Anyone that wants to learn about art in Berlin has definitely found the right blog and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.
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.
Contents
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 Berlin art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.
We also want to share this link to all of our post that breakdown everything about art in Germany.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Berlin
The best art galleries and museums in Berlin are also some of the best on the continent and we recommend:
- The Pergamon Museum at Bodestr. 1-3
- Humboldt Forum at Schlossplatz
- Gemäldegalerie at Matthäikirchplatz
- Neue Nationalgalerie at Potsdamer Str. 50
- Bode Museum at Am Kupfergraben
- Brücke Museum at Bussardsteig 9
- Kunstraum Kreuzberg at Mariannenplatz 2
- Fluentum at Clayallee 174
- Schinkel Pavillon at Oberwallstr. 1
- Contemporary Fine Arts at Grolmanstr. 32/33
- Daad Gallerie at Oranienstr. 161
- Kw Institute For Contemporary Art at Auguststr. 69
- König Galerie at Alexandrinenstr. 181-121
The Pergamon Museum is home to three of Europe’s most outstanding collections which include the Antikensammlung, the Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. They are open from 10am to 6pm most days but are closed all day on Monday and stay open a little late until 8pm on Thursday nights while on the first Sunday of every month they offer free entrance and a variety of programs.
The Humboldt Forum primarily houses the Berlin State Museums’ non-European collections. They provide a variety of programs including exhibitions, monthly events, and educational activities and are closed on Tuesday, open from 10am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am to 8pm the rest of the week.
You will see one of the most important collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th century in the world including Masterworks by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, Hans Botticelli, Titian, Caravaggio, David Teniers the Younger, Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer and more at The Gemäldegalerie. Visit them from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Friday, starting at 11am on weekends, and on the first Sunday of the month they provide free entry.
The collection of the Neue Nationalgalerie includes a number of one-of-a-kind highlights of modern 20th-century masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky, and Barnett Newman. Like many of the other best galleries near you they provide free entry on the first Sunday of the month and you can head over from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday though on Thursday they stay open until 8pm.
The Brücke Museum displays the world’s largest collection of works by members of the early 20th-century German expressionist movement Die Brücke aka “The Bridge”. It was founded in 1967 and is home to over 400 paintings and sculptures as well as thousands of drawings, watercolours, and prints by members of Die Brücke. A donation from the painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and a later donation from Erich Heckel are among the items in the collection which can be viewed from 11am to 5pm every day but Tuesday when they are closed.
The Kunstraum Kreuzberg has an impressive collection of 450 pieces while presenting five to six exhibition projects yearly, some of which are created in partnership with other institutions, curators, or artist groups in your area. The exhibitions are accompanied by films, discussions, and lectures while the opening hours at The Kunstraum are from 10am to 8pm Sunday through Wednesday and from 10am to 10pm Thursday through Saturday.
Daad Gallerie is closed Monday through Wednesday and open from 2pm to 7pm the rest of the week offering a variety of programming like concerts, performances, exhibitions, artist talks and readings, and film screenings.
KW Institute For Contemporary Art also puts on a number of events as well as a year-round changing exhibition that is definitely worth a visit and you can head over from 11am to 7pm any day of the week but Tuesday.
Materials & Supplies Near You
The best places to buy art supplies and materials in your area are:
- Peter’s Art Lager at Bornemannstr. 10
- Cym Kunstmalerbedarf at Planufer 96
- Büroshop Koschel at Friedrichstr. 127
- Malstoff at Warschauer Str. 20
- Boesner at Marienburger Str. 16
- Edelhoff Kreativkaufhaus at Rudolf Seiffert Str. 3
- Zeichen Center Ebeling at Triftstr. 39
- Hobbyshop Wilhelm Rüther at Goltzstr. 37
Peter’s Art Lager sells a large selection of materials and offers canvas and frame stretching while also providing art shipping services within Germany and Europe.
Cym Kunstmalerbedarf specializes in custom canvas and canvas stretching but they are also a good place to buy art supplies near you.
Boesner offers a product assortment of approximately 26,000 items and there are over 40 Boesner locations throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France.
Shows & Events
Some of the top art shows, festivals, and events near you would be:
- Transmediale in January
- The Long Night of Museums in August
- Berlin Art Week in September
Transmediale is one of the world’s largest festivals of media art and digital culture and it takes place at the end of January every year. There will be a great five-day program of talks, installations, and performances that are followed by month-long displays.
The Long Night of Museums is always held on the last Saturday in August from 6pm to 2am with between 70 and 80 local museums participating. Many locations also provide musical entertainment, refreshments, and drinks.
Berlin Art Week is a 6-day cultural festival held in September that showcases contemporary art from across the world through events, exhibition openings, films, and art fairs encompassing roughly 50 institutions including established museums such as the Hamburger Bahnhof as well as a large number of independent galleries.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
The best art dealers and appraisers can help you find new works or figure out the true value of something:
- Young Art Berlin at Alt-Moabit 92
- Ldx Artodrome Gallery at Linienstr. 111
- Jörg Maaß Kunsthandel at Rankestr. 24
- Studio Gallery Berlin at Frankfurter Allee 36A
For almost 40 years Studio Gallery Berlin has been a well-known destination for contemporary handicrafts, ceramics, graphics, and maybe most importantly jewelry. Throughout the year the gallery offers one-of-a-kind pieces by more than 50 creators for sale.
