LUC LEESTEMAKER (1957-2012) B O R N I N T H E N E T H E R L A N D S IN
1957, Leestemaker was largely self-taught as
an artist but took inspiration and guidance from his grandfather, a painter in the Dutch court. In his native land, Leestemaker was an organizer and entrepreneur in several arts, including visual art, theater, and literature. Working in Amsterdam, he helped found a performing arts center, an art collective, and a monthly magazine devoted to business and the arts. He was managing director of Leestemaker & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in arts marketing, financing, and public relations that at its height boasted the Dutch government's cultural portfolio as its most prominent client.
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Throughout the years he subconsciously knew that he needed time to build the psychological framework for his art. Upon moving to the U.S. in 1990, Leestemaker felt he was ready to fully commit to painting. Not unlike other European and Dutch artists, (particularly, Willem de Kooning), living and work-