Portrait of two M-bassadors

More and more young people are taking the step to become M-bassadors. Loes Hubrechts (30) and Stefanie Van Meensel (41), for example.

Loes Hubrechts: "I have two part-time jobs. I teach drawing to children at the Academy of Visual and Audiovisual Arts here in Leuven. At Odisee University of Applied Sciences, I teach aspiring nursery school teachers how they can let children experiment with all kinds of art techniques and materials."

"Before that I worked at M for almost three years. I mainly organised corporate events in the halls of M, so I know the museum from the other side as well. Since September last year I have been a freelance guide there."

Stefanie Van Meensel: "I have been unable to work for a while, and now I am doing an internship as a project officer at the ALS League. Hopefully it will be the stepping-stone to a full-time job."

On the move

Loes: "Before I started working in M, I didn't come here very often. I was not yet living in Leuven - it was not my area, shall we say. But now, as a resident of Leuven, I enjoy being able to visit the museum at any time. Becoming an M-bassador was a logical step, a way to stay connected to M and the cultural life of my city."

Stefanie: "I took a course in painting at the academy in Leuven in 2013, and there my interest in art grew considerably. I mainly came into contact with M through a good friend who works there. It is nice to have that shared interest. We often visit museums together."

Unique opportunities

Loes: "I became an M-bassador mainly for the activities. M organises trips to other museums and tours of its own exhibitions. Everywhere, you are guided by people who know a lot about the museum and the works. It is really behind the scenes, not an average explanation. I find that really interesting."

Stefanie: "Yes, these are unique opportunities. You see and hear things that you would otherwise never come into contact with. There is a great difference between going to an exhibition on your own and getting explanations from the curator, who knows the works inside out. For example, I visited 'To The Edge Of Time', an exhibition in the university library, with the M-bassadors. That tour really added value."

"Going on trips with other M-bassadors also gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded people."

Loes: "Another advantage you have as an M-bassador is that you get invited to vernissages and openings."

Stefanie: "Yes, the newsletter I get from M is one of the few I don't delete immediately. I always check it, I take out my diary to note down the activities that interest me, and if necessary I look for extra information on M's website.

Triple imagination

Loes: "I try to get people around me excited about M - that's part of being an M-bassador, I think. For example, I have recommended the 'Imagination of the Universe' exhibition to many friends because I was so impressed by it myself. I've been on my own once, I've brought my boyfriend, and I've brought a good friend. The arrangement was so beautiful, I thought, and the history behind it was also very interesting."

The man with a bandanna

Loes: "In recent years, M has changed. It used to be a place I wouldn't just walk into. It has become more accessible, I think."

Stefanie: "Yes, a bit younger and hipper. For example, they are more active on Instagram and other social media. In the museum itself, they display their permanent collection through changing thematic exhibitions, mixing contemporary and ancient art. That feels more contemporary and fresh. It excites you."

Loes: "These exhibitions often have very appealing themes, such as ‘Take your time'. How we deal with time, and that it is important to stand still now and then - that is very relevant nowadays, isn't it? Especially now that Covid has made us rearrange our lives. I also think it's great that they think so hard about those themes and work them out so beautifully."

Stefanie: "I also think that many young people are attracted to the artists exhibiting at M. Richard Long and his land art, just to name one."

Loes: "In one of my first classes at university, we covered land art. As a youngster, you think: how can that be part of art history? But I am a bit older now and have a broader knowledge and interest. I now know what land art has done to the art world. That you can then see an exhibition by Richard Long just here in M: I was somehow moved by that."

"I came to M in September for a brief guided tour. Suddenly, I saw Richard Long walking around in the garden! I remembered pictures of him from our course: a man with a bandanna. Then you see him walking around there in the garden, wearing the same kind of bandanna. A piece of living art history. That does something to you."

The M-bassador programme is currently being revised. The current programme will continue until June 2026. However, it is not possible to apply for new membership at this time.

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