Oulu Art Museum: A Blend of History and Contemporary Art

Oulu Art Museum (OMA) offers transformative experiences and new perspectives through art. As the northern museum of contemporary art, OMA's exhibition program focuses on regional and contemporary art, while also featuring collection exhibitions, special themes, and international artists. The museum hosts several exhibitions each year, accompanied by varied events for all ages. The museum is located in the Myllytulli area, within the Åström factory building completed in 1922, near the Ainola park area. The red brick building, designed by architect Birger Federley, was originally a glue factory and office for the Veljekset Åström Oy leather factories. In 1990, it was renovated and expanded to house the art museum, combining the original industrial structure with postmodern architecture. The museum's collections emphasize contemporary art, including phenomena in visual art, artist self-portraits, naïvist art, and the Northern dimension in art. Oulu Art Museum also maintains the City of Oulu's art collection and manages several smaller donated collections. The museum's collection includes works from local artists and provides a representative picture of the state of contemporary art. Currently showing at the museum is the Kirjo (“Spectrum”) exhibition, which brings together contemporary art, crafts and Sámi crafts from the Nordic countries and Sápmi.