The foundation named for Reinhold Edstrand and his sisters Thekla and Gunhild was created in Malmö in 1950 by artists, relatives and friends of Thekla Edstrand as a tribute to her on the occasion of her 70th birthday. The basis for the foundaton was the Edstrand family's interest in art, which found its primary expression in the extensive collection of modern art housed at 6 Slottsgatan. The building had been acquired by Reinhold Edstrand in 1918 and had been specially modified to accommodate a growing number of works by contemporary painters, sculptors, graphic artists, and designers.

Following Reinhold's death in 1923, the property was taken over by Thekla. With time, she became famous for her passionate interest in art, for presiding as hostess over innumerable artists' gatherings, and for her expressed desire to make a lasting contribution to cultural life. It was the fulfillment of this that the founding group had in mind when they gathered on June 27, 1950. The group consisted of artist Martin Edmond, artist Johan Johansson and his wife Gerda, Thekla Edstrand's sister Gunhild Nordqvist, and her friends Axel and Gunhild Roos. All served with Thekla on the first board of trustees.

The mandate of the trustees was to further artistic endeavors in various ways, including through the purchase of art works and through grants to benefit artists, espeially young and promising artists.

The operation was funded through gifts from a number of generous and committed individuals, among them Ernst Fisher, then head of the Malmö Museum. In addition to the building, Thekla's contribution consisted of stock, which would later prove valuable.

In August 1951 the foundation decided to award its first grant, which amounted to 2,000 Swedish Crowns. The recipient was Brita af Klercker, an artist from Lund, who thus became the first of many artists who were to recieve encouragement and improved working conditions as an Edstrand Grantee over the years. Shortly thereafter, Thekla Edstrand herself got a taste of what it was like to be honored and celebrated. Svenska Dagbladet writes in December of 1951:

"On Friday, Miss Thekla Edstrand of Malmö was awarded the Illis Quorum Gold Medal, Fifth Class. The honor was bestowed upon a leading friend of art who has supported Scanian art in numorous ways. She has been instrumental in launching many of Scania's leading artists at a stage when they were still completely or virtually unknown."

The Edstrand home was for long a meeting place for the cultural world. Many of the artists frequenting the place were also represented in the collection: Johan Johansson, Martin Edmond, Ernst Norlind, Svante Bergh, along with other local luminaries.

The collection also included works by modern classics such as Josephson, Hill, Agueli and Isakson as well as some non-Scandinavian modernist. Two days a month the house was thrown open to the general public, and alterations to the interior were undertaken in 1954 to enhance the presentation of the works. In this Thekla Edstrand was greatly helped by her nephew Mårten Nordqvist, another of the family's enthusiasts.

In spite of enormous efforts by Mårten Nordqvist, the foundation found it increasingly difficult to finance and administer both a permanent exhibition and a grant program.

Operating the old-fashioned property with its costly inventory became burdensome, and in the '70s they saw themselves to sell off a major work - a painting by Ferdinand Léger - in order to meet expenses.

Finances improved for a while, but when Mårten Nordqvist retired from the post of chief curator in 1982 and no one could be found to take over the responsibility, it was decided to put the property and parts of the collection up for sale.

One can only regret this loss of a part of Scanian art and cultural life. Even so, the sale made it possible to maintain another aspect of the foundation's mission, namely to provide a source of financial support. This function has even been dramatically strengthened - mainly thanks to the profitable sale in 1989 of stock owned by the foundation which made it possible to increase support levels. Starting in 1983 and continuing every year since, several artists have thus recived both recognition and substantial financial assistance.

In later years, the Edstrand Fellowship has become a recognized source of financial support within art also at the national level and is no longer limited to the reginal scene. The decision in 1993 to venture beyond the borders of Sweden has gladded the hearts also of artists in our neighboring Scandinavian countries.