Art in Palermo will be covered in full detail for you today and our opening section will discuss the best art galleries and museums near you.
After that we will get into 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 after any specific section you can jump straight to it using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Palermo art map with all of the various places we mention throughout the post pinned on it.
Read more posts about art in Italy at that link if you want.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Palermo
When you are ready to check out the best art galleries and museums in Palermo go to:
- Galleria Regionale Della Sicilia at Via Alloro 4
- Galleria D’Arte Moderna at Via Sant’Anna 21
- Stanze Al Genio at Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 11
- Museo Diocesano Di Palermo at Via Matteo Bonello 2
- Palazzo Riso at Via Vittorio Emanuele 365
- Palazzo Ziino at via Dante 53
- Nuvole Incontri D’Arte at Vicolo Ragusi 35
- Francesco Pantaleone Contemporary Art at Via Vittorio Emanuele 303
- Ignazio Mormino Art & Archaeology Museum at Via della Libertà 52
- Rizzuto Gallery at Via Maletto 5
- 091 Art Project at Via Dei Carrettieri 8
The Galleria Regionale Della Sicilia is open from 9am to 6:30pm Tuesday through Saturday and until 1pm on Sunday and is housed in the elegant 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis while being largely regarded as Palermo’s premier art museum displaying works by Sicilian artists from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.
The Galleria D’Arte Moderna is open from 9:30am to 6:30pm every day but Monday when they are closed housing a collection of almost 200 works, 14 thematic divisions, national and international treasures, temporary exhibitions, cultural events, debates, and meetings among other things.
Founded in March 2008 with the goal of promoting the conservation and enjoyment of numerous pieces from private collections through permanent exhibitions, events, and other activities The Stanze Al Genio Cultural Association is open every day but Monday.
Monsignor Guido Anichini’s legacy established the Museo Diocesano Di Palermo which is open from 9am to 6pm daily in 1927 which is comprised of 27 rooms on the three levels of the Archbishop’s Palace’s front of via Bonello displaying over 300 pieces of art from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
The Palazzo Riso is also known as the RISO while the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia is a regional contemporary art museum located in the historic Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Andrea Di Marco, Alessandro Bazan, Giovanni Anselmo, Emilio Isgr, Domenico Mangano, Antonio Sanfilippo, Croce Taravella, Francesco De Grandi, Francesco Simeti, Fulvio Di Piazza, Giulia Piscitelli, Laboratorio Saccardi, Luca Vitone, Paola Pivi, Pietro Consagra, Richard Long, Richard T. Scott, and Salvo are among the contemporary artists who have works that you can see when they are open from 9am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and until 12:30pm on Sunday.
Palazzo Ziino is open from 9am to 7pm Monday through Friday as a historical palace that houses a museum and a media library and Palermo’s Gallery of Modern Art occupies a portion of the castle. On the main level of the structure a gypsy library houses over seventy plaster sculptures from the Civic Gallery of Modern Art, most of which were created by local Sicilian sculptors including Benedetto Civiletti, Domenico Costantino, Nino Geraci, Mario Rutelli, Antonio Ugo, and Ettore Ximenes.
A group of artists who were passionate and created the Nuvole Incontri d’Arte Association in 1996. Today the gallery is housed in the historic Palazzo San Vincenzo in Vicolo Ragusi 35 just a short distance from the Quattro Canti and the Monte di Pietà neighborhood.
Francesco Pantaleone Contemporary Art is a local and international gallery that is open from 3pm to 7pm Tuesday through Saturday and that was created in 2013 in the Vucciria neighborhood right in the middle of the ancient market. It is presently located in the noble city center of Quattro Canti and continues to fulfill its original objective with a broad and cross-sectional program. Stefano Arienti, Liliana Moro, and Assume Vivid Astro Focus are among the gallery’s well-known artists.
The Ignazio Mormino Art and Archaeology Museum is also known as Villa Zito after being named for its previous owner Francesco Zito who was a wealthy citrus trader that purchased the property in 1909. The paintings collection is viewable from 9:30am to 7:30pm every day but Tuesday and is broken down into three sections which include ancient paintings with the key characters of the Baroque style, the 1800’s with the landscape as a theme in the wake of grand tour voyagers, and the 1900’s with its tensions and contradictions deepening a cultural overview of that era.
