Koppermaandagprent, Vriendenprent, ¾ Olifant newspaper, DichtDruk, Shuffleprent), annual donations from a Vrienden (Friends) membership program with ~170–190 members paying €15–€250 per year, and prize/competition entries administered in partnership with the Stichting Het Jos van Amsterdam Fonds (€3,000 Ysbrand Grafiekprijs and €2,000 Jongeren Grafiekprijs). It also receives ancillary support from municipal and regional cultural partners, including the Grote Kerk Alkmaar and Bibliotheek Kennemerwaard.

The organization is structurally composed of three linked foundations: Stichting Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (the operating entity), Stichting Vrienden van het Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (the donor/friends foundation), and Stichting Het Jos van Amsterdam Fonds (the prize-funding ANBI). It serves four primary customer segments: professional and emerging graphic artists (workshop users), art enthusiasts and collectors (gallery visitors and print buyers), young artists in North Holland (under 35, targeted by the Jongeren Grafiekprijs), and professional Dutch graphic artists nationwide (targeted by the Ysbrand Grafiekprijs). Since 2022, GAA has been formally registered in the Dutch Intangible Cultural Heritage (Immaterieel erfgoed) list, and it maintains international artist exchange programs with partners in Belgium, Germany, England, Serbia, and Spain.

Name

Grafisch Atelier

Legal name

Stichting Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar

Website

https://grafischatelieralkmaar.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar is a Dutch nonprofit printmaking workshop and gallery founded in 1975, providing professional equipment access for etching, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, and bookbinding to professional and emerging graphic artists, while serving art enthusiasts and collectors through rotating exhibitions and limited-edition publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Printmaking Services

NAICS

Printing (32311), Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD), Design & Maker Skills (Graphic Design, Calligraphy, Lettering) (EDAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Printmaking workshop
• Graphic arts studio
• Fine art printing
• Etching lithography
• Art gallery exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Alkmaar

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop Access Fees: Artists and designers pay daily or subscription fees to use the workshop facilities and equipment. Fees are charged per half-day (€10), full day (€15), or via subscription (quarterly €140, semi-annual €200, annual €320, or 10-ride card €125). One-on-one lessons are €125 per day. Materials like paper, inks, and films are sold at cost price.
2. Membership Donations (Vriendenprogramma): Annual donations from Vrienden (Friends) starting at €15/year and Dikke Vrienden (Major Friends) at €250/year. These donations fund equipment maintenance, special projects, and publications. Over 170 members contribute annually.
3. Print and Publication Sales: The GAA sells prints including the annual Koppermaandagprent and Vriendenprent, limited edition works from the gallery, and publications such as the ¾ Olifant newspaper. Prices range from €20 for Koppermaandagprent to €25 for ¾ Olifant prints.
4. Prize and Competition Entry Fees: The GAA organizes the Ysbrand Grafiekprijs (prize money €3,000) and Jongeren Grafiekprijs (prize money €2,000) funded by the Jos van Amsterdam Fonds, attracting professional artists and young talent to the GAA ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (GAA) operates a professional printmaking workshop and gallery in Alkmaar, Netherlands, providing access to traditional graphic arts equipment and expert guidance for techniques including etching, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, and bookbinding. The organization complements its workshop services with a rotating gallery (averaging one exhibition every six weeks), annual limited-edition print publications, and two graphic arts prizes, serving both practicing artists and print art enthusiasts.

Product overview

Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (GAA) operates as a printmaking workshop and gallery combining traditional graphic arts with community engagement. The core offering is the Werkplaats (Workshop), a professional facility for traditional printmaking techniques including etching, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, and bookbinding, supported by professional managers. The Galerie provides rotating exhibitions approximately every six weeks. The organization produces several annual and periodic publications: the Koppermaandagprent (annual limited print since 2011), Vriendenprent (annual print by different artist), and 3/4 Olifant newspaper. Special projects include the Laurens 500 portfolio, Shuffleprent collaboration (pairing word and graphic artists), and DichtDruk (poet-graphic artist collaboration producing 8 editions over two years). The GAA also administers two graphic arts prizes: the Ysbrand Grafiekprijs (biennial, €3,000 for Dutch graphic artists) and the Jongeren Grafiekprijs (annual, €2,000 for artists under 35 in North Holland). Educational services include workshop access passes and one-on-one lessons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stichting Vrienden van het Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar: Friends foundation that supports the atelier with donations from over 170 members and manages equipment maintenance and special publications
• Stichting Het Jos van Amsterdam Fonds

