Athens Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Athens museums supplies classes your area

Anyone that wants to learn about art in Athens has definitely found the right blog and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you which means some of the best in Greece and some of the best Europe has to offer as well.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Athens art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Athens

If you want to check out the best art galleries and museums in Athens you can head to:

The Museum of Cycladic Art is a contemporary cultural institution that promotes the ancient civilizations of the Aegean and Cyprus with a concentration on Cycladic art from the third millennium BC. Since 1986 the Museum has housed and displayed Dolly and Nikolaos Goulandris’ private collection of antiquities and you can check them all out from 1oam to 5pm most days but they stay open until 8pm on Thursday and are closed all day Tuesday.

The National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens (EMST) began its operation in 2000 and is now permanently located at the former FIX brewery as the reconstruction was completed in February 2014. The museum collection consists of works by Greek and foreign artists in a variety of media and they are generally open from 11am to 7pm but are closed on Monday and stay open until 10pm on Thursday.

The Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum’s facilities are open from 10am to 6pm most days but they are closed on Tuesdays and close at 8pm on Friday nights. It was designed to accommodate not only works from the Foundation’s collection but also periodic exhibitions of important 20th-century artists like Braque, Mir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Moore, Klee, Giacometti, Chagall, Rodin, and De Chirico among others that have been held every summer since 1986.

Stathis Panagoulis and George Vamvakidis created the Breeder gallery in 2002 which has been a pioneer in the growth of Athens’ contemporary art scene ever since. It grew naturally from The Breeder magazine which began in 2000 in response to the necessity for a creative conversation between Athens and the rest of the globe. You can check out all they have to offer from 11am to 7pm Tuesday through Friday and from 11am to 5pm on Saturday.

Orlik Gallery is open from noon to 9pm daily and is a sophisticated modern fine art gallery in your area that represents both local and international artists. Founded in 2013 it is set in a Neoclassical building in the ancient quarter of Plaka at the foot of the Acropolis where you can find great sculptures and fine modern art.

Blank Wall Gallery was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating a venue where photographers from all over the world may show their work and become recognized to an audience outside of their own country, but don’t try to visit on Sunday or Thursday because they will be closed.

For more than a century Zoumboulakis Galleries has been chronicling the tale of art’s journey via pieces that tell stories while bringing contemporary art closer to Greek households. They are closed on Sunday and Monday while being open from 11am to 8pm Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and from 11am to 3pm on Wednesday and Saturday.

The George Economou Collection is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays and began in the 1990’s with a concentration on early twentieth-century European art but has since extended to encompass a significant holding of postwar and contemporary work.

The Benaki Museum contains six museums, five active archives, and a collection of 100,000 pieces ranging from the Paleolithic Era until 2013. Each year 1,500 items from their collection tour the world building relationships with major cultural institutions across the globe.

The public has access to 130,000 books at Greece’s largest library and each year 350 cultural events take place including conferences, seminars, and lectures, as well as theater and dance performances, music events and concerts, film screenings, press conferences, book presentations, and festivals. The Ghika Gallery at the Benaki Museum certainly comes highly recommended.

Materials & Supplies Near You

The best places to buy art supplies and materials in your area are:

Art Center has specialized in drawing, painting, modeling, and all things art in Athens since 1989.

Plaisio is a local expert in framework and has many supplies and materials for sale too.

Art & Hobby is a firm with a nearly century-long history that is constantly referenced for its appreciation of great arts and creative crafts.

Abio only sells natural goods such as mineral origin water paints, aged lime colors, ready colored plasters, anti-humidity solutions, and integrated systems for protecting wood from wood-eating insects.

Art Antoniadis is a great place to buy many forms of painting and hagiography at reasonable costs and always of high quality.

As you can see there will be lots of art supply stores near you if you head to the area around Stournari 30.

Shows & Events

Some of the top art shows and events in Greece are held right here like:

The Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) is an international festival that celebrates digital culture via an annual meeting of artists and audiences from across the world.

Since 2018 Art Athina has been presented at the Athens Conservatory which is a work of art itself. This three-day art expo in your area brings together the city’s most prominent local galleries, up-and-coming artists, and foreign exhibitors all under one roof.

From May through October, the Athens – Epidaurus Event is an annual arts festival that takes place both here and in Epidaurus. It is one of Greece’s most well-known events and you will see some great musical, dramatic, and other cultural acts if you visit.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

When you are ready to find a new piece for your collection or when you want to know how much a piece is worth you can go to art dealers and appraisers near you like:

MaLou Art Consulting and Gallery is a private firm that specializes in art research, evaluation, brokerage, design, and teaching. The firm focuses on Greek, Russian, and European art and was created by two collectors who chose to combine their love of art and over 25 years of experience in the art market to share their knowledge with others.

Arch Studios is a Greek online art store with a passion to bring you unique art gifts, sculptures, and jewelry from all around Greece with love and care.

