September 24, 2026 – December 6, 2026
Ernst Schroeder (1928–1989)
Retrospective of the long-overlooked Pechstein student who, in 1950s Berlin, influenced colleagues such as Harald Metzkes with a sparse, earth-toned pictorial language.
Kunstmuseum Ahrenshoop
Art museum dedicated to the Ahrenshoop artists' colony: painting from plein-air painting to GDR art in a new building by Staab Architekten (2013).
Opening hoursAdmission from €10 Wheelchair accessible Café
Current exhibitions
September 25, 2026 – March 14, 2027
Die Künstlerkolonie Katwijk
Paintings from the Dutch fishing village where, from the 19th century on, painters such as Max Liebermann captured everyday life, traditional dress and boats – in cooperation with the Museum Katwijk.
December 6, 2026 – March 28, 2027
Frauen der Künstlerkolonie
Collection exhibition on Ahrenshoop's women painters around 1900, their life paths and the obstacles they had to overcome.
December 12, 2026 – March 21, 2027
Malerei aus norddeutschen Künstlerkolonien in den Sammlungen Mahlfeld und Schumann
Rarely shown pictures from private collections, created in artists' colonies such as Ahrenshoop, Schwaan and Hiddensee.
March 20, 2027 – June 13, 2027
Edmund Kesting – Avantgardist
Photography and painting by the Dresden avant-garde artist, who created his late work mainly in Ahrenshoop; in cooperation with the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg.
April 3, 2027 – June 27, 2027
Shan Fan – Bodden trifft Bambus
Ink drawings, oil paintings and installations by the Chinese-German artist, for whom bamboo has been the central motif since 2006.
April 10, 2027 – June 13, 2027
Heinrich Schlotermann
Exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the death of a founding-generation painter who lived in Althagen from 1895.
June 19, 2027 – October 24, 2027
Wolfgang Mattheuer – Merkzeichen
For the 100th birthday of the Leipzig painter: around 48 paintings as well as drawings and prints.
July 3, 2027 – October 24, 2027
Das Ahrenshooper Universum
Overview of more than 130 years of Ahrenshoop as an artists' colony, with major works from its founding period to the second half of the 20th century.
About the museum
The idea for a museum for the Ahrenshoop artists' colony came in 2005 from entrepreneur and art patron Guenter Roese. Backed by a foundation and a friends' association, an info box opened first in 2008 as a documentation center. Volker Staab won the architectural competition; half of the building was funded by the state, with additional support from EU funds, and it opened on August 30, 2013.
The building echoes the region's thatched houses: five metal-clad cubes look like individual houses from the outside and connect inside to form a continuous circuit. Skylights with prisms provide even, almost shadowless daylight in the galleries.
The collection today comprises more than 1,000 paintings, prints and sculptures by artists who lived in Ahrenshoop and on the coast or came as summer guests – from the founding generation around Elisabeth von Eicken and Paul Müller-Kaempff through modernism to GDR painters such as Edmund Kesting and Wolfgang Mattheuer. Loans from the municipality and private donors complement the holdings, and the library and archive support research on the artists' colony.
In addition to the changing collection display, the museum presents several special exhibitions each year and offers guided tours, workshops, readings and concerts. Since 2024, longtime curator Katrin Arrieta has directed the museum.
Highlights
- Collection on the Ahrenshoop artists' colony with more than 1,000 works
- Works by the founding generation, such as Elisabeth von Eicken's "Frühling" (Spring, c. 1895)
- Museum building by Staab Architekten made of five metal-clad cubes
- Daylit galleries with prism skylights
- Several special exhibitions a year on modern and contemporary art
Permanent exhibitions
- Künstlerkolonie und klassische Moderne in Ahrenshoop – Changing collection display from the founding generation of the artists' colony to modernism; in Gallery III until early December 2026 under the title "Das stille Leben" with landscape paintings.
- Founded
- 2013
- Operated by
- Stiftung Kunstmuseum Ahrenshoop
- Director
- Katrin Arrieta
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5University students and apprentices (school students €4, people with disabilities €8) |
| Children & teens | €4free up to age 6 · School student rate; children up to age six free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €8"Handicap" rate. |
| Students & apprentices | €5University students and apprentices. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €8 per personSchool classes €2 per person, with guided tour €4. |
| Families | €252 adults and up to 3 school students. |
| Combination ticket Kunstmuseum & Kunstkaten | €11 |
| Annual pass | €45Excludes events |
| Public guided tour incl. admission | €15University students/apprentices €12, school students €8 |
| Children's tour with workshop (Wednesdays) | €8Incl. admission and materials |
| Ahrenshoop day guest card | €2.90University students/apprentices €1.45, children and school students up to age 18 free; available at the museum ticket desk |
Prices apply on presentation of a valid guest card (Gästekarte) of the Baltic Sea resort, or for people exempt from the spa tax (e.g., residents); day guest cards are available at the ticket desk. Separate prices apply to events. As of January 1, 2026.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- 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
Single-level museum at street level: all exhibition rooms and restrooms are on the first floor, with parking close by. Dogs are not allowed in the museum.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €25 · 2 adults and up to 3 school students. |
- Family tours & workshops
On Wednesdays, children's tour "Kunst & Geschichten" (Art & Stories) with a creative part for children aged 5 and up (approx. 1.5 hours, registration required); workshops such as linocut printing during holidays. Children up to age 6 free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Ahrenshoop-Althagen oder Ahrenshoop-Mitte (Bus 210)
From Ribnitz-Damgarten West station, take bus line 210 (toward Barth) to Ahrenshoop-Althagen or Ahrenshoop-Mitte.
By car
Parking available
Large municipal parking lot in the immediate vicinity, also for tour buses.
Bicycle parking right next to the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Small museum café "Blickwinkel" and museum shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Project room (34 seats or 12 desks) and foyer for conferences, meetings and receptions, with media equipment and break catering.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Commercial photography and filming only with a permit purchased in advance; publication requires the museum's consent. |
| Good to know | Public guided tour on Fridays at 14:00 (approx. 60 min., no registration); children's tour "Kunst & Geschichten" on Wednesdays at 14:30 for children aged 5 and up, registration required. Tour groups and school classes please register in advance. |
