THE DIDRICHSEN ART FOUNDATION
Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen established the Didrichsen Art Foundation on 11 November 1963. The aim of the foundation is to preserve the collections and the museum building for future generations.
The original name of the foundation was Marie-Louise och Gunnar Didrichsens konststiftelse – Marie-Louise ja Gunnar Didrichsenin taidesäätiö [The Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen Art Foundation]. The by-laws of the Foundation were updated in line with Finland’s new Foundations Act in 2016, and at that time the official name was changed to Didrichsens konstmuseum sr – Didrichsenin taidemuseo sr [The Didrichsen Art Museum]. The latest update to the by-laws was made in 2019, in conjunction with changes to the government transfer system of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Marie-Louise & Gunnar Didrichsen, 1965. Kuva / foto / photo: Didrichsenin arkisto / Didrichsen arkiv, Didrichsen archive
BY-LAWS
§ 1
The foundation’s official name is Didrichsens konstmuseum sr in Swedish and Didrichsenin taidemuseo sr in Finnish, the Didrichsen Art Museum in English (hereafter “the Foundation”). The Foundation was established by Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen, and is registered in the City of Helsinki.
§ 2
The purpose of the Foundation is to foster art and knowledge of art by:
a) acquiring, managing and maintaining Finnish and international, old and new art for museum purposes;
b) carrying out art museum operations and making available the property designed by Viljo Revell, which the Foundation owns in Kuusisaari, Helsinki (reg. no. 76:10), for museum use and other cultural purposes, or for other operations intended to raise funds for the Foundation;
c) supporting the promotion of art by giving out aid or grants according to its capabilities.
§ 3
The Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation. Any financial surplus that it makes must be utilised for the purposes indicated in Section 2 above.
§ 4
The Foundation and its assets are administered by a Board consisting of at least three and at most seven members. At least two of these members must be direct descendants of the founders, Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen, if two such persons are available. The Board may not, however, consist entirely of the founders’ descendants. The Board appoints a chair from among its members.
§ 5
The Board is appointed for a term of three calendar years at a time.
§ 6
The Foundation may be represented by the Chair or by Board members specifically appointed for the task.
§ 7
The Board appoints an auditor and a deputy auditor, which may be an accounting firm. Each auditor is appointed for one year at a time. Each auditor may be appointed for a maximum of seven consecutive years.
§ 8
The heirs of the Foundation’s founders do not have the right to receive compensation for their work on the Board. The Board decides on the other members’ remuneration.
§ 9
The Foundation’s financial year is the calendar year.
§ 10
Amendments to these by-laws may be made by decision of a three-quarter majority of the Board.
§ 11
The Foundation may be terminated by unanimous decision of all the Board members. If the Foundation is terminated or wound down, its remaining assets, collections and property shall be donated to an organisation or foundation whose mission is close to that of the Foundation, for use for the purposes indicated in Section 2 above, based on a proposal by the Board.