lithuanian art Museum

Contacts
Address: Bokšto g. 5, LT-01126, Vilnius.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 5) 262 80 30, (+370 ~ 5) 262 18 83.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 212 60 06.
Email: muziejus@ldm.lt 
http://www.ldm.lt
Director – Romualdas Budrys.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Vilnius Picture Gallery, Radvila Palace:
Tuesday to Saturday 11–18.
Sunday, National Holiday Eve 12–17.
Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, Clock Museum:
Tuesday to Saturday 12–18. Sunday, National Holiday Eve 12–17.
Museum of Applied Art:
Tuesday to Saturday 11–18. Sunday, National Holiday Eve 11–16.
National Art Gallery:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 12–19, Thursday 13–20,
Sunday, National Holiday Eve 12–17.
Information Centre of National Art Gallery:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 12–18, Thursday 13–18.
Palanga Amber Museum:
September 1 – May 31: Tuesday – Saturday 11–17. Sunday, National Holiday Eve 11–16.
June 1 d. – August 31: Tuesday – Saturday 10–20. Sunday, National Holiday Eve 10–19.
Museum of Miniature Arts (Opened only during the summer season):
Tuesday to Saturday 11–18. Sunday, National Holiday Eve 11–16.

Admission:
Vilnius Picture Gallery, Museum of Applied Art, Radvila Palace, Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, Clock Museum, Museum of Miniature Arts:
adults – 6 Lt;
pupils, students and OAP – 3 Lt;
child under 7, disabled, ICOM member – free.
National Art Gallery:
adults – Lt 6;
pupils, students and OAP – 3 Lt;
child under 7, disabled, ICOM member – free.
Palanga Amber Museum:
adults – 8 Lt;
pupils, students and OAP – 4 Lt;
child under 7, disabled, ICOM member – free.

Guided tours:
lithuanian language – 30 Lt;
foreign language – 50 Lt.

Branch Museums and Galleries

Vilnius Picture Gallery
Address: Didžioji g. 4, LT-01128, Vilnius.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 5) 212 08 41, (+370 ~ 5) 212 42 58.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 212 0841.
Mob. tel. (+370 687) 16 739.
E-mail: galerija@ldm.lt
More information >

National Art Gallery
Address: Konstitucijos pr. 22, LT-08105, Vilnius.
Tel. (+370 ~ 5) 212 29 97.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 212 28 88.
E-mail: info@ndg.lt
More information >

Radvila Palace
Address: Vilniaus g. 22, LT-01119, Vilnius.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 5) 212 14 77, (+370 ~ 5) 262 09 81, (+370 ~ 5) 212 13 46.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 212 0 841.
E-mail: galerija@ldm.lt
More information >

Museum of Applied Art
Address: Arsenalo g. 3A, LT-01100, Vilnius.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 5) 262 80 80, (+370 ~ 5) 212 18 13.
E-mail: tdm@takas.lt 
More information >

Palanga Amber Museum
Address: Vytauto g. 17, LT-00101, Palanga.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 460) 53 501, (+370 ~ 460) 51 319.
E-mail: pgm@takas.lt
More information >

Pranas Domšaitis Gallery
Address: Liepų g. 33, LT-92145, Klaipėda.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 46) 21 90 57, (+370 ~ 46) 21 33 19.
E-mail: kpg@takas.lt 
More information >

Clock Museum
Address: Liepų g. 12, LT-92114, Klaipėda.
Tel. (+370 ~ 46) 41 04 14.
Fax (+370 ~ 46) 41 04 17.
E-mail: klm@takas.lt 
More information >

Museum of Miniature Arts
Address: L. Rėzos g. 3, LT-93101, Juodkrantė.
Tel. (+370 ~ 469) 53 323.
E-mail: muziejus@ldm.lt
More information >

Exhibitions
Present Exhibitions >
Archive Exhibitions >

Departments
Department of Fine Art;
Department of Applied Art;
Department of Folk Art;
Department for Collection Registration and Preservation;
Library and Archives; 
Art Apprecation Center;
P. Gudynas Restoration Center.

History of the Museum
Founded in 1933 as Vilnius City Museum, the Lithuanian Art Museum currently is the biggest national establishment, which preserves, investigates and displays pieces of art of historical and artistic value. The exhibition halls of the museum display Lithuanian and foreign works of fine and applied art. The museum has accumulated and displays the wealth of the national folk art. Diverse Lithuanian and foreign artists are featured at temporary exhibitions. The museum also conducts youth’s educational program.
With the lifting of the ban on Lithuanian press Lithuanian intellectuals became anxious about art. In 1907 the first exhibition was organized, and eight of them were held before World War I broke out. After each exhibition some exhibits were given to Lithuanian Art Society. More and more pieces of art were collected, so a hope to found an art museum was being cherished. Many concrete efforts were made in order to accomplish the plan - means for buildings were accumulated, pictures, carvings purchased photos and documents collected. But the war hindered the whole work.
When it was over intellectuals again started enlivening the life of art. Enlightened persons in Vilnius urged certain state institutions to look after the valuables of art that were nationalized by Bolsheviks in 1918. These valuables had to fall into the hands of cultural workers. Unfortunately the history of Vilnius and Vilnius land between World War I and World War II did not favor Lithuanian national culture.
In 1933 Vilnius Magistracy decided to establish a City Museum. The displays were stored in various places and looked after as far as possible, but visitors were never received.
In 1940 the Museum moved to the old Town Hall building.
In April, 1941 first exhibitions were organized in the halls of the Museum, which was already called Vilnius State Art Museum.
The Museum took over collections of Vilnius artistic and scientific societies took in the nationalized pieces of art. According to the later established order, pieces of art acquired by commissions of Ministry of Culture for state means were distributed among museums. This is how the present art collection was made up. Workers of the Museum themselves have contributed to the exposition. From post-war villages they collected the best examples of Lithuanian folk art. Creations by artists of emigration and their art collections are constantly added to the storage’s of the Museum.

Photos by Antanas Lukšėnas and Mečislovas Sakalauskas