Kunsthaus Essen

About the museum

The Kunsthaus Essen was founded in 1976/77 as a nonprofit association: visual artists, actors, cabaret performers and musicians wanted to create a place where non-established and experimental art could be made and shown. The initiative spent its first years in a building on Eduard-Lucas-Straße.

In 1986, the association moved into the former school of the mining housing estate on Rübezahlstraße in Rellinghausen, a building dating from 1933. The classrooms became studios, and the upper floor was converted into a gallery space. Its location between the city and a long-established workers' housing estate in the south of Essen still shapes the house today.

Today, artists from various disciplines work in around thirteen studios there; in addition, there is a recording studio, a course room and a café on the first floor. Run largely by volunteers, the house sees itself as a studio building, art association and venue for cultural education all at once: it shows changing exhibitions in the gallery, invites international guests for residencies and regularly hosts concerts, such as the Monday series "MontagTontag". Since July 2026, the Kunsthaus has had full-time managing and artistic directors for the first time.

Highlights

• Temporary exhibitions of contemporary art in the upstairs gallery
• Studio building with around 13 artists' studios in a 1933 estate school
• "MontagTontag" concert series on Monday evenings
• "Global Pott" classical music series on the first Thursday of the month
• International artist residencies

Founded

1977

Operated by

Kunsthaus Essen e.V.

Director

Kerstin Flasche

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Exhibitions are usually free; fees may apply for concerts, workshops and special events.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

First floor reachable at street level; gallery, studios and workshop rooms on the upper floors only via stairs. Currently no accessible restroom. Individual solutions available if you get in touch in advance.

Kids & families

Children are welcome, although not all events are explicitly aimed at children.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

Kunsthaus café on the first floor, open only during events. Dogs are generally allowed.

Events & venue rental

As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.

Studios are only let long-term to artists; according to the website, short-term room rental for external events is not possible.

Plan your visit