Eva Oliveri came up with the concept for the Rizzuto Gallery in 2013 with a focus on the most contemporary representations of the visual arts while creating and supporting programs that involve and support creators in your area. You can visit Rizzuto from 4pm to 8pm Thursday through Saturday to see all that they have to offer.
091 Art Project is a local art gallery that is open every day but Sunday specializing in modern and contemporary art by Italian and international artists.
Materials & Supplies Near You
These art stores are good places to buy new supplies or materials:
- Art Fantasy Belle Arti at Via Principe Di Paternò 100
- Pandolfo Brush Factory at Via Domenico Trentacoste 67
- Le Di Benedetto at Via domenico scina 225
- Cavallaro Arte at Via Gregorio Ugdulena 26
- La Cartotecnica Siciliana at Via Messina Montagne 13/a
- Cartoleria Morghese at Via Giovanni Bonanno 25
Fantasy Art Belle Arti is one of the best art stores in your area that sells oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints.
The Pennellificio Pandolfo has been a reference point for the production and marketing of high-level brushes since 1902 and they have a large choice of exclusive products for sale all of which are handcrafted with extraordinary accuracy and passion.
Colors and resources for the arts are available at Le Di Benedetto in addition to accessories for restoration and ceramics, painting, graphics, and sketching along with other items for artists.
Everything you need for painting, drawing, sculpture, pyrography, decoration, and restoration may be found at at Cavallaro Arte shop.
The sale of stationery items, stationery, and office accessories is handled by La Cartotecnica Siciliana who has over 20,000 products to pick from.
Cartoleria Morghese are specialists in all necessary stationery supplies for professionals and students plus they have unique arts and crafts products near you to adorn your gatherings with attractive and well-kept designs and have a large selection to meet your packaging needs.
Shows & Events
These local art shows, festivals, and events come highly recommended:
- Teatro di Verdura from June to September
- Festino di Santa Rosalia in July
- Festival di Morgana in November
Palermo has commemorated Santa Rosalia who spared the city from a devastating plague in 1600 and became the city’s patron saint. The festival lasts a week when the city is inundated with touring theatrical and musical events that are related to the saint’s life and the lovely procession of the gigantic cart that traverses the Cassaro as far as the Marina is the highlight of the festivities. There is a spectacular fireworks show at the conclusion of the religious procession.
The Festival di Morgana is a celebration of the art of the pupi organized by the Association for the Preservation of Folk Traditions at the International Puppet Museum Antonio Pasqualino and has been held here every year since 1985. The Festival consists of a series of performances in which historical Sicilian Pupari families appear as well as theatrical organizations that maintain the tradition that UNESCO has designated as a masterpiece of humanity’s oral and intangible heritage.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
Art dealers and appraisers near you are places to find new unique pieces or learn the value of something you already own:
- Associazione Liberi Artigiani Artisti Balarm at Via Divisi 39
- Lupo Art at Via Terrasanta 56
- Rizzo Antiquari at Via generale Magliocco 43
The Associazione Liberi Artigiani Artisti Balarm promotes art and craftsmanship in order to revitalize the city’s old core. In the squares and in schools they propagate creative crafting as an economic and cultural innovation training both the young and those seeking a tangible alternative.
Lupo Art displays paintings and sculptures by S. Caputo, C. Cionini, I. Sannes, P. Staccioli, G. Talani, A. Tamburro, and Wandavi among others on a regular basis.
Between the magnificent via Ruggero Settimo and the Teatro Massimo is Rizzo Antiquari where antique furniture, paintings, art artifacts, ancient Sicilian majolica, and silverware of many eras are available at the two-story gallery.
Walking Tours
Palermo Wonders at Corso Tukory 18 offers tours and experiences in the city and in the surrounding areas and if you tell them that you are interested in the local art scene they should be able to accommodate.
