Museum De Lakenhal celebrates 150th birthday
day: 1 May, from 10:00 till 17:00
Museum De Lakenhal will celebrate its 150th foundation anniversary on 1 May 2024. We will mark the occasion by offering a full day programme of activities, free of charge.
In its early years from 1874, Museum De Lakenhal was free to visit every Sunday afternoon: the museum has wanted to make the city's collection accessible to everyone. Fully in that tradition, Museum De Lakenhal will also be open free of charge on its birthday on May 1 - with a festive program of presentations, music, workshops, meetings and more.
Practical information
- Date: Wednesday 1 May
- Time: 10:00 till 17:00
- Entry: free
- Registration: not necessary, you can walk in for free
timetable
Programme
Opening with aubade and the mayor
10.00 from the quay in front of the museum
The day will be opened with an aubade (a musical performance in the morning to celebrate an anniversary) by the show and marching band Jong K&G. At 10.00 they will play their musical piece from the quay in front of the museum. Then the mayor Peter van der Velden and director of the museum Tanja Elstgeest open the gate and the party really starts. Everyone may enter for free.
Unveiling new work Claudy Jongstra
at 10:45 in the stairwell behind the ticket booth
New work by Claudy Jongstra will be unveiled 1 May in the stairwell connecting the first floor of the old Laecken-Halle with the floor where the textile history of Leiden is presented. The new work, called Celebrate the Flavours of Wool, follows a 2020-2021 exhibition at Museum De Lakenhal. This six-meter-long work will become part of Museum De Lakenhal's collection. The work will be unveiled by Mayor Peter van der Velden in the presence of Claudy Jongstra.
During the evening program Night of the Senses, violinist Tosca Opdam will perform a self-composed piece of music using Celebrate the Flavours of Wool as inspiration.
Cake & poffertjes
Museum De Lakenhal treats you to cake and 'poffertjes'! The first 150 visitors of the day will receive cake. Between 12.00 and 15.00 'poffertjes' will be distributed.
New glances by famous and less famous Leiden people
In different places in the museum
Once in the museum you can go in any direction. Wander through the museum and be surprised by personal stories of well-known and less well-known Leiden residents who explain why their favorite object is so special to them. Get to know the favorites of former rector Carel Stolker, art history professor Kitty Zijlmans, artist Koen Hauser and politician Senna Maatoug, among others. You will also meet current and former museum employees, volunteers, curators and directors of Museum De Lakenhal.
Workshops
All Day in the Atelier
What will be in the museum 150 years from now? Make your own drawing for the museum of the future. All day in the Open Atelier, you can attend colorful workshops like 'marble with shaving cream' and 'wrap it up!'.
Kids college and flash lectures
from 12.00 till 16.00 in the Auditorium
A program full of children's lectures by special guests and flash lectures by our curators will be available in the Auditorium between 12.00 and 16.00:
- 12.00 uur: curator history Jori Zijlmans on the genesis of the museum
- 12.30 uur: curator modern art Renée Volkers about 150 years Museum De Lakenhal in posters
- 13.00 uur: children's lecture 'Jenny's partydress: a new way of painting' on party attire by Els de Baan
- 13.45 uur: curator old masters Janneke van Asperen about Rembrandt's Four Senses
- 14.15 uur: curator contemporary art Nicole Roepers on contemporary art commissions in the collection
- 14.45 uur: children's lecture 'Jenny's partydress: a new way of painting' by Els de Baan
- 15.30 uur: curator applied arts Prosper de Jong on 'Built-in Leiden history'
- 16.00 uur: curator of the future: Jori Zijlmans talks about the museum of the future
Reading sessions
11:30, 12:30, 13:45 and 15:15 in the Arnhem Room
In Dutch
During the day there are several reading sessionss especially for children between 4 and 8 years old. Join us in the Arnhem Room and be read to from the book Rembrandt and Lucia by Mylo Freeman.
Guided Tours through the Museum
Starting point: Rear Courtyard
In up to 30 minutes you will be guided through the museum by professional tour guides. They will talk about different exhibitions and their favorite work. Choose your topic and join:
- 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00: Kimsooja - Thread Roots
- 15:00: I Will Fight
AI and the museum of the future by Koen Hauser
Between 11:30 and 16:00 in the Old Dutch Kitchen
Artist Koen Hauser has been taking pictures using artificial intelligence for a number of years. At 11:30, he will explain how to generate images with AI using objects from Museum De Lakenhal. Then, throughout the day, he will show what the museum of the future looks like. You can help with that. What do you think a museum should look like in the future? Give Koen a picture or text and he will let AI take a picture of it. At the end of the day, he and history curator Jori Zijlmans will give a short presentation on the results.
Pictured as Rembrandt's Spectacles Seller
All day in the rear courtyard
And before you go home, you can take a picture as Rembrandt's Spectacles Seller to never forget this day.
Night of the Senses
In the evening you can also visit the museum for free during the Night of the Senses. Inspired by the presentation of Rembrandt's Senses, contemporary artists will play on your senses in different ways.
