At the playground on Lambertusstraat (Kralingen), a mural will be created in May. This initiative comes from the late Piet van Holsteijn, who was always committed as a neighborhood resident to the Lusthofkwartier. Ideas from the neighborhood for the artwork are still being sought.
It was a surprise for the family. Before his death, Piet van Holsteijn included in his will that he wanted to leave part of his money to the Lusthofkwartier. A mural had to be made from it.
‘And that was basically all,’ says his brother Jan. ‘But as a family, we are of course fulfilling his wish.’ Because it fits who Piet and also his wife Coby Jansen were. Committed neighborhood residents. ‘They lived for many years with great pleasure on Paulus Potterstraat,’ says Jan.
They both committed themselves to the neighborhood. Coby wrote for the neighborhood newspaper De Ster. And Piet was involved in neighborhood mediation, acting as a mediator in conflicts between neighbors. Jan: ‘Apparently he thought: I want to leave something to the neighborhood.’
That it had to be a mural also fits with the memories Jan has of his brother. ‘When the first murals were made in Rotterdam in the 70s or 80s, my brother thought that was fantastic. On Sunday mornings he would make a round through the city and take photos of them. He had dozens of slides.’
Location
After Piet’s death and the announcement of the will, the family searched for a suitable place for the dreamed mural. ‘It had to be a wall in the Lusthofkwartier, that was a condition for Piet.’
It eventually became the bare facade at the playground on Lambertusstraat 133. That playground was renovated last year, and brightening up the wall fits nicely with that.
Design
Artist Ilse Weisfelt will create the artwork. She is currently looking for ideas from the neighborhood to base her design on. Everything is welcome: from anecdotes to fun facts about the area.
‘Because it should not become a monument for my brother,’ emphasizes Jan. ‘But if possible, an artwork that says something about the neighborhood.’ Suggestions are welcome via muurschildering133@gmail.com. Link opens an external page in a new browser tab.. Don’t wait to email, because: ‘The artist will start the design soon.’
The artwork is made possible by Piet van Holsteijn, NEON Foundation, Cultuur Concreet and the municipality of Rotterdam.
Rotterdam Neighborhood News
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