Manifesta Maastricht was founded by Jakomijn Y. Kersten. After attending the Art Academy in Den Bosch, she decides to embark on a combined working/travelling trip. She visits many countries, most of the time working as a hostess or a touristic guide. From the early eighties onwards, she employs various positions at Maurick Castle (Holland). In 1999 she moves to Maastricht, and becomes a student at Writing School Colofon.  Today, her freelance work includes journalism, copywriting and visualising her own poetry and prose in acryllic paint. Her work has been display at Art fairs such as KAR-Rotterdam/Tracé-Maastricht/Art-Event-Antwerpen/d’Heye-Knokke. For several Dutch service clubs she delivers lectures about the relation between word and image. In 2007 she’s invited to attend a writing Masterclass at Querido publishers in Amsterdam. December 14th, 2008: Manifesta Maastricht is founded, the first Salon d’Art in Maastricht! Currently, Jakomijn is rewriting her first novel.