The Arts

Encounter The Arts During Your Vacation In Holland! “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way--things I had no words for.” ~Georgia O’Keefe

Holland is a city that encourages and enjoys the arts. On your vacation to Holland you can stroll through the art galleries, view the statues on display in the city, attend a play, and even visit the Holland Museum. These ideas are just a few of the many ways to encounter the arts in Holland.

Holland Area Arts Council
The Holland Area Arts Council provides cultural opportunities for residents of all ages and abilities. Classes are offered to both children and adults in dance, music, drama, pottery, photography, and other visual or performing arts. Their mission is “to stimulate and expand awareness of the creative process for all individuals in the lakeshore area through high quality art exhibitions, education, and advocacy." More than 5,000 individuals are served through the community activities and events that the Holland Area Arts Council coordinates.

Annual community highlights include the Michigan Art Competition, a juried art show, and the Summer Festival of the Arts. Held mid-June through September, the festival comprises some 30 different events, including concerts, puppet shows, storytelling, and art workshops.

Hope College
Hope College offers concerts, lectures, plays, films and exhibitions to students and the general public throughout the academic year. Hope also owns and operates the Knickerbocker Theater in downtown Holland, a popular venue for plays, dance recitals, concerts, and a variety of art, foreign, and classic films. Hope’s Summer Repertory Theatre, based in the DeWitt Center, has been presenting a series of summer performances for more than 25 years.

Holland Chorale and Holland Symphony Orchestra
The Holland Chorale and Holland Symphony Orchestra seek to provide community enrichment programs and encourage appreciation of the arts. The mission of the Holland Chorale is that “by making music that moves you, the Holland Chorale enhances community life by inspiring participation in the arts." Founded in 1961, the Holland Chorale has four major performances per year and several smaller ensembles which perform at smaller venues such as schools, churches, or nursing homes.

The Holland Symphony Orchestra desires to enrich the cultural life of the Holland community by engaging people in music. Consisting of over 120 locally-based musicians, the Holland Symphony Orchestra provides concert opportunities for the whole family.

Tulip Time Festival and Dutch Heritage
Each year, Holland celebrates its Dutch Heritage and the coming of spring with the Tulip Time Festival. Tulip Time, which is held annually in May, has been named the “Best Small Town Festival” by Reader’s Digest in 2004. During the festival come and enjoy the tulips, parades, fireworks, and performances by Klompen dancers in authentic Dutch costume.

Area attractions such as Dutch Village, the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory, Veldheer’s Tulip Gardens, and Windmill Island reflect the Dutch Heritage of the community as well.

Dutch Village is a recreation of a small 200-year-old Dutch town, incorporating Dutch architecture, flowering gardens, canals, and windmills. There is a theme park open in the summer and specialty shops that are open throughout the year, which provide Dutch imports and unique gifts.

At DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory visitors can purchase blue and white delftware and wooden shoes. Deklomp is actually the only blue and white delftware factory in the country.

Veldheer’s Tulip Gardens, founded by Vernin Veldheer in 1955, is America’s largest bulb production facility. The gardens are comprised of millions of tulips, as well as lilies, peonies, and a rainbow of other flowers, and the gift shop has one of the largest selections of bulbs in the country.

“De Zwaan,” a 240-year-old working Dutch windmill, and the Posthouse museum are located on Windmill Island. Windmill Island also features beautiful gardens where 150,000 tulips bloom in the spring, an antique carousel, and souvenir shops.

Holland Museum, Cappon House Museum, and Settler’s House
The Holland Museum, Cappon House Museum, and Settlers House are located in the downtown historic district. The Holland Museum is located in the former post office, which was built in 1914. The exhibits tell the story of the early Dutch settlers and the development of the city since its founding. Temporary traveling exhibits also come to the Holland Museum and are showcased in the Wichers Gallery.

The Cappon House and the Settler’s House Museums give visitors an inside look at the homes of residents in historic Holland. The Cappon House was built in 1873 for Holland’s first mayor Isaac Cappon. The design of the house is Italianate in style and contains most of its original furniture. The Settler’s House Museum was first owned by Thomas Morrissey, an Irish Canadian immigrant who worked as a ship’s carpenter. The furnishings within the house have been provided by the Holland Museum’s collection, and are from the settlement period of 1845-1880.

Tulipanes and LAUP
The heritage of the Holland’s large Hispanic community is celebrated during the Tulipanes Festival and the Fiesta. The Tulipanes Latino Art and Film Festival honors Latino culture and heritage through art, film, and music. The local Latin American’s United for Progress (LAUP) also sponsors an annual Fiesta.

Herrick District Library
A great place to learn more about art and the history of the community is at the Herrick District Library. The Herrick District Library has two different locations and is a member of the Lakeland Library Cooperative.

“Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can only be explored by those willing to take the risks” ~ Mark Rothko

Come explore art in Holland!