Curitiba Art Galleries

(Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil)

There are a number of different public art galleries located in Curitiba, with contrasting themes of religious, contemporary, classical and traditional Brazilian art. Located in the Setor Historico area of Curitiba, the Sacred Art Museum of the Archdiocese is a popular choice with tourists and resides within the annex of the Igreja da Ordem Terceira de Sao Francisco das Chagas (Church of the Third Order of St. Francis).

For modern art appreciation, both the Museu de Arte Contemporanea do Paraná (Museum of Contemporary Art of Paraná) and the Museu Metropolitano de Arte de Curitiba - MUMA (Metropolitan Museum of Art) are extremely noteworthy galleries, being filled with an appealing mixture of paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures. However, it is the Museu Oscar Niemeyer (Oscar Niemeyer Museum) that really steals the show, not only for its wealth of contemporary paintings, but also for its wacky eye-shaped architecture.

Museu Oscar Niemeyer (Oscar Niemeyer Museum)

Address: Rua Marechal Hermes 999, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 041 3350 4400
One of Brazil's most celebrated contemporary art galleries and currently the largest museum in Latin America, the Museu Oscar Niemeyer opened as recently as 2002 and features bold, modernist architecture. The building itself was designed by famous Brazilian architecture Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho to resemble a giant eye, and is often nicknamed as the Museu do Olho (Museum of the Eye) after its appearance. Exhibits concentrate on different aspects of visual arts, including both design and architecture, many of which are rotated and changed on a regular basis. The complex comprises two buildings, with walls painted in bold bright colours and adorned with stylised dancing figures. Each year, various science-related exhibitions are also staged here, while the Oscar Niemeyer Curitiba auditorium has regular presentations and lectures. The gallery itself is within walking distance of Curitiba city centre, which is approximately 30 minutes away by foot, and is also connected by the regular Tourist Bus (Linha Turismo).
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Museu de Arte Sacra da Arquidiocese de Curitiba (Religious Art Museum / Sacred Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Curitiba)

Address: Largo Coronel Enéas, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 41 3322 1525
Home to a collection of more than 800 individual pieces, visitors to the Museu de Arte Sacra da Arquidiocese de Curitiba can expect to find everything from religious paintings and sculptures, to photographs and Baroque-style furnishings. Artefacts and art works from a number of different churches in the city are displayed here, including images of Sao Miguel Arcanjo (St. Michael the Archangel) and Nossa Senhora do Terco (Our Lady of the Rosary).
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 12:00, 13:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 14:00
Admission: free

Museu de Arte Contemporanea do Paraná - MAC / PR (Museum of Contemporary Art of Paraná)

Address: Rua Desembargador Westphalen 16, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 41 3323 5328
The Paraná Museum of Contemporary Art is maintained by the state government and was officially founded in the early part of the 1970s. The collection of modern art works now numbers close to 1,500 pieces and includes paintings and sculptures by acclaimed Brazilian artists such as Arcangelo Ianelli, Juarez Machado, Napoleon Potyguara Lazzarotto and Roberto Burle Marx, amongst many others.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 10:00 to 19:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Museu Metropolitano de Arte de Curitiba - MUMA (Metropolitan Museum of Art in Curitiba)

Address: Avenida Republica Argentina 3430, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 41 3314 5065
The Museu Metropolitano de Arte is often affectionately known as simply the 'MUMA' and is part of the Gate Cultural Centre complex, being next to other cultural attractions such as the Cine Guarani and the Theatre Kraide Antonio Carlos. Inaugurated in May 1998, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has recently enjoyed much renovation and is home to the creations of many notable artists, including the likes of Candido Portinari, Djanira da Motta e Silva, Emiliano Augusto Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Melo, Giuseppe Giannini Pancetti (José Pancetti), Mário Cravo Junior and Roberto Burle Marx.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 12:00, 13:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 14:00
Admission: free

Museu Alfredo Andersen (Andersen Museum)

Address: Rua Mateus Leme 336, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 41 3323 5148
Famous Norwegian artist Alfredo Andersen (1860 to 1935) spent much of his life living and teaching in Brazil. Andersen moved to Curitiba in 1902 and soon after began exhibiting his personal oil paintings, which included both landscapes and portraits. Following his death, his home and studio was transformed into a museum, where his life and achievements are celebrated. The Museu Alfredo Andersen also functions as an educational centre for visual arts, incorporating a library and a cafe.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: free