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Interview with Compaan Jan Roest
Jan Roest is a Companion of the Centraal Museum. A Compaan is an engaged art and culture enthusiasts who hold the museum dear. With a donation of €350 per year, they are invited to exclusive openings and events, such as studio visits and guided tours.
1 Jun 2026
Who are you
My name is Jan Roest and I am 56 years old. I live in Parkhaven in Utrecht, you could say within walking distance of the museum! I ended up in Utrecht for my studies. I’m originally from Heenvliet, a small historic town on Voorne-Putten, in the shadow of Rotterdam. But I’ve lived in Utrecht far longer than I ever lived there. I may not be a Utrechter by birth, but by now I’ve definitely become one!
Trained as an urban planner, I work in The Hague. I find landscape and urban design very interesting, but my interests are broad. In recent years I’ve become increasingly fascinated by art and culture, and I’ve started exploring how they interact with cultural history!
And you recently became a Compaan of the Centraal Museum, very nice! How did you come up with the idea to join this new giving circle?
I was already a Friend of the museum, and at the Friends’ preview of the exhibition Drawn, the Nature last September I got talking to Paul [Head of Development & Philanthropy, ed.]. I wanted to contribute more to the museum, but I felt that taking the step to become a member of Club Centraal was actually just a bit too big. Paul told me about the museum’s new patrons’ circle, the Companions. And then I thought: that’s what we’re going to do! And that’s how I became the very first Compaan of the Centraal Museum.
You mentioned that you’ve developed a love for art and culture. Was that also the reason you wanted to support a museum? And why the Centraal Museum?
Of course it’s convenient that, as a Friend or Compaan, you receive practical information and get inspired by what the Centraal Museum has to offer, but it’s also nice to feel just that bit more connected to the museum. I feel like a true Utrechter, so I wanted to do something for a Utrecht museum. On top of that, the broad programming really appeals to me; every exhibition gives you something to think about. You always leave a little wiser. In recent years I’ve been coming to the museum more and more; in De Verdieping I often find the exhibitions surprising, and the blockbusters in De Stallen are, in my view, something everyone should see. I love how the museum manages to turn complex themes into such beautiful exhibitions.
Do you have a favorite artwork from the collection?
The Portrait of Gabriël Smit by J.H. Moesman I find a very fascinating work. There’s something Dalí-like about it: something realistic, yet also something very figurative. I find the period from which the work dates very interesting.
I also think the portraits by Jan van Scorel that hang in Collectie Centraal are really awesome. Even though those portraits come from a kind of transitional period, right after the Middle Ages, they feel very modern in a certain way. The fact that those works are even 500 to 600 years old and have been preserved for so long fascinates me.
You’re now a Compaan of the museum; what do you hope to gain from your contribution? What are you looking forward to?
I can already tell from the personal contact with museum staff that I feel more involved. At exhibition openings you get a bit more background information, and it’s fun to get a look behind the scenes. In return, I’m happy to share my ideas with the museum. I think there are many people like me in Utrecht with a broad cultural interest, and being involved with the Centraal Museum in this way also offers a chance to look at the museum with a fresh perspective and to be in dialogue with it. I really value that reciprocity of the Compaanschap.
The exhibition Gerard van Honthorst - Different to Rembrandt is bound to be a huge hit, I’m really looking forward to it. Soon I’ll be going to see the new acquisition for it at TEFAF, as a nice little preview. By the way, I don’t just come for the blockbusters; in 2018 I saw a small exhibition on Erich Wichmann on the Verdieping. That one really made an impression on me. Besides the art itself, it’s mainly the cultural-historical aspect that appeals to me. With Wichmann you could feel that restlessness and searching spirit of the interwar period – that really stayed very vivid in my mind. It shows that the more intimate exhibitions can be valuable too, because they offer new hooks for better understanding periods and developments. So it can be very different for me which exhibition grabs my attention.
How do you experience your support for the museum?
I think it unfairly has a somewhat elitist image, while it’s really not a huge amount of money. You can already become a Friend from €60. It’s actually comparable to what you’d otherwise spend on a fun night out. I know plenty of people who could easily spare that, but have just never really thought about it. And that’s actually a shame, because for me it’s not just about money. It’s mainly about engagement and broadening the base of support. On your own you won’t change the world, but if a few hundred people do it, together you really can make a difference. And besides: it’s not about the exact material value or about what you get in return. For me it’s about that shared feeling: that together you’re contributing something to the museum. That’s what ultimately helps the most.
Are you also considering becoming a Compaan? Then please contact Frederieke Ouwerkerk via fouwerkerk@centraalmuseum.nl or click here for more information.