HOLLAND, Mich. — From neon signs to antiques older than many, a massive collection of Holland history has found a permanent home thanks to one local collector's passion for preserving the past.
Decades of roofing work in Holland opened Art Tolsma's eyes to the city's disappearing history. Now, his collection of around 5,000 artifacts will be housed at the Holland Armory as part of "The Artifacts Project" through a partnership with the Holland Museum.
"I never fashioned myself much of a collector, but here we are. I got a big collection," Tolsma said. "Then I started lighting them back up again. I found a neon guy to get the neon back going again, and now I have quite a collection of all things big and small."
Tolsma's collecting journey began after co-founding TNT Roofing Inc. with his brother Mike in 1991. His work gave him a unique perspective on Holland's changing landscape.
"I would see buildings getting torn down. I would see stuff getting hauled away to the dump. And I did not like to see that," Tolsma said.
His collection spans business signs, industry memorabilia, and artifacts from different eras of the neighborhood he loves.
"I like to say I collect Holland history through my job, through roofing," Tolsma said. "Holland has been a pretty special spot, I'll say in the United States, so many inventions, so many inventors, so many things happened right here in Holland, and I love being able to showcase some of that."
The collection also holds special meaning for visitors who recognize pieces from their past.
"I love giving tours to people. I love hearing memories. So many signs back here bring back memories to people that they didn't even know, that they forgot," Tolsma said.
Rather than keeping the collection private, Tolsma chose to donate it to ensure its preservation for future generations.
"I want something to go on after I am, so by donating it to the museum, these will stay on forever, and people can see them. Remember them way past [when] I'm gone," Tolsma said.
Michelle Stempien, executive director of the Holland Museum, praised the significance of Tolsma's donation.
"It's such an important collection. It tells so many important stories of Holland, its culture, the history, but also the history of these particular businesses and industry," Stempien said. "He is cataloging things. He's documenting it with pictures. He's giving us an incredible wealth of information that is coming with these objects."
Tolsma is currently in the process of transporting his collection to the Holland Armory, which is owned by the Holland Museum.
"Not only are they going to be visible for people to see and enjoy and learn about, but it is actually storage. It's secure, climate-controlled storage, which is very important for artifacts, but we can use it as an exhibit space as well," Stempien said.
The project will unfold in three phases over at least a year before becoming available to the public.
"The first part of the project we've been fundraising. So, our goal is $50,000 and we have a $25,000 match. We've raised about $16,000 so far," Stempien said. "If people are interested in supporting, we would love to have them donate, and you can designate that it is specifically for the 'Artifacts Project.'"
Once the exhibit opens, visitors may even have the chance to meet Tolsma himself for guided tours.
"I'm just very glad to share the history and the memories, and I look forward to doing tours with so many. People who have memories with these signs, and I'll get to learn more about them that way also," Tolsma said. "I'm definitely still collecting stuff, and there's lots of stuff out there yet waiting to be found."
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