The 6 Best Art Galleries in Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Leeuwarden has deep ties to the worlds of pottery, earthenware and porcelain design and features the largest ceramics museum in the Netherlands, Princessehof Ceramics Museum. Dynamische Keramiekwinkel, which is also located in the city, serves as a platform for contemporary ceramics designers and showcases work from around six different artists throughout the year. The gallery maintains a dynamic approach to curation and changes its selection every month by introducing work from new designers.

Rather than exclusively selling items to patrons, Kunstuitleen Friesland offers a subscription service that allows aesthetes to borrow artworks for a specific timeframe and eventually return them to the gallery. This means that art lovers can enjoy prized paintings or sculptures without splashing sizeable amounts of cash. The gallery currently owns 5,000 individual pieces created by dozens of international artists, which are all available for hire and purchase. The gallery’s exhibition space is located on the northern side of Leeuwarden’s city centre and resembles a stately palace, complete with long lines of high windows.

Artemisia in Kunstzaken’s exhibitions mainly revolve around artwork from the Northern Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen. Although the gallery primarily presents contemporary paintings, drawings and graphic designs, it also occasionally showcases pieces created by sculptors or jewellers. The gallery organises groups and solo exhibitions throughout the year that revolve around specific mediums, artists or themes.

Kunsthandel de Vries is one of the best places in Leeuwarden to experience or buy contemporary art. It also regularly hosts exhibitions in order to showcase new editions to its collection. Its repertoire covers a wide array of styles ranging from surrealist paintings to abstract, modern pottery. Aside from selling and presenting objets d’art, the gallery also offers consultation services concerning investing in artworks. Many of Leeuwarden’s most iconic landmarks are located near the gallery, including Blokhuispoort, Saint Boniface Church and the Fries Museum.

Salon de Uil (or Salon the Owl in English) simultaneously serves as a meeting place for small workshops or classes and an exhibition space where artists present their work. The salon can accommodate up to 10 people, which makes it perfect for smaller, private meetings and it always has a selection of artwork hanging from its walls. It is possible to rent out the space at Salon de Uil for events between Monday and Friday.

This charming private gallery has showcased work created by Dutch artists for over three decades and organises at least six solo or group exhibitions every year. Its yearly calendar always includes exhibitions that present artwork from well-established figures as well as up-and-coming artists from the Netherlands. It is possible to purchases artworks via a monthly instalment plan at Galerie de Roos van Tudor, which means that patrons can take home given pieces without paying for everything upfront. The gallery itself looks incredible and is housed inside two monumental buildings in central Leeuwarden.