We are all about to dive deep into everything about art in Helsinki and our opening section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.
Up next we will discuss a variety of other topics like local art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.
Contents
If you are searching for any specific section you can jump straight to it by using the table of contents on the left and we will also be sharing a Helsinki art map with all of the various venues we mention throughout the post pinned on it.
Those who are interested can look through more of our posts on art around Europe at that link.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Helsinki
If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Helsinki you can go to:
- Ateneum Art Museum at Kaivokatu 2
- Helsinki Art Museum at Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8
- Sinebrychoff Art Museum at Bulevardi 40
- Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma at Mannerheiminaukio 2
- Kunsthalle Helsinki at Nervanderinkatu 3
- Didrichsen Art Museum at Kuusilahdenkuja 1
- Amos Rex at Mannerheimintie 22-24
- Galerie Anhava at Fredrikinkatu 43
- Galerie Forsblom at Yrjönkatu 22
- Forum Box at Ruoholahdenranta 3 A
- Galleria Heino at Uudenmaankatu 16-20
- Finnish National Gallery at Kaivokatu 2
The Ateneum is the largest art museum in Finland as they have the biggest collection of paintings and sculptures in the country and children 17 and under are free to enter to check out the more than 20,000 works of art they have on display starting at 10am daily except for Monday when the doors never open. They also lend out hundreds of pieces to different exhibitions each year and you can even try out their Saturday workshops for adults and kids.
Around 3,500 of the 9,000 works at The Helsinki Art Museum are found in public spaces like Tennis Palace and others making it an almost city-wide art museum and you have probably seen some of their sculptures around town without even knowing it. On Saturdays they have guided tours, they offer art workshops near you for schools, and keep regular hours of 11:30am to 7pm Wednesday through Sunday and from 10am to 5:30pm on Tuesday.
There are numerous paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures in the collection at The Sinebrychoff Art Museum which is the creative house museum of Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff that is free for all to enter every day but Monday when they are closed.
At Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma they like to showcase the very latest in artistic productions through exhibitions and events like the URB Festival and other performances. Kiasma is closed on Monday opening at 10am the rest of the week offering both public and private workshops for kids or adults.
At Didrichsen Art Museum they have 3 different exhibitions every year which are available from 11am to 6pm every day but Monday when they are closed. Some of their collection comes from local Finnish artists while other exhibitions feature international works from Asia and Latin America. Be sure to walk around the beautiful public sculpture park on the outside grounds which are always open, and if you are really into the sculptures head there at 1pm on a Sunday when they give guided tours of the park.
There are more than 7,000 items at The Amos Rex making it one of the largest private collections in Finland. In addition to paintings, sculptures, drawings and photos they also have antique furniture and other old items on display starting at 11am throughout the week except for Tuesday when they are never open. If you take one of their workshops for all ages you will also get a guided tour.
Materials & Supplies Near You
There are quite a few stores in this city to buy art supplies and materials like:
- Diverse at Uudenmaankatu 11
- Snow White at Hämeentie 2 M 1
- Giotto at Mechelininkatu 16
- Geezers at Teollisuuskatu 16
Getting all the products a local art student could ever need is the main goal of Snow White who also offers high-quality wedge frames.
At Giotto you can search for the highest quality Italian art supplies available on the market while they can also provide full service framing and rent out gallery space for those who want to hold courses or workshops.
Shows & Events
Some of the best art shows and events held in your area are:
- Lux Helsinki in January
- URB Festival in June
- Helsinki Festival in August
- Flow Festival in August
The URB Festival is a great way to enjoy wonderful street art and culture that is presented by the Kiasma Theater as the event spans from the museum to the theater to different urban areas every June. There will be a variety of demos, workshops, lectures, and works on display from both local and international artists.
The five day Lux Helsinki Festival spreads across the downtown area every January and you can enter the festival for free to find all kinds of creative things like video projections, building illuminations, live music, kinetic light artworks, and more.
Then in August you have the Helsinki Festival which is the biggest multi-arts festival in Finland where you can see visual arts, theatre, concerts, programs for kids and even a circus. If you can try to visit on the Night of the Arts which is the biggest night of the event.
The Flow Festival is one of the leading music and boutique art festivals on the continent held at The Suvilahti power plant which is where you can find live music, works on display, and some great international cuisine.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
There are some quality local art dealers and appraisers if you feel like buying or selling a piece:
- W Hagelstam Art at Kapteeninkatu 9
- Transdeco at Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 9
In addition to selling high quality art and graphics Transdeco also organizes exhibitions of international and local artists with some of the top galleries in the region. They also publish graphics, etchings, lithographs and serigraphs by a few very good contemporary artists.
