The Kunsthalle in Emden was founded in 1986 through the patronage of Henri Nannen, the founder and long-time editor-in-chief of STERN, and his wife Eske. Nannen not only gave his collection with a focus on classical modernism to the foundation, but also used his entire personal fortune to build the art gallery in Emden. A good ten years later, the high-profile art donation from the Munich gallery owner Otto van de Loo provided the impetus for the expansion of the art gallery. She congenially expanded the house's collection into the period after 1945.
The program of four to five exhibitions per year takes up the characteristics of this in-house art collection. On average, 60 to 70,000 art lovers visit the museum every year and enjoy the green East Frisia with its charming North Sea islands as an attractive destination for excursions and short vacations.
The Kunsthalle is also particularly known for its extensive art education offering, which brings together museum education and painting schools. Under the heading Art Active, children and adults will find a wealth of both theoretical and artistic-practical programs to participate in.
Since 1986, the art gallery has developed in four construction phases into a successful exhibition center with international appeal that meets all modern museological standards. However, the capital of the non-profit foundation could not keep pace with the growing needs of such an operation. As one of the few privately owned museums in Germany, the Kunsthalle achieves an exceptionally high self-coverage rate. Nevertheless, a museum operation of today's scale is only possible thanks to ongoing funding from the state of Lower Saxony and the city of Emden.
The Kunsthalle receives further support today from exhibition sponsors, private and public donors as well as the Friends of the Kunsthalle e.V.. More on this in the Funding chapter.