(English version below)
Styret i Stiftelsen The Queen Sonja Print Award (QSPA) har ansatt tidligere direktør for Munchmuseet, Stein Olav Henrichsen, som direktør og daglig leder.
Han er ansatt i åremålsstilling, og vil sammen med stiftelsens styre lede det viktige arbeid med å videreutvikle organisasjonen i en spennende tid i tråd med stiftelsens formål: Å fremme grafisk kunst, vekke interesse og stimulere utviklingen av samtidsgrafikk.
- Vi er veldig fornøyde med å få Stein Olav Henrichsen som ny direktør for stiftelsen. Hans brede bakgrunn, kompetanse og store nettverk vil være en viktig tilførsel til QSPA og vårt arbeid med å utvikle og inspirere grafikk som kunstnerisk uttrykksform – inn i en svært spennende tid, sier styreleder Gry Mølleskog.
- Jeg gleder meg til å være med å videreutvikle et så veletablert kunstprosjekt som QSPA, i samarbeid med et kompetent styre og stiftelsens dyktige medarbeidere. Grafikk er en viktig og tilgjengelig uttrykksform, og er dermed en god inngang til kunstinteresse og kreativitet. Å bidra til å løfte frem kunst og kunstnere har alltid vært en sentral del av min motivasjon. Kunst beriker både samfunn og individ, sier Stein Olav Henrichsen.
Oslo 5. mai 2026
Kontakt:
Stein Olav Henrichsen
91380557
Stein.olav.henrichsen@hotmail.com
QSPA ble etablert i 2011 med formål å fremme grafisk kunst, vekke interesse og stimulere utviklingen av samtidsgrafikk. Stiftelsen er dedikert til å støtte og oppmuntre ulike uttrykk og teknikker innenfor grafisk kunst. Med røtter i både tradisjon og håndverk gjennomgår den grafiske kunsten for tiden en utvidelse av sine uttrykksmidler, samtidig som veletablerte teknikker gjenopplives. Kunstnere har lenge anerkjent den unike uttrykks- og kommunikasjonskraften som grafiske trykk tilbyr. Stiftelsens primære aktiviteter omfatter å hedre fremragende grafiske kunstnere gjennom priser. Stiftelsen deler for tiden ut tre ulike priser:
Queen Sonja Print Award: Denne prestisjefylte prisen anerkjenner kunstnere som har utmerket seg innenfor grafikk, og er den største prisen av sitt slag internasjonalt. Den het tidligere Queen Sonja Nordic Art Award.
QSPA Inspirational Award: Til minne om Kjell Nupen anerkjenner denne prisen unge fremadstormende grafiske kunstnere og grafikere fra de nordiske landene. Den deles ut i samarbeid med mestertrykker Bill Goldston ved Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE). Prisen ble første gang introdusert som Kjell Nupen Memorial Grant i 2014.
QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award: Introdusert i 2018 er dette det nyeste tilskuddet til QSPA-prisene. Den er en hyllest til en kunstners karriere og livslange bidrag til grafisk kunst og grafikk.
I tillegg til å dele ut priser til fremragende grafiske kunstnere engasjerer Dronning Sonjas Kunststiftelse seg aktivt i en rekke initiativer med sikte på å fremme grafikkunsten.
————————————————————————————
PRESS RELEASE
The Board of the Queen Sonja Print Award Foundation (QSPA) has appointed former Director of the Munch Museum, Stein Olav Henrichsen, as Director and Chief Executive.
He has been appointed to a fixed-term position and will, together with the Foundation’s Board, lead the important work of further developing the organization during an exciting period, in line with the Foundation’s purpose: to promote printmaking, generate interest, and stimulate the development of contemporary graphic art.
“We are very pleased to welcome Stein Olav Henrichsen as the Foundation’s new Director. His broad background, expertise, and extensive network will be a valuable asset to QSPA and to our efforts to develop and inspire printmaking as an artistic form, at a particularly exciting time,” says Chair of the Board Gry Mølleskog.
“I look forward to contributing to the further development of such a well-established art initiative as QSPA, in collaboration with a highly competent Board and the Foundation’s skilled staff. Printmaking is an important and accessible form of expression, and therefore a strong gateway to artistic interest and creativity. Contributing to the promotion of art and artists has always been a central part of my motivation. Art enriches both society and the individual,” says Stein Olav Henrichsen.
Oslo, 5 May 2026
Contact:
Stein Olav Henrichsen
+47 913 80 557
Stein.olav.henrichsen@hotmail.com
Stein Olav Henrichsen (b. 1954) served as Director of the Munch Museum in Oslo from 2010 to 2022. During his tenure, a new museum for the Munch collection was built and a new organizational structure established. Henrichsen began his professional career as a musician, and after completing his music education, worked as a professional musician for eighteen years across several disciplines. In 1989, he founded the contemporary music ensemble BIT20, which he led for 20 years. From 1993 to 2005, he served as Artistic and Administrative Director of Opera Vest, and later Bergen National Opera (2005–2010). He has established and led several cultural institutions and networks.
Henrichsen has held, and continues to hold, numerous positions on private and public boards, including as Chair of the Ultima Festival in Oslo, Kunstsilo in Kristiansand, Opera Østfold, and the Barratt Due Institute. He has also been a board member of the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, where he participated in the steering group for the new Nobel Center. He has contributed to several public committees related to cultural and research policy and has extensive experience in international collaboration and development projects.
The Queen Sonja Print Award was established in 2011 with the purpose of promoting printmaking, raising awareness, and stimulating the development of contemporary graphic art. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting and encouraging diverse expressions and techniques within printmaking. Rooted in both tradition and craftsmanship, the field of printmaking is currently expanding its modes of expression, while established techniques are being revitalized. Artists have long recognized the unique expressive and communicative power offered by prints.
The Foundation’s primary activities include honoring outstanding print artists through awards. Currently, three awards are presented:
Queen Sonja Print Award:
This prestigious award recognizes artists who have distinguished themselves in printmaking and is the largest award of its kind internationally. It was formerly known as the Queen Sonja Nordic Art Award.
QSPA Inspirational Award:
In memory of Kjell Nupen, this award recognizes young, emerging print artists from the Nordic countries. It is presented in collaboration with master printer Bill Goldston at Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE). The award was first introduced as the Kjell Nupen Memorial Grant in 2014.
QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award:
Introduced in 2018, this is the most recent addition to the QSPA awards. It honors an artist’s career and lifelong contribution to printmaking.
In addition to awarding outstanding print artists, the Queen Sonja Art Foundation actively engages in a range of initiatives aimed at promoting the art of printmaking.