Membership: Information about the Kunstverein

Founded in 1839, the Basler Kunstverein (Artist Association of Basel) now has 1579 members (last updated on 31.12.2011).

The objective of the Association is the promotion and presentation of fine arts, the main focus being on contemporary art.

Kunsthalle Basel, which was opened to the public in 1872 and is located at Steinenberg 7, has a dual function: it serves the Basler Kunstverein as its main venue and is at the same time the principle instrument in the implementation of the Association’s stated objective. Apart from the showrooms, the library, which is open to members of the Association, is worth mentioning: endowed with approximately 30,000 books and catalogues and subscribing to 20 art journals, it provides excellent resources for a detailed overview of the development of art in an international context.

The holdings of the Basler Kunstverein comprise about 500 works of art which have gradually been collected ever since the time when the Association was founded. For reasons of conservation, the collection is not housed in the main building.

Funding

The Association is funded by membership fees, proceeds from admissions, commissions from the sale of art works and books, investment returns, rental and lease income, revenues from the restaurant and bars, and donations by both private individuals and foundations.

Due to its status as one of Basel’s foremost private cultural institutions with an international reputation Kunsthalle Basel also receives subsidies from the Canton of Basel-Stadt.

Balance sheet

(Source: Annual Report 2011 of the Basler Kunstverein; in thousands of CHF)

Membership rights

All members have voting and election rights. They are also granted free access to the library, the various exhibitions and other events organised by the Association, although in exceptional cases the admission charge may be reduced rather than entirely free of charge. Members are also entitled to borrow works of art from the collection for a limited time, generally no more than a year.

Organs of the Basler Kunstverein

The function of the General Meeting of Members which takes place at least once a year is to review and approve the Annual Report and the accounts, to elect the Commission and to decide on any proposals advanced.

The Commission consists of a maximum of 14 members out of whom one is a government representative. At least one third of the members must be artists and at least another fifty percent must be art lovers who are neither artists nor government representatives.

The Commission oversees the Association’s activities.

The Management is responsible for all artistic events and controls the administrative and technical services. The event programmes must be submitted to the Commission for approval.

The General Meeting of Members elects an auditor commissioned to review the annual accounts on the basis of the Association’s books and receipts and to report on its findings to the General Meeting of Members.

The Commission (in 2012)

• Martin Hatebur, President
• Emanuel Christ, Deputy president
• Patrick Dreyfus, Cashier
• Peter Bläuer
• Roman Kurzmeyer
• Muda Mathis
• Kilian Rüthemann
• Fritz Schumacher, Government Representative
• Markus Schwander
• Valentina Stieger
• Theodora Vischer