The antique business Lotus Gallery Art & Antiques in Kolonaki contains a wide variety of artifacts from many nations. For the last 30 years they have collaborated with the most reputable collectors of works of art, banknotes, stamps, coins, and other collectibles as well as researchers and traders on a pan-European scale.

Tsantilis Antiques is one of the oldest and most famous antiques store near you located in the center of the city and they have been servicing collectors, designers, and museums for three generations.

Zoumboulakis Galleries also sells art.

Walking Tours

If you are lucky enough to read this on a sunny day consider taking one of these art walking tours:

You may take city tours with Alternative Athens which will show you all the great ancient history and brand-new districts, stunning street art, and the Acropolis museum.

The New Athens Street Art Tour is highly focused on Exarheia which is well-known for its stunning artwork.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Athens lessons near you studios

There are some really nice sculptures in your area like:

  • The Runner Statue at Pl Megalis tou Genous Scholis
  • Ioannis Makriyiannis Statue at Vyronos 24
  • The Discus Thrower at Irodou Attikou 27
  • Statue of Odysseus Elytis at Pl Dexamenis 1
  • Statue of Theseus at Ag Asomaton
  • Statue of Lord Byron at Leof Vasilissis Olgas 1

Costas Varotsos created the Runner Statue which he began working on in 1988 and finished in 1994. It was originally put up near Omonia Square but it was later relocated because of concerns that construction and vibrations from the subterranean metro might cause it to fracture or collapse.

Yannis Makriyannis was a Greek businessman, military commander, and politician who became famous for his memoirs and you can find it at the foot of the Acropolis only a few steps from the Metro Station.

Before throwing the discus the Discus Thrower stands with his hands outstretched lifting the discus behind his head. Konstantinos Dimitriadis created it in 1927.

The Statue of Odysseus Elytis is located in the heart of Ithaca’s Harbor on a tiny pier close to Vathi’s Plaza. It is the creation of Ithaca-based artist Korina Cassianou who was chosen for the project after submitting ideas to the Ithaca Municipality and it was first unveiled in August of 2011.

Theseus was the legendary king of Athens and the city’s founding hero whose historical significance has been described as “a profound cultural shift, comparable to Hercules’ creation of the new Olympia.” The mythology surrounding Theseus including his travels, adventures, and companions have inspired fiction throughout history.

Byron was a person closely associated with Greece and Greek beliefs which is why his statue may be seen in Athens between the National Garden and the Zappeion. Lord Byron lived throughout the Greek War of Independence which financially and ethically supported him.

Athens Art Classes

Whether you need lessons for kids, teens, or adults some of the best art classes can be found at:

The Athens School of Fine Arts was the first art school in Greece to focus only on the development of its students’ creative abilities. It was created in January 1837 and became an Institution of Independent Higher Education equal to the National Technical University in 1930 when George Papandréu was Minister of Education.

The Vakalo Art & Design College near you has been synonymous with local applied art courses which it pioneered in the nation in 1958. Graphic design, interior architectural design, digital design, stage and costume design, photography, visual arts, and comics are among the subjects covered.

Vlasis Vellios was an applied artist with a wide range of work who created AKTO in 1971 and led it until 2008. After completing this cycle he established the Vellios School of Art in 2012 and today it continues to develop exceptional chances in the education of Fine and Applied Arts with a team of excellent artists and collaborators who always respect the important moment of the study decision.

Ash in Arts is a non-profit social school of the arts that has been operating since 2003 offering art classes, DIY events, and amateur culture.

The Art Flip is a school whose creative journey will help you discover your artistic potential, study the fundamental components of art and design concepts, develop skills, and produce incredible artwork while having a good time.

Studios For Rent Near You

Artists, designers, curators, and writers in your area that are interested in visiting, working, or conducting research can stay at FaveLAB for a short or extended period of time who has multiple locations in town and around Greece.

Framing

Some of your best options for local art framing can be found at:

Frames Koronaios is an expert in art framing in your area.

Lymberakis Evangelos has a large selection of new and vintage frames to pick from. They may also duplicate any of your old frames using pictures or originals and can mix the contents of a painting with a suitable handcrafted frame thanks to their wide knowledge and creative aesthetics.

Since 1972 Frames & Art has been a leader in the frame industry while being based in Daphne and having great success with its frames and decorative applications providing high-quality elegant goods. They have been importing frames from Spain, Italy, and Brazil as well as passe-partout of the branded Moorman from the Netherlands since 1991.

Art Cube has worked with a number of well-known businesses over the past 50 years and has become a reference point in the Greek frame world.

Palasio from the best local art supply stores list also does high quality framing.

Anyone who is interested can also check out our posts about:

Have Fun Enjoying The Athens Art Scene

For the time being that is all we have to share about the full art scene near you. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area that you may want to check out.

Those who are still reading this probably love art as much as we do. If so go ahead and use the comments to share your own tips or to let us know if you think we got anything wrong.

We hope you enjoy your time at the best Athens art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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