Products and services

• Werkplaats (Workshop) A professional printmaking workshop offering access to equipment and materials for all graphic techniques including etching, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, bookbinding, and photopolymer plate printing. Open to artists and designers with professional beheerders available for technical advice, hands-on assistance, and guidance by appointment. Access is available via half-day (€10), full-day (€15), or subscriptions (quarterly €140, semi-annual €200, annual €320).
• Galerie (Gallery) An exhibition space located at the entrance of the workshop that hosts work of one or more graphic artists approximately every six weeks. Displayed works are available for purchase, with a price list and information available at the entrance. The display also features the GAA's permanent collection and publications. Artists may apply to exhibit via the contact page.
• Koppermaandagprent An annual limited edition print presented to friends and supporters of the workshop, featuring a different artist each year with a matching envelope designed by the same artist for five consecutive years. Available for €20 per print.
• Vriendenprent An annual print designed by a different artist connected to the workshop, presented each autumn to Dikke Vrienden (Major Friends) and available for purchase.
• 3/4 Olifant A periodic newspaper featuring an artist-commissioned print on the back page about the 'elephant' theme, printed in an edition of 20 copies per edition at €25 per print.
• Laurens 500 Portfolio A portfolio of prints created by 7 artists from the Netherlands and abroad to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Grote Kerk in Alkmaar in 2018, including a poem by Hans Tentije.
• Shuffleprent A co-creation initiative pairing young word artists and graphic artists to experiment and inspire each other, creating collaborative art combining original poetry with prints printed at the GAA workshop.
• DichtDruk A two-year project pairing 8 poets and 8 graphic artists from the region, with quarterly presentations of poems and prints in special covers. Full series of 8 issues sold for €250 (€40 per individual issue).
• Ysbrand Grafiekprijs A biennial prize for professional graphic artists living and working in the Netherlands, named after Jos van Amsterdam. The prize awards €3,000 plus exhibition opportunities, funded by the Stichting Jos van Amsterdam Fonds.
• Jongeren Grafiekprijs (Marija Ilić Grafiekprijs) A prize for young graphic artists up to 35 years old living in North Holland, awarding €2,000 plus a one-year workshop subscription and exhibition opportunity, funded by the Stichting Jos van Amsterdam Fonds.
• Workshop Courses and One-on-One Lessons One-on-one lessons teaching new printmaking techniques for €125 per day, with follow-up days charged at the regular day rate depending on technique and intensity of guidance. Day passes and subscriptions (quarterly €140, semi-annual €200, annual €320) provide additional flexible access.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the oldest and best-equipped printmaking workshops in the Netherlands with international reach
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grote Kerk AlkmaarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for the GAA's 50th anniversary exhibition (April-May 2025), the 50x50 exhibition, and regular workshops and demonstrations during the jubilee. The GAA's printing activities are inspired by the church's historical gravestones, and director Naud van Geffen has spoken at the Koppermaandagprent ceremony.
• Shuffle MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-creator of the Shuffleprent project, which pairs young, talented word artists and graphic artists to experiment and inspire each other, creating collaborative artworks where original poems are integrated into prints produced at the GAA.
• De NachtvlindercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-creator of the Shuffleprent project alongside Shuffle Magazine and the GAA, contributing to the collaborative creation of print works integrating poetry and graphic art.
• Bibliotheek KennemerwaardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-initiator of the DichtDruk project — a collaboration in which eight poets and eight graphic artists from the region are paired to create paired poems and prints over two years. The library hosted the final presentations in 2020.
• ReuringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of the 'three musketeers' of the DichtDruk project alongside the GAA and Bibliotheek Kennemerwaard. Reuring hosted DichtDruk presentations during its events and contributed to the project's regional cultural programming.
• Graficki Kolektiv (Belgrade, Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011International exchange partner established through the efforts of Marija Ilić during her tenure on the GAA board. Sustains cross-border artist exchange between Alkmaar and Belgrade.
• Gravura Taller (Málaga, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011International exchange partner established through Marija Ilić's board efforts. Maintains ongoing artist exchange between Alkmaar and Málaga.
• Grafiekplatform VOG (Platform voor Originele Grafiek)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Dutch platform for original graphic art used to invite graphic artists to participate in the Ysbrand Grafiekprijs competition.
• Grafiekgroep BergenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975Norwegian graphic artists group with which the GAA shares artist recruitment for the Ysbrand Grafiekprijs. Used as an address database for inviting graphic artists to participate in competitions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edinburgh Printmakers: Scotland's primary open-access printmaking workshop and gallery, offering studio hire, courses, and a year-round exhibition program — directly comparable in workshop-plus-gallery mission and community focus.
• Frans Masereel Centrum: Belgian printmaking center in Kasterlee providing artist residencies, exhibitions, and editions — comparable as a European printmaking atelier with international artist exchanges.
• Crown Point Press: San Francisco-based fine art printmaking studio collaborating with major contemporary artists to produce limited-edition intaglio prints — comparable as a working print atelier producing editions and hosting exhibitions.
• Highpoint Center for Printmaking: Minneapolis-based nonprofit printmaking workshop providing open-access studios, education, and exhibitions across traditional techniques — the closest North American analog to GAA's workshop-plus-gallery model.
• Tamarind Institute: University of New Mexico-affiliated fine art lithography workshop offering artist residencies, training, and editions — directly comparable as a printmaking atelier combining production, education, and heritage status.
• Graphicstudio at USF: University of South Florida print research studio producing limited-edition prints with visiting artists — comparable as an atelier combining artist collaboration, editions, and traditional printmaking techniques.
• Leicester Print Workshop: UK open-access printmaking studio offering courses, editions, and exhibitions — comparable workshop-plus-gallery mission serving professional and emerging printmakers.
• Curwen Print Study Centre: UK-based printmaking study centre offering workshop access, courses, and residencies in traditional and contemporary techniques — closely comparable workshop model serving practicing artists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grafisch_atelier_alkmaar
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• Instagraminstagram.com/grafisch_atelier_alkmaar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grafisch-atelier

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grafisch Atelier