Nordiska Akvarellmuseet
Art museum by the water in Skärhamn on Tjörn, with Nordic and international watercolour art and a growing collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Nordiska Akvarellmuseet (Nordic Watercolour Museum) grew out of the Nordiska Akvarellsällskapet (Nordic Watercolour Society), which was founded in 1989 with the dream of a centre for Nordic watercolour art, research and courses in watercolour technique. The society asked some forty coastal towns between Oslo and Copenhagen whether they were interested, and Tjörn Municipality was given the task in 1995, on condition that the museum be built in beautiful nature near the water. The following year a foundation was formed by the society and the municipality.
The building was designed by the Danish architects Niels Bruun and Henrik Corfitsen, who won what was then the largest architectural competition in Scandinavia with the proposal Mötet (The Meeting). The house lies at the water's edge with a falu-red wooden facade, and five guest studios stand on pillars in the water at Bockholmen, linked to the museum by a wooden bridge. The museum was inaugurated on 17 June 2000 and was extended in 2012 following the original plans, with Tengbom as the architects.
The museum has built up a collection of more than 1,100 works by about a hundred artists, most of them Nordic, with particular interest in picture books and narrative in pictures. The collection is shown in selections in the museum's exhibitions rather than in a permanent exhibition. Besides the exhibition halls there is an open workshop, a museum shop, a restaurant and café, and guest studios for artists and researchers.
Highlights
- Nordic and international watercolour art in a house by the water
- A collection of more than 1,100 works, most by Nordic artists
- Architecture by Niels Bruun and Henrik Corfitsen
- An open workshop where visitors can try watercolour
- The sculpture Fyren (The Lighthouse) and the installation Sjungande invånare (Singing Residents) outdoors
- Founded
- 2000
- Operated by
- Stiftelsen Nordiska Akvarellmuseet
- Director
- Berndt Arell
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 80 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | –Discount on presentation of a valid membership card for, among others, Konstnärernas Riksorganisation, Svenska Konstnärsförbundet, Nordiska Akvarellsällskapet, Konstnärsalliansen, Svenska Tecknare and Svenskt Kulturarv, and for art students. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 25 · Free admission for visitors under 26. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Companions and personal assistants have free admission. |
| Students & apprentices | –Art students at universities get a discount on presentation of a valid student card. Visitors under 26 have free admission. |
| Groups (15+ people) | SEK 70 per personFrom 15 people, SEK 70 per person in autumn, winter and spring; in summer SEK 150 per person (the annual pass is not included). |
| Annual pass | SEK 160During the summer the annual pass is included in the regular admission (SEK 160). |
Regular admission in autumn, winter and spring is SEK 80; in summer it is SEK 160, which includes an annual pass. Free admission on presentation of a valid card for Friends of the Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, honorary members, ICOM, Sveriges museer, the press and guides who accompany a group.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
No thresholds, automatic sliding doors and door openers to the exhibition halls, and a lift to the upper floor. A wheelchair can be borrowed at reception, and folding stools are in the first exhibition hall. Four disabled parking spaces about 25 metres from the entrance. A hearing loop in the Samlingssalen. Pets are not allowed except guide dogs. Sign-language interpreted tours are arranged several times a year.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 25 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
The museum is for all ages. The open workshop Konstpausen (Art Break) on the upper floor has watercolour paints and drawing materials to try, and during the school holidays themed workshops are held with extended opening hours and free admission.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Kommunhuset, Tjörn · 800 m
Västtrafik bus from Stenungsund and Gothenburg to the Kommunhuset stop, Tjörn; from there follow the signs towards Södra Hamnen.
By car
Free parking
Parking in front of the museum with 25 spaces, free but for a maximum of four hours; eight spaces have charging points (the Wattif app). More spaces are 5–10 minutes' walk away.
- Accessible parking
The museum is on Tjörn, about 70 km north of Gothenburg. From the E6 at Stenungsund cross the bridges to Tjörn, then follow road 169 and the brown signs to Skärhamn. The nearest railway station is Stenungsund, about 25 km away. Skärhamn's guest harbour is nearby.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Vatten Restaurang & Kafé is in the museum building by the water and has the same opening hours as the museum. The museum shop sells watercolour materials, literature, crafts and Nordic design.
Events & venue rental
The museum has guest studios on Bockholmen that can be rented by artists, course participants and private individuals (SEK 1,200 per studio and day from 1 November to 31 March, SEK 1,650 from 1 April to 31 October).
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | From 27 September public guided tours in Swedish are held on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 14:00; they are included in the admission and require no advance registration. Tours in Swedish and English can be booked separately. An audio guide via mobile phone is available for some exhibitions. During the school holidays, themed workshops are offered with free admission. |
