The NDSM Theater Café is a large space with high ceilings and brick walls—the kind of place where an art market really fits right in. For each edition, the building on Scheepsbouwkade is transformed into a market space filled with work by seventy to eighty curated artists, complemented by a DJ booth and a mini pop-up food court. No white gallery walls or silent security guards—just a market where you can stroll around, chat with the artists, and buy something if it catches your eye.
Behind Kunstmarkt Noord are Lisa van Oosten and Lana van Beelen, who founded the market in 2023 through the Z.A.C.A. Foundation. Lana van Beelen is the founder of that foundation, and Lisa van Oosten helped bring the market to life. KMN is now standing on its own as one of twenty-seven Amsterdam-based entrepreneurs selected for “Boost je Buurt 2026” and receives a grant from the AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts). For the #14 edition in March 2026, Ruben Tevreden designed the poster, giving each edition’s visual identity its own distinct look. Mara Roos manages the website.
The format is intentionally accessible. Artists are selected twice a year through an open call and a curation process, ensuring quality while keeping the market open to new talent. Visitors pay no admission and don’t need to make a reservation. They stroll past works by seventy to eighty artists at a time; postcards and prints are available starting at €7.50, with small originals and larger works displayed right next to them. For anyone who’s always thought art was just for rich people: that image doesn’t hold true here.
For those who have always thought of art as something only for rich people: that perception doesn't hold true here.
The NDSM site has been a breeding ground for creative initiatives in Noord for years, and Kunstmarkt Noord fits right in. The former shipyard attracts both local residents and people from the other side of the IJ. Fourteen editions in three years speak volumes about its popularity. The market is no longer a one-time experiment, but a fixture on the calendar of anyone interested in the visual arts.
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