Arti et Amicitiae: Art space in Nieuwe Zijde, Amsterdam

Arti et Amicitiae is an artists' society and exhibition space at Rokin 112 in the centre of Amsterdam, founded in 1839 and one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the Netherlands. By day anyone can walk in to see an exhibition or have lunch in the society rooms, in a listed building with interiors by Berlage. In the evening the house belongs to its members. The name means 'for art and friendship'. The society was set up by successful artists to promote the arts and improve the social and economic position of their profession, and it was the first Dutch association in which visual artists themselves were in charge. It bought the Rokin premises in 1840. Around 1893 H.P. Berlage and A.C. Bleys rebuilt the interior, and much of Berlage's staircase hall and furniture is still in daily use. Toorop, Breitner, Van Gogh and Mondriaan all showed work here. Exhibitions fill the upstairs rooms, the society rooms and the smaller ArtSpace, with contemporary art chosen by a programme committee and a members' Salon each December. Talks, concerts and other Arti Shuffle evenings run alongside them. The exhibitions are open from Tuesday to Sunday between 12:00 and 17:00. The society is open to everyone until 17:00, weekend events excepted, and only takes card payments. The society has 1,200 members, half of them artists. Exhibitions in the upstairs rooms cost €5, and are free for members and students; the society and ArtSpace are free. Lunch and drinks can be booked by email or on 020 623 2995 after 12:00, while dinner is for members only unless an event says otherwise. The ground floor works for wheelchairs, but the upper rooms are reached by stairs only, with no lift. Metro 52 stops at Rokin a few minutes away, and the nearest car parks are Parking Rokin and Q-Park de Bijenkorf.