Holstebro Kunstmuseum

About the museum

Holstebro Kunstmuseum arose from the ambitious cultural policy with which the town accompanied its growth in the 1960s. Mayor Kaj K. Nielsen and town director Jens Johansen relied on culture as an engine; in close cooperation with the Statens Kunstfond, founded in 1965, a large part of its purchasing funds flowed to Holstebro in the first years. As art advisor the town brought in the art historian Poul Vad, who also initiated the purchase of Giacometti's "Woman on a Cart" for the market square. On May 5, 1967, the museum was inaugurated, with Vad as its first director.

Since there was no older collection, Vad started from zero and set three focal points: Danish art from about 1930 with extensive groups of works by a few artists such as Henry Heerup, Ejler Bille, Albert Mertz, Astrid Noack, and Erik Thommesen, international prints by Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse, and African art. Crafts, such as ceramics and the weavings of Anna Thommesen, are regarded as equal in rank. Donations expanded the collection by around a thousand objects of African art from the estate of the sculptor Poul Holm Olsen, Balinese art, and pre-Columbian ceramics; later came large holdings by John Olsen, Tal R, and, in 2024, Astrid Noack's study collection.

The museum is an independent, state-recognized institution, mainly funded by Holstebro Kommune. It occupies a villa from 1906 and modern extensions; since 2018 it has shared the entrance area, ticket desk, lecture hall, shop, and café with the cultural-history Holstebro Museum, and one admission ticket is valid for both houses. There, exhibitions show the history of Holstebro and West Jutland from the first inhabitants to today, including on West Jutland iron industry, a gold jewelry find, and a children's market square.

Highlights

• Large groups of works of Danish modernism from Henry Heerup to Tal R
• Study collection of the sculptor Astrid Noack with original plaster casts
• West African masks from the Poul Holm Olsen collection
• John Olsen's works between nature and art
• Sculpture garden with works by Lawrence Weiner and Astrid Noack, among others
• Cultural-history Holstebro Museum in the same building complex (same ticket)

Permanent exhibitions

• Astrid Noack – Presentation of the sculptor's study collection, taken over in 2024, with restored original plaster casts, preliminary works, and archival material on her working processes.
• John Olsen – Collection presentation on the artist John Olsen, whose works range from early bird drawings to material pictures made from natural finds.
• Vestafrikanske masker fra Poul Holm Olsens samling – 52 masks from 28 peoples from the donation of the sculptor Poul Holm Olsen, supplemented by a screen on rituals and cultures.

Founded

1967

Operated by

Selbstständige Institution (Hauptzuschussgeber Holstebro Kommune)

Director

Anders Gaardboe Jensen

Admission & discounts

The admission ticket is valid for Holstebro Kunstmuseum and Holstebro Museum. Free admission for Ukrainian refugees upon presentation of their passport; participation in the Kulturpas program for young people. School classes during lessons free by arrangement.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance is accessible; lift to the art museum and the villa, elevator to the basement. Accessible restrooms at the entrance as well as on the first floor and in the basement of the art museum. Two accessible parking spaces directly opposite the entrance (access via Sønderbrogade). Mobility scooters only at walking speed (max. 6 km/h). Autism-friendly visit preparation via AutismGoTo.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Free admission up to age 25. At the Holstebro Museum there is a market square at children's height as well as, during selected holidays, paid puzzle hunts through the city center for families. Strollers and large buggies are not allowed in the exhibitions; the museum provides its own buggies. Changing facilities at the restrooms. Children must be accompanied by adults.

Getting there & parking

About 40 minutes by car from Midtjyllands Lufthavn (Karup) airport.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Self-service café in the shared entrance area (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, snacks; payment at the ticket desk). Museum shop with catalogs, postcards, posters, design, and toys, as well as a web shop. Bags larger than 21 × 30 × 5 cm and backpacks go into free lockers (deposit token at the ticket desk). Eating and drinking not allowed in the exhibitions; pets other than guide dogs for the blind not permitted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

Folkesalen between the two museums for conferences, meetings, and events, 125–150 seats with AV equipment; rental through Holstebro Museum.

Plan your visit