The Stavanger Art Museum (formerly Rugalanne Art Museum) was opened in 1991, taking the collection from the Stavanger Faste Gallery, located in the premises of the Stavanger Artists Association. The Stavanger Art Museum displays temporary exhibitions in addition to samples from the permanent collection. The Stavanger Art Museum is part of the MUST - Stavanger A.S. Museum - following its merger with the Rugalanne Art Museum on July 1, 2010.
The museum is located on the western side of the Moswatnet on Tensvoll in Stavanger Hillevog area. It opened its doors in 1990 and today has a significant collection of 19th and 20th century Norwegian art. Lars Hertervig's work forms the centre of gravity with more than 70 watercolours and oil paintings, and also features Edward Munk, Kitty Killand and Christian Krog. The museum also has a permanent collection of works by Halvdan Hafsten and Jan Groth, as well as a permanent sculptural project "Broken Column" by Anthony Gormley.
The museum today has a significant collection of more than two thousand works of Norwegian and international art from the 19th century to the present day. The works of Lars Hertervig are a centre of gravity with more than 70 watercolours and oil paintings. Other Norwegian artists of the 1800s and 1900s include Kitty Killand, Edward Munk, Christian Krog, Elif Petersen, Knud Baade, Olaf Lange, Karl Sundt-Hansen and Harriet Baker.
Collector Halvdan Hafsten's collection represents the interwar generation in Norwegian art history and includes works by Reidar Auli, Harald Dahl, Arne Ekeland, Erling Enger, Kai Fjell, Ragnar Kraugerud, Torbjorn Lee Jorgensen and Alexander Schultz, as well as a permanent exhibition space in the museum. Anthony Gormley's permanent sculptural project "Broken Column" is also part of the collection.
In 1998, the collection and archive of Jan Groth were created in the Stavanger Art Museum. The collection contains works by several famous American contemporary artists, as well as several Norwegian artists who have attracted international attention in recent years. Among them are Robert Morris and Tony Smith.
Key contemporary artists in the regular collection include Anthony Gormley, Ian Groth, Leonard Rickhard, Marie Slatelid, Torbjorn Rodland, Thomas Saraceno and Mette Trondwall.
The Art Museum displays parts of the Mosvansparken sculpture collection presented by Aas Texmon Rig, Bord Breivik, Magnus Wigrestad and Jan Groth.
The Stavanger Art Museum works with the Bag Culture School in Stavanger and Rugalanne. In addition, the museum offers educational activities and excursions for kindergarten children, schoolchildren, high schools, students and independent groups. There is also a Sunday guided tour of the temporary, non-permanent exhibition every Sunday at 14.00 with one of the museum's artistic mediators. In addition, every Sunday at 12:00 there is a presentation program for children adapted to the age group 5-10 years and a temporary exhibition.
The museum also has its own workshop for children and adults who want to develop their creativity while visiting the museum.
It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the Stavanger Center to the Museum of Art, via Eganesweien or Woland. Follow the path at Mosvannet to the museum. Private parking spaces for disabled people are available in front of the museum. Regular parking in the garage across the street to Stavanger Idrettshall.