The Rauma Art Museum is home to changing contemporary art exhibitions and the art collections of the City of Rauma. The museum hosts wide range of events, workshops and lectures throughout the year. The biennale of contemporary art, organized by the Rauma Art Museum, is one of the oldest still ongoing international art events in Finland. It brings together high-class contemporary art coming from and related to the Baltic Sea region. From 2019 onwards, the exhibition will be held every three years under the title Rauma Triennale.

The buildings of the Rauma Art Museum with its sheltered courtyard are one of the best preserved blocs in the old town and a prominent example of the green idyll and layers of history of Old Rauma.

The History of the Museum

Rauma Art Society was founded in 1962 to promote art in Rauma. In the year 1969 artist Alpo Sarava made a suggestion about founding a museum to Rauma.

In order to accomplish this goal, the Rauma Art Museum Foundation was formed. The site of Pinnala was given to the Foundation and it was decided that it would be restored and repaired so that the museum could be situated there.

The museum was opened in 1970. The next year an arrangement was made with the Ateneum Art Museum and Rauma Art Museum received 18 Finnish paintings from the 19th century. In the year 1974 Rauma Art Museum was accepted as a member to the Finnish Museums Association.