Amos Anderson Art Museum

The Amos Anderson Art Museum is located in the center of Helsinki. It is one of the largest private art collections in Finland. The founder of the museum was Amos Anderson (1878-1961), politician and patron of art, who owned several printing houses and Hufvudstadsbladet, Finland's largest Swedish-language daily.

The museum is housed in Amos Anderson's private home, built in 1913. The building, designed by the W.G. Palmqvist and Einar Sjostrom architects' office, also functioned as the head office of Anderson's business operations. After his death, the upper floors were converted into a museum and the office on the ground floor became a hall for special exhibitions. The Amos Anderson Art Museum was opened in 1965. During the last renovation in 1998-99 a new lift was installed and the attic was converted into an exhibition room and an auditorium.

The Amos Anderson Art Museum specializes in 20th century Finnish art. In its acquisitions it focuses on contemporary art. Some of the works from earlier periods, for example the works by foreign artists of XV-XVI centuries, were originally part of Amos Anderson's own private collection. Today there are about 7000 exhibits in the collection including not only pictures, graphics, sculptures, but also fabric, glass, ceramics, which were the part of the interiors of the Amos Anderson house. Among the collections, which were presented to the museum, the collection of architect Sigurd Frosterus, the private collection of the Finnish and foreign art of 1905-1915, is especially remarkable. The collection of Frosterus is a part of the permanent exhibition.

The Amos Anderson Art Museum organizes a large number of exhibitions on special themes, covering both contemporary and more traditional art including applied arts, architecture and photography. The museum often invites young artists to display their works, and art from other countries, especially Scandinavia, is regularly exhibited.