NP3 and Groninger Museum seek the Young Grunn Artist 4 | YGA-4 

After a successful third edition of the Young Grunn Artist programme, resulting in the exhibition MEGALITH (2022) by Marit Westerhuis in the Coop Himmelb[l]au Pavilion of the Groninger Museum, the fourth edition will start in 2026. NP3 and the Groninger Museum are seeking new Groninger talent: Who will be the YGA-4?

Young Grunn Artist: a contemporary, emerging artist or artist collective of any age, who is ready for a new step and is somehow related to Groningen, such as living currently or formerly in the region, having been educated in Groningen, originating from the city or province of Groningen etcetera.

Are you an artist or artist collective, designer, architect (or something in-between) and are you ready to take a next step in your career? Are you open to critical reflection on your own artistic practice and development? Do you want to make new contacts and develop your artistic career in terms of content, financial sustainability, promotion and production? Are you ready to make a difference and to contribute to the (inter)national art world? Would you like to have the opportunity to be in exchange with NP3 and the Groninger Museum curators and develop a presentation format that aligns with your artistic practice? Then you are the artist or artist collective we are looking for.

YGA-4
The YGA-programme is an extension to the selected artists’ existing professional practice. With the necessary professional support, NP3 and the Groninger Museum offer three artists or artist collectives a unique opportunity to take a next step in their development and unfolding, in the sharpening and deepening of their artistic practice. With this programme they are given opportunities and ‘tools’ to realise the artistic goals they have in mind and to connect with the (inter)national art world. An important element of the programme is working together with NP3 and the Groninger Museum to develop a concept for a presentation format at the Groninger Museum. With the new artistic direction at the Groninger Museum, it is the values of the experimental, the collective and the interdisciplinary that are the place where NP3 and the museum’s curiosity is ignited. The final selection of the winning artist or artist collective will be based on these values and the artist’s development within the YGA-4 programme.  

YGA-4 partner: Gerrit van Houten Stichting
Since 2021, the Gerrit van Houten Stichting has become a partner of YGA, they support financially the one-year talent development trajectory and the winning artist or artist collective of YGA-4 will also be awarded with the Gerrit van Houten Prijs of 5.000 euro. The other two artists or artist collectives that take part in the talent trajectory will be awarded with 2.500 euro. In case of artist collectives the prize is shared. Together, NP3, Groninger Museum and the Gerrit van Houten Stichting support emerging artists and contribute to sustainable talent development in the region.

YGA-4 Application
Do you want to participate in the challenging, one-year development programme YGA-4 as one of the three participating artists or artist collectives? Send us documentation that represents your work and vision as an artist. The documentation’s form is up to you and should give a clear insight into your work and development up to this point. Write your motivation for why you want to participate in the programme and describe the way the programme could help you achieve your goals and intended development and convince us why you are the potential YGA-4. (max. 1-A4) Languages English or Dutch. Please combine all information in one PDF.

YGA-4 Selection procedure
A shortlist of six artists or artist collectives will be made in March 2026 and is based on the above-mentioned documentation and motivation. On March 4, the shortlisted artists or artist collectives will be invited for meetings with the curators and directors of NP3 and Groninger Museum, in order to make the final selection of the three artists or artist collectives that will participate in the one-year development programme.

YGA-4 Application deadline: 22 February 2026, 17.00 h.
You can apply via the following channels:
1. Upload: online link to the Groninger Museum website, PDF
2. Email: yga@np3.nu (PDF files larger than 5 MB, via a transfer site, such as Transfernow / Wormhole)
3. Sending by post your documentation YGA-4, to: NP3, Hofstraat 21, 9712 JA Groningen 
4. Hand-in personally your documentation at NP3 on Thursday 19 February, 13.00 – 17.00 h.

YGA-4 Do you have any questions?
Do you have access needs that we can assist you with or do you have questions? 
1. You can call us: Thursday 29 January and 12 February from 14.00 – 16.00 h. +31 (0)50 – 2044783 
2. We have an online Zoom session on Thursday 5 February 2026, start 16.00 h., to register send an email to yga@np3.nu, with subject ‘YGA session’