Sculptures & Statues
Another fun thing to do on a sunny day would be to check out some of these statues and sculptures in your area:
- Foresta Urbana at Piazza Bologni
- Statua di Santa Rosalia at Via Padre Giordano Cascini
- Statue Of Carlos V at Piazza Bologni 25
- Statua della Libertà at Piazza Vittorio Veneto
- Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia at Via Lincoln 21
- Colonna dell’Immacolata at Piazza S. Domenico
Foresta Urbana translates to Urban Forest and you can find it in Piazza Bologni.
Statua di Santa Rosalia sits at the top of the mountain protects sailors and it was created in 1664 with colossal proportions so that mariners might see it furrowing the sea and invoke the Saint for assistance in times of trouble.
The artist Scipione Li Volsi completed the Carlos V Statue in 1630 which was initially meant for Piazza Vigliena and depicts the Emperor surrounded by laurel clothed as a warrior in old armor and wielding a sword.
The Statua della Libertà is also known as “the Statue” by people who live here and it was erected in 1910 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the city’s freedom and the incorporation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy.
Fontana del Genio was formerly known as Genio del Molo or Genio della Fieravecchi and is a 16th-century statue atop a 19th-century fountain in Piazza Rivoluzione.
Colonna dell’Immacolata sits solemnly in front of the majestic façade of the Church of San Domenico in the pantheon as the architect Tommaso Maria Napoli was commissioned by King Charles VI to create this monument.
Palermo Art Classes
Whether you are trying to find private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults some of the best Palermo art schools can be found at:
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo at Via Papireto 22
- Mialò Art Libera Scuola d’Arte at Via Liguria 43
- Studio d’arte ioCreativo at Via delle Alpi 44
- Corsi Ceramica Tornio Mud at Via Alloro 29
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo began in 1780 with the founding of a school of design which was one of the 10 chairs of minor studies that made up the academy of studies together with the twenty chairs of higher studies.
Mial Art is a young and vibrant artistic collective based in Palermo that specializes in figurative arts and the association was founded on the notion and desire to approach the beauty and complexity of the visual arts through their practice.
The courses offered by ioCreativo are a direct reaction to your desire to learn how to use creative communication tools. The training classes include artistic drawing, painting techniques, decoration, computer graphics, video editing, modeling, and architectural design.
Corsi Ceramica Tornio Mud is a gathering place for local artists, ceramicists, and anyone interested in innovative forms of expression. Ceramic classes are offered in the laboratory for both beginners and advanced students and MUD is a member of the ALAB cultural organization.
Studios For Rent Near You
You might be able to rent studio space in your area at:
- Von Holden Studio at Vicolo Fastuca 2
- KaOZ Art Residency at Vicolo del Caccamo
- Casa d’Arte Duina at Piazza degli Aragonesi 20
Von Holden Studio is a cultural center with a heavy workshop focus that naturally rose from the artist-run space ‘Zelle Arte Contemporanea’ which operated from 2005 to July 2013. VHS has a bookstore, a screen-printing lab, and an online store for limited editions and multiples.
Andrea Kantos’ project KaOZ is a space where operators and cultural realities can collide and merge while offering a double bed and a private self-contained bathroom.
Casa d’Arte Duina is located in the Monte di Pietà area and features air conditioning, a balcony, and city views.
Framing
When you need to find Palermo art framing head to:
- Bottega delle Cornici at Via Massimo D’Azeglio 7/B
- Eurocornici di Viviano Rosalia at Via Oreto 294
- Di Quadro In Quadro at Via Cruillas 274
- Linea Cornici at Via de Cosmi Giovanni Agostino 27
- Cornici Sorrentino Ingrosso at Viale Regione Siciliana Sud Est 2059
The laboratory at La Bottega della Cornice is well-equipped for the manufacture and assembly of various types of frames and mirrors of the highest quality using only the finest materials.
Eurocorcini is an art gallery near you with over thirty years of experience in the handicraft creation of frames which are their specialty.
Local art framing is also what Di Quadro In Quadro excels at.
Linea Cornici does great work with mirrors, furniture, and graphic design.
Founded in 1968 Cornici Sorrentino Ingrosso specializes in the exclusive supply of frame rods to cornice makers and craftsmen who create custom-made frames and works of art in your area.
By the way we have also discussed the art scene in:
Have Fun Enjoying The Palermo Art Scene
You just learned about all of the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers near you. 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 Palermo!
