Female Voices in Art: Marian Spier, Social Entrepreneur and Board Member

Marian Spier (b. 1970 Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is a social entrepreneur and board member. She has been a manager and lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam for eight years. In 2012 she started consulting and has since built a diverse portfolio of clients that range across industries and sectors, such as the United Nations, City of Amsterdam, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to name a few. Marian founded TEDxAmsterdamWomen in 2010 in order to give women in the Netherlands a platform to spread their ideas. She continues to do so through her work as a social entrepreneur, whilst mentoring and coaching many young female entrepreneurs throughout the world. She founded the first Female Startup Awards in the Netherlands and serves as an advisor and board member of several non-profit organizations, such as The Van Gogh Museum, Rutgers and Van den Ende foundation.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a supervisory board member at the Van Gogh Museum and a board member at the Van den Ende Foundation.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The way Carla and I met and connected at an art fair and she spontaneously contacted me to take my picture. Also the fun during the photoshoot of course.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Vincent van Gogh, but also a contemporary artist named Marlou Fernanda.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father was a painter and student of Nola Hatterman a famous female Dutch painter. She had a house in the woods in Suriname. When I was 11 years old she would use me as her model because I was good at sitting still. I loved the way she loved art. To my delighted surprise years later I saw her work hanging in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The sale of women’s artwork in the global auction market comprises only TWO percent of the total market share, according to researchers. If we buy art created by women, create new business models, (online) platforms and communities we can create change.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress I bought in Accra, Ghana. I wanted to buy a dress made and designed by female African designers. And when I saw the dress I immediately fell in love with it.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The impact it has is that I take better care of my health. I eat healthier and sleep better. I have a better daily routine. In the beginning, I was a bit stressed about it because I was used to traveling a lot. But now I take more time in enjoying my surroundings, by taking long walks in the dunes and the beach. Fortunately, as an entrepreneur, my work did not suffer. It has increased because I have less traveling time, and I can accept more work.

Is it changing your views on Art?

No, it has not changed my views. I am saddened that we cannot visit museums because I love traveling and visiting museums while visiting a country. During curfew time, I browse a lot online and look up the new initiatives of young artists. A lot is happening now in the video and multidisciplinary art space. The way they can express themselves. It is like a new wave.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I started www.fem-start.com , a global initiative to demystify the world of funding for female entrepreneurs. I also started a Dutch non-profit called www.fempreneurhulp.nl , A platform of mentors that consult female entrepreneurs whose businesses are affected by covid for free. I have worked a lot virtually before the pandemic, so that has not changed negatively exponentially. It only increased.