Hans Hoog Stoevelbelt Exhibition

A colourful array of musical icons, actors and writers will be featured in September at the centuries-old Nicolaaskerk in Ellecom. A special exhibition there will showcase a large selection of the work by the Zutphen-based artist and musician Hans ‘Stoef’ Hoog Stoevenbelt.

Stoef was a familiar face in Zutphen. Music, art and the town where he grew up were a common thread running through his life. As a bassist, he played in various bands, including MoonYard, and made music with artists such as Herman Brood and Albert Mol. As a visual artist, too, he gave full expression to his love of music.

He began by painting murals of his musical heroes and later created dozens of colourful portraits of well-known musicians, theatre performers, actors and writers. Many of these form part of the series ‘Keeping the Dead Alive’, through which he paid tribute to deceased creators and artists in his own distinctive way.

A large part of this collection is now on display at the Nicolaaskerk. In addition, there are several larger, later works on show that have been made available by his children. Bids may be placed on these works during the exhibition.

Stoef passed away in September 2024 at the age of 72. As well as being an artist and musician, he was also a born storyteller. This is evident from his autobiographical book *Een bassist vertelt* (*A Bass ist Tells His Story*), which was published in March 2024 and is richly illustrated with his own paintings.