An Afternoon
with Leendert
Van der Pool
A luncheon, a gallery, a conversation — and the rare pleasure of an afternoon in the company of a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
More than a lunch.
An experience
you won't forget.
Some afternoons stay with you. This is one of them. Join us for an intimate luncheon with one of the world's most celebrated fine artists — a self-taught painter who has spent a lifetime capturing light, life, and the quiet poetry of everyday places.
Leendert Van der Pool is warm, generous, deeply funny, and endlessly fascinating. This is not a formal lecture. It is a conversation — and you are invited.
- Cocktail reception from 11:30
- Seated luncheon
- An intimate talk by Leendert Van der Pool
- Live Q & A — ask him anything
- Gallery of 15–20 original Van der Pool works — many available for purchase
- Additional gallery exhibits from renowned Dutch and Dutch Canadian artists featuring Elmo Van Slingerland
- Open to the public — no festival pass required
From the Storefronts of Paris series — 15 to 20 original works on display during the luncheon.
Leendert
Van der Pool
Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau · Born 1945, The Netherlands
Leendert Van der Pool did not begin as an artist. He spent fifteen years in the Dutch merchant marine, working on freighters, coasters, and salvage ships — and those years at sea left their mark on everything he has made since. His early work carries the weight of open water and long horizons, the mood of a man who has spent years watching the world from a distance.
After moving to New York in 1994, Leendert devoted years to a remarkable series of large-scale pastel paintings based on Ellis Island — immersive, deeply human works that explored the experience of immigration and arrival. The series was exhibited in museums and galleries across Europe and the United States.
Today he divides his life between New York and Paris, and it is Paris that has captured him most completely. His Storefronts of Paris series — intensely coloured, richly detailed, full of light and life — has been celebrated internationally and is the work you will see on display at Flourish.
A self-taught artist, professor at Long Island University, and guest instructor at the Japan Calligraphy Network, Leendert has exhibited in museums and galleries across Europe, North America, and Japan.
Join Us for
An Unforgettable
Afternoon
Cocktails from 11:30. A luncheon, a gallery, a conversation.
An intimate afternoon with a master. Open to the public.