Museums
a gallery of sound-making toys and small instruments at the Open Art Studios
a fibre art gallery since 1978 in a historic tenement house on Stare Jatki
an artist-run gallery and printmaking studio opposite the Nowe Horyzonty cinema, operating on a non-profit basis
Museums
an intimate applied art gallery with glass, ceramics and textiles, the Wrocław branch of Kraków's BB Gallery
Museums
art exhibitions on the ground floor of a historic villa, run by the Historical Museum in Lubin
Museums
the former house of a Silesian Baroque sculptor on the market square in Lądek-Zdrój, with a portal decorated with a relief of the Madonna
Murals
a mural of the woman who rescued Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto, unveiled in Świdnica in 2018
an art gallery in a former newspaper kiosk in Ołbin, opened only by arrangement with the curators
Museums
a foundation and gallery in Nadodrze, creator of the murals on the courtyards on Roosevelt Street and the OKAP activities
Museums
the only gallery in Poland devoted exclusively to artistic ceramics, visits by prior arrangement
a street gallery of young Polish art drawing on the tradition of the Wrocław avant-garde
a gallery and shop with design, graphics, ceramics and jewellery by local artists in Nadodrze
a contemporary art gallery in a former bakery building in Nadodrze, with exhibitions and workshops for local residents
an additional exhibition hall of the Legnica Art Gallery, with free admission to temporary exhibitions
Painting in Lower Silesia: a giant battle panorama, a national museum and small galleries in old townhouses. See where to view art and buy it.
In Wrocław, at the Racławice Panorama. The museum is built around a single exhibit: a cyclorama showing the Battle of Racławice. You look at it from a central viewing platform, with the canvas wrapping around you. It was painted in 1893-1894 under the direction of Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak, and today it is a branch of the National Museum in Wrocław. It is fully indoors, so it works on a rainy day too.
If you prefer classic collections, head to the National Museum in Wrocław on Plac Powstańców Warszawy. Its holdings run to more than 200,000 objects, mostly paintings and sculpture, with a focus on the art of Silesia. Give yourself plenty of time, because this is one of the main museums of the region.
Most of it happens in galleries run by city institutions and foundations. The Four Domes Pavilion next to the Centennial Hall dates from 1912-1913 and now houses a branch of the National Museum devoted to contemporary art. Hans Poelzig designed the building, so you see architecture along with the exhibitions.
The Wrocław Contemporary Museum sits in a surface air-raid shelter from 1942, the only such building in Poland that serves as an art museum. The WRO Art Centre, in a former coffee roastery on ulica Widok, focuses on new media art and technological experiment. BWA Wrocław is an institution founded in 1952 that runs several galleries around the city, including one at the Wrocław Główny railway station. Among them are Awangarda on ulica Wita Stwosza, host of the Drawing Triennial, and Studio BWA on ulica Ruska, which combines a gallery, a studio and a reading room. Galeria SiC! on Plac Kościuszki shows art made of glass and ceramics, and entry is free.
Several addresses lie within a short stroll of the Rynek. OP ENHEIM occupies the Baroque townhouse of the former Oppenheim House on Plac Solny. Krupa Art Foundation on the Rynek is open to visitors, including people with disabilities. Nearby is the Geppert Apartment, the former home and studio of the painters Hanna Krzetuska and Eugeniusz Geppert.
On ulica Odrzańska you find the Małgosia Gallery with exhibitions of paintings by Wrocław artists. The Old Town also has Arttrakt, where you can view and buy paintings, prints and sculpture, and Szewska Pasja, a street gallery showing young Polish contemporary art.
Some places combine an exhibition with a shop. Tętno is an art and design gallery close to the Rynek with an online store attached. Niegaleria on ulica Tęczowa shows paintings and posters in a showroom, and the Niecafe café next door lets you finish the visit with a coffee. Artistic ceramics are the subject of Fine Art Gallery on ulica Powstańców Śląskich, but you need to book a visit in advance.
For artistic prints, go to the Tyszkiewicz Graphic Workshop, run by Professor Przemysław Tyszkiewicz. For fibre art, visit the Na Jatkach Weaving Gallery, which has operated since 1978.
The Legnica Art Gallery on Plac Katedralny shows paintings, art jewellery and photography, and entry is free. In Lubin, Galeria Pałacyk occupies the ground floor of a historic villa and is run by the Historical Museum.
In Wałbrzych, the Stara Kopalnia Science and Art Centre joins the former Julia coal mine with a contemporary art gallery and a ceramics studio. In the mountains, Wysoki Kamień Gallery in Kopaniec in the Karkonosze is run by local artists, and in the spa town of Lądek-Zdrój the Michał Klahr the Elder Museum Gallery sits on the market square. In Dobków, Galeria pod Aniołem sells hand-modelled ceramics. In Świdnica, stop at the mural of Irena Sendler on a townhouse on ulica Dworcowa. Its author is Robert Kukla, and it was unveiled in 2018.
Pair one big institution with two or three small galleries. Start with the panorama or the museum in the morning, then walk through the Old Town from gallery to gallery. If you want to stay in one city, use the list of painting venues in Wrocław. Exhibitions in smaller galleries change and opening hours can be limited, so check the venue's own page before you set out.
At the Racławice Panorama and the National Museum. The first shows one enormous canvas, the second a collection of painting and sculpture with an emphasis on Silesia.
According to their descriptions, the Legnica Art Gallery and Galeria SiC! in Wrocław have free admission. Always confirm current rules with the organiser.
In galleries that sell works, for example Arttrakt, Tętno and Niegaleria. Some of them also run an online shop.
Almost all the places listed here are under a roof. The Racławice Panorama, the museums and the galleries around the Rynek suit bad weather well.
Yes. Wysoki Kamień Gallery in the Karkonosze, Galeria pod Aniołem in Dobków and the gallery in Lądek-Zdrój show work by local artists.
