Davidsfonds Foundation | Foundation for Culture and Heritage | Belgian Culture Foundation | The 11de Night of history

Davidsfonds Night of History 2013

Davidsfonds Foundation (Belgium)
 

' The 11de Night of history '
'De Nacht van de Geschiedenis'

Theme of 2013,
Craftsmanship
 'Craftsmen and Women' 

On 19 March 2013 from 18:00 to 22:00 in the historic town of Maaseik. (Belgium)

At Maaseik, we always focus on the rich heritage of the city, where every year we evoke elements of the historic environment. 
Experienced guides will tell historic stories during guided walks and visits, studded historians give lectures and enthusiastic actors regale you on a theatrical sketch.

This year we give a stage at a number of renowned artistic crafts.

Pearls of Craftsmanship 
Our guests are seven members of the association "Pearls of Craftsmanship" quality Label.

The carefully selected craftsmen in Maaseik promote the quality craftsmanship and their individually unique companies.

The participants will be introduced to highly skilled craftsmen who besides a special artisan knowledge of historical traditional applications have the ability to perform these skills and translate them to contemporary originality. The visitors meet a group of professionals who share their passion for sustainability and tradition have made​​.

The seven Participants of Pearls of Craftsmanship.

-A CE SOIR: Suits and hats (in the Hotel Van Eyck)

-Angel-Barrero: Marble decoration techniques (in the Pharmacy Museum)

-Atelier-TRATTEGGIO: Art Restoration (in the KBC Bank)

-Eddie Van Hoef: Painting Techniques (in the John Selbach Museum)

-EMYSFEER: Upholstery (in the John Selbach Museum)

-Pascal Mestrom: Chandeliers Restoration (in the Stock Exchange)

-Patrick Damiaens: Ornamental Woodcarver (at Hotel Van Eyck)

-Peter Croonenberghs: How to brew beer? Which includes the Jan Van Eyck Tripel Beer (in the Hall Van Eyck)

Sign in and departure: Maaseik hall between 18:00 and 18:30.

Price: € 12 (€ 10 for members of the organizing associations)

Information and registration befor March 17, 2013 by: maaseik@davidsfonds.net

or telephone +32 89 56 68 86.

The registrations are final after payment is received:

453-4019391-92, IBAN: BE12453401939192, BIC: KREDBEBB of Davidsfonds‑Maaseik.

http://www.maaseik.davidsfonds.be

http://www.pearlsofcraftsmanship.com

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

PEARLS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP | Quality Label for Craftsmanship | The Spirit of Craftsmanship

Pearls of Craftsmanship
'Quality Label'

The spirit of Craftsmanship


Over these past years, I’ve come upon the following conclusion : a whole branch of extremely competent professionals, some of them even unique in their line, are nowadays meeting  increasing difficulty to make our society aware of the extreme urgency to preserve and valorize this healthy part of our heritage, with a particularly rich historical background, that is: craftsmanship.

The trend to the standardization and leveling of our interior decoration which is taking over the consumable market is quite lethal to the craftsmanship trades. 

For some time now,I have been in touch with professionals like me, sometimes just out of curiosity or when collaborating on a common project or while combining our talents for an order to carry on.

The real craftsmanship, our own heritage is gradually dwindling and with time has gained the   misleading reputation of being obsolete or marginal.

While trying to meet other « Artisan » colleagues and through my personal vision and also my love for my calling, I am a wood carver (I design and make wood ornaments), I eventually came across the organizers of Classica 2011.

And they are the ones who saw the interest of a “Craftsmen’s pavilion”, a place where the visitor would be offered the opportunity of meeting true craftsmen.
I was asked by the organization committee to put together a group of craftsmen belonging to the different branches (mainly interior decoration) in order to present their trades in the form of practical workshops to the public.

Classica 2011 has been a great success for our group and a wonderful experience. I must thank warmly the press for their fantastic work that we benefitted by and contributed to the “Craftsmanship” pavilion‘s success.

So during ten days, I participated to that event with about 22 other craftsmen, true and eager professionals. The same recurrent problems, the same needs the same vision kept stemming out of our conversations, which took me to the conclusion that we are all workers sharing the same preoccupations. 

It was also necessary to get together and be under the same “roof”, share an internet site, vouching for quality, free of any external influence or authority, for it sounds quite obvious that we, the professionals, are the most qualified to judge of the quality of work pertaining to each trade. 

Hence an internet site that tells of true craftsmanship, has been in progress along the past months, a site eliciting top grading work from each participating craftsman, offering a rich range of propositions both for the individual client and the corporate such as architects, or restoration firms.

« Pearls of Craftsmanship » can be a source of inspiration for many, in their quest for personalization why not, just some surprising encounter. This site has already 20 members, 17 Belgians and 3 Dutch and it will steadily grow with the addition of new members from other sectors.

Each new member will have to meet the same quality standards for our quality label to be preserved. 

They will be selected not only according to their professional line but also to their specificity in their field, in their profession (whether in Belgium, Europe or even worldwide), or their existing over several generations. 
Whether they be masters in their field,  using new or traditional techniques, they open up new ways, they are devoted, utterly professional and working full time yet participating increasingly to workshop demonstrations or to different events to introduce the public with their knowhow. 

'Pearls of Craftsmanship' promotes craftsmanship of the highest quality and consists of carefully selected members and crafts. This site brings together extremely gifted artisans with an exceptional knowledge of their trade and with historically grown traditional crafts, neatly balanced with contemporary originality. 

This is a place where the visitors are confronted with their search for a personal touch and where they have  an opportunity to get acquainted with skilled experts, who have turned durability and tradition into their passion. True pearls among the crafts that manage to stimulate and inspire through their originality and broad perspective 

'Pearls of Craftsmanship' is for those who wish to surround themselves with the highest degree of perfection and taste. It wants to offer an alternative for the unsatisfying standard solutions you have to settle for (sometimes for no apparent reason) in our modern day consumer society.   

Please visit us:www.pearlsofcraftsmanship.com

With my best regards

 Patrick Damiaens