Walking Tours
If you are reading this on a sunny day why not go on an art walking tour in your area:
- Pasila Street Art District at Ratamestarinkatu 2
- Helsinki Art Walk at Ruoholahdenranta 3 a
- Helsinki Public Art at Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8
The Pasila Street Arts District is loaded with great artworks including many colorful murals and there are street art walking tours up and down it in the warmer months of the year.
The Helsinki Art Walk is a guided tour put on by some of the top galleries in your area and this free tour takes place on various Sundays throughout the year.
There are roughly 3,500 works of public art spread throughout the city and Tennis Palace is a great starting point, particularly if you want to check out the 500 sculptures and statues spread across the metro.
Sculptures & Statues
You can also find some really cool sculptures and statues around town like:
- Love Helsinki Sculpture at Baana
- Kolme Seppää at Aleksanterinkatu
- Ilmarinen & Väinämöinen at 3 Kluuvi
- Sibelius Monumentti at Sibeliuksen puisto
- Esirippu Ida Aalbergin Muistomerkki at Bergbominkuja
- Goodbye/Au Revoir at Merikatu 23
The Love Helsinki Sculpture was created by Janne Siltanen and found its home at Mechelininkatu 1 in 2012.
Felix Nylund was the creator of Kolme seppää which you can find in front of the Old Student House.
All the way back in the late 1800’s Robert Stigell created Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen.
Sibelius Monumentti is part of the collection of the Helsinki Art Museum and it is one of the bigger tourist attractions here.
Raimo Utriainen created Esirippu Ida Aalbergin Muistomerkki in the early 1970’s and it is thought to be the first Finnish abstract memorial of a person to be realized.
You can find Goodbye/Au Revoir at Villa Ensi.
Don’t forget about the great sculpture park near you at Didrichsen Art Museum.
Helsinki Art Classes
We are all at different levels and sometimes a lesson or two can give us the boost that we need. Some of the best Helsinki art schools and classes can be found at:
- Academy of Fine Arts at Elimäenkatu 25 A
- Taidekoulu Alfa at Tuomarinkyläntie 7
- Hera Helsinki Atelier at Lapinlahdenpolku 8 D
- Art Rita at Mariankatu 24
- Teho Opisto at Vilhonkatu 4 C 27
- Hakaniemen Luova Kulma at Hakaniemenkatu 5
Academy of Fine Arts is a branch of UNIARTS Helsinki and they offer four specialty programs in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and space arts including programs for undergraduates to a doctoral in fine art.
At Taidekoulu Alfa they have every day painting groups or longer term training for visual artists in your area including drawing and painting classes for children. All of their classes are available in the day, night, or the summer.
At Hera Helsinki Atelier they provide technology courses and studio work for visual artists with a specialty in visual arts but they also have more basic courses for painting, drawing, and digital drawing.
At Teho Opisto you can take training and coaching courses in a variety of creative industries like art, design, and architecture.
Studios For Rent Near You
You can rent art studio space at:
- Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation at Lemuntie 4 D
- Jenny & Antti Wihurin Foundation at Kalliolinnantie 4
- Cable Factory at Tallberginkatu 1 C 15
- Suvilahti at Sörnäisten Rantatie 22
Sinebrychoff Art Museum from our main list also rents out studio space.
Framing
A frame can take a normal looking picture a long way, and some of the best places for art framing in Helsinki are:
- Seven Art at Kantelettarentie 1
- Inter Art at Fredrikinkatu 39
- Frimodig-Kehys at Annankatu 20
- Kehystämö Kaken Kehys at Lauttasaarentie 17
- Kehystalo at Kauppakartanonkatu 22
In addition to a large selection of ready-made frames you can also find a variety of changing seasonal products at Seven Art whose services include custom framing, stretched canvas prints, posters, exchange frames, and other decorations.
If you are trying to find a professional framer of fine art, photos, maps or posters head to Inter Art who manufactures custom mirrors, sells all kinds of posters, and can help with transport and installation of things you get framed.
At Frimodig-Kehys they specialize in the local framing of paintings but can also work with mirrors, photos, or probably anything you want framed.
For more than 40 years Kehystämö Kaken Kehys has been a great place to go for custom framing, restorations of paintings, or rail and board installations.
Snow White and Giotto from our supplies list also do high quality framing near you.
We have also discussed the local art scene in:
Have Fun Enjoying The Helsinki Art Scene
We did our best to cover the full art scene near you to the best of our abilities. We listed the best Finland galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area.
If you made it all the way to the end then you probably love art as much as we do. You can let us know about any of your own tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post, or please also let us know if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted has become dated.
Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies or doing anything that has to do with art in Helsinki!