Walking Tours
A local art walking tour will help you find some unique works that you may never have otherwise known about:
- Alternative Berlin Tours at Trachtenbrodtstr. 32
- Art Tours Berlin at Wildenbruchstr. 90
- Berlin Street Art Tours at Schröderstr. 11
- Niche Art & Architecture Tours at Rheinsberger Str 68
Alternative Berlin Tours offers both regular and private tours that will take you to the best places to witness street art and graffiti with some free tours available.
A tour of the extensive contemporary art scene in your area including galleries, private collections, and artist studios can be had with Art Tours Berlin who also does private tours.
Berlin Street Art Tours offer an exclusive 3-hour trip through the Mitte and Kreuzberg areas to discover the street art culture and the tours can also be done in English and French.
Niche Art and Architecture Tours provides tailored art and architecture tours that will show you the city’s hard-to-find innovative architecture gems and experimental, emerging creative locations in a real local experience.
Sculptures & Statues
We bet many of you would enjoy taking selfies by these sculptures and statues:
- Molecule Man at An den Treptowers 1
- Trains to Life – Trains to Death at Georgenstr. 14
- Statue of Wilhelm von Humboldt at Unter den Linden 6
- The Day the Wall Came Down Monument at Clayallee 146
- Reiterstandbild König Friedrich II von Preussen at Unter den Linden 9
- Goethe Denkmal at Ebertstr. 18
Molecule Man was created by Jonathan Borofsky and it rises 30 meters out of the Spree water not far from the Treptower.
The Wilhelm von Humboldt Statue is located at the Humboldt University and was unveiled in 1883 after being created by Paul Otto in 1882.
The Day the Wall Came Down monument was completed in 1998 and is placed on Clayallee near the Allied Museum in the former American quarter.
Reiterstandbild König Friedrich II von Preussen is a cast bronze outdoor sculpture near the east end of Unter den Linden which Christian Daniel Rauch designed in 1839 and it was unveiled in 1851.
Berlin Art Classes
The best Berlin art schools and classes can help you level up your game and lessons for both kids and adults can easily be found:
- Runa Keramik at Pücklerstr. 22
- Schule für Bildende Kunst und Gestaltung at Immanuelkirchstr. 4/1
- Berlin Art Institute at An der Industriebahn 12–16
- Berlin University of the Arts at Hardenbergstr. 33
- Kunstschule Artgeschoss at Schustehrusstr. 17
- Berlin Drawing Room at Wrangelstr. 31a
- Mal Kunstschule at Willmanndamm 10
Runa Keramik offers weekend ceramic classes as well as morning courses.
The Schule für Bildende Kunst und Gestaltung provides professional accredited training in painting, set design, illustration, comics, animation drawing, and digital art in addition to art and cultural management with free trial classes available in each subject.
The Berlin University of the Arts is Europe’s largest art school and has four colleges that specialize in visual arts, architecture, media and design, music, and performing arts with 40 courses that cover the entire spectrum.
Kunstschule Artgeschoss offers art classes for people of all ages with the major emphasis on composition, drawing, and painting. There are long-term courses throughout the year with flexible scheduling that allow students to begin one or more of their regular courses at any time.
The instructors at the Berlin Drawing Room have a variety of courses focusing on drawing and painting with some free courses available on a monthly basis.
Mal Kunstschule offers free trial lessons.
Studios For Rent Near You
When you are itching to get that next project started rent some space at one of these art studios in your area:
- Atelierhaus79 at Wilhelminenhofstr.
- Atelierhaus Mengerzeile at Mengerzeile 1-3
- Fabriken at Weichselpl. 3
Framing
Local art and picture framing shops can be a great way to get your piece displayed properly:
- Frameworks Berlin at Marientaler Str. 40
- Die RahmenManufaktur at Albrechtstr. 10
- McRahmen at Kantstr. 116
- Passepartout at Boxhagener Str 28
- Rahmenservice Loritta Ehrhold at Wörther Str 17/18
Frameworks Berlin provides lamination, gilding, plexiglass boxes and showcases, on-site hanging, restoration, and much more.
Die RahmenManufaktur carries approximately 3,500 frame types, 400 mat colors, and a broad assortment of ready-made frames in your area plus they give professional consultations.
The curious types may also want to read our creative city guides for:
Have Fun Enjoying The Berlin Art Scene
For the time being the full art scene near you has been covered as well as we know how. After reading about all of the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers you should have a much better understanding of what is available in your area.
Those who are still reading this probably love the local art scene as much as we do. Don’t be afraid to share your own tips or to let us know if you think we got anything wrong in the comments.
We hope you enjoy your time at the best Berlin art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.
