On the 16th of March, during the last General Assembly held in Brussels and online, EVA’s members had the chance to elect their new board, which is now composed of Marie-Anne Ferry Fall (ADAGP, France), Javier Gutiérrez Vicén (VEGAP, Spain), Marie Gybels (SOFAM, Belgium), Fredrik Lomäng (Bildupphovsrätt, Sweden), Anke Schierholz (VG Bildkunst, Germany), Günter Schönberger (Bildrecht, Austria) and Karlijn Vogel, Pictoright (The Netherlands).
As a first order of business, the newly elected Board convened for the first time on the 1st of April, and unanimously appointed Marie Gybels, CEO at SOFAM and Fredrik Lomäng, CEO at Bildupphovsrätt as EVA new President and Vice President, respectively, for a two-year mandate.
Long-serving board members of EVA, and deeply involved in initiatives championing the protection of the visual arts sector, they will now represent EVA’s collective interests among its members and observers, European CMOs, and international organizations such as the European Institutions and WIPO.
EVA Secretary General Laetitia Nguala Masamba commented on their appointment: “I am delighted to see two veteran EVA board members and crucial players of the visual art sector take on these roles. As CEOs of these leading organizations, I am sure their extensive experience will guide the EVA community towards achieving its goal of defending authors’ rights across Europe, particularly in these troubled times.”
Marie Gybels stated: “I am deeply grateful to our former President, Anke, who has done a remarkable job leading EVA. My ambition is to be an inclusive president, reaching out to smaller societies and acting as a facilitator, strengthening relationships between the Secretariat, the Board, and all our members and observers.”
Fredrik Lomäng added: “Honored to be appointed Vice President of EVA, and proud to support its vital work in championing the rights and interests of visual artists across Europe. At a time of growing uncertainty globally, it is more important than ever to safeguard and strengthen European perspectives, ensuring that creators’ voices are heard, protected, and valued.”
Download the press release here.
