Impressionisms Routes got its Certification as a Cultural Route

The project Impressionisms Routes got its Certification as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in September 2018; the official Certification Ceremony will be held on March 19th, 2019 in Paris.

Jan Toorop, Zielegang langs d’Oceaan, 1900, tekening, Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin.
CULTURAL ROUTE OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Since September 2018, the project ‘Impressionisms Routes’ is one of the more than 30 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. In cooperation with the Federation of European Artists’ Colonies euroArt (Worpswede GE) and the International Centre for the Study of European Artists’ Colonies ICEAC (Domburg NL), it aims at creating and fostering, within the continent, a link between the sites that have inspired the European impressionist and plein-air painters from the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century, the places where they lived, the places where they established artists’ colonies and the towns which today display their works inside their museums or their cultural venues. This collection of sites makes up a true ‘open-air museum’ of the depicted landscapes, and enables the direct connection of the visitors with the artistic movement.
CERTIFICATION
To be certified, a Cultural Route must illustrate a theme representative of European values and common to at least three countries in Europe; be the subject of transnational multidisciplinary scientific research; enhance European memory, history and heritage and contribute to interpretation of Europe’s present day diversity; support cultural and educational exchanges for young people; develop exemplary and innovative projects in the field of cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development; develop tourist products aimed at different groups.
THE TOOROP ROUTE
In liaison with euroart and the MTVP Museum Domburg NL, the ICEAC is the Ambassador of the network of Toorop sites in the project ‘Impressionisms Routes’. A basic Route has been developed & is expanding throughout Europe, starting with Museums and Organisations in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Laren NH, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Katwijk, Dordrecht, Leiden, The Hague, Domburg, Middelburg, Otterlo, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Zwolle, Assen), Belgium (Brussels), France (Paris), England (London), Germany (Neuss, Mainz, Karlsruhe, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Schwaan, Alkersum auf Föhr), Switzerland (Zurich), Austria (Vienna) and Serbia (Belgrade).
The ICEAC (iceac.eu) so far fosters a library of more than 5.000 books focusing on Artists’ Colonies in Europe.
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme was launched in 1987 to demonstrate, by means of a journey through space and time, how heritage from different countries of Europe contributes to a shared cultural heritage.