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There is no shortage of sights to see when you take a vacation to Amsterdam. You could spend hours just wandering around the city itself, taking in the unique architecture that sets Amsterdam apart from other cities throughout the world. However, if you’ve got the kind of eye that appreciates this beauty, you’ll want to make sure that you use it to take in all that there is to see at the art galleries located in Amsterdam.

The art galleries in Amsterdam represent the two very different aspects of life that any visitor to the city is going to notice. First, there are the art galleries which pay homage to the past, representing artists who work in traditional methods and have a history of long European influences behind them. Amsterdam’s history and art history are both rich and it’s important to spend some time experiencing this in the galleries that you might visit today. However, there are also art galleries which focus on the emerging and cutting-edge trends that are taking place in experimental art today. This reflects Amsterdam’s forward-thinking attitude and provides a sense of the city’s appreciation for alternative ways of life.

Here are some of the different Amsterdam art galleries that you may want to add to your itinerary:

ABC Treehouse. The tagline of this highly unique art gallery is “where art meets people”. That sums up the attitude here where art takes on a life of its own and introduces itself to the people who care to pay attention. It was launched as a place for the events of The American Book Center to be held. As such, it integrates various mediums together in one setting in a way that is often unseen in galleries. The gallery is particularly interesting because it offers a place where artists can take a DIY approach to showing their work; they are taught how to create, hang and display their work in a gallery setting. This makes it a very democratic and educational place where all levels of artists can feel welcome and wanted. It also provides people with the chance to

Arti et Amicitiae. This is the name of an art society located in Amsterdam. It sounds antiquated and indeed it does have that flavor of art from the past, bringing some of the historical art traditions of Amsterdam into the present. There are not always exhibits at the galleries operated by this art society. However, when there are, they are always powerful. You can check with the society to find out if they’re going to have any art on display during your visit to Amsterdam.

Akinci Gallery. Those people who are interested in seeing the cutting-edge experimental art work that is coming out of Amsterdam today are going to want to put this gallery on their list of “must-see” places. This gallery focuses on merging current media with artistic talent to create truly modern pieces that are worthy of discussion.

Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries. There are some people who are working in modern times but who aspire to a more grandiose level of art. These are not the people who want to be seen in cutting-edge galleries but instead are the artists who want serious recognition for their work in the form of museum shows. These artists often get their careers off the ground with a show at the Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries. This is also the gallery home to an annual exhibit called ArtAmsterdam which showcases the work of dozens of artists.

Galerie Bart. Those Amsterdam visitors that want to get in on the new art trends of the city will want to head to the galleries which are newest there. Opened in 2007, Galerie Bart is one of those galleries. It features contemporary artists working in mediums such as photography. The goal of the gallery is to act as a space where young artists can begin showing their work. As such, it ha a youthful, experimental theme running through its exhibits.

De Beeldenwinkel. Perhaps you’re really only planning to stop at an art gallery is part of full day of playing tourist in the streets of Amsterdam. In that case, you might prefer to do some shopping instead of some serious art viewing. If so, the shelves of artistic sculptures at this location (which is in the heart of an Amsterdam shopping center) could meet your craving for both art and function during a quick trip.

Galerie Binnen. Have you ever noticed that there is a sense of art in the things that we have around us? For example, our furniture can be seen as artistic if we take the time to notice the craftsmanship that went into building it. If you have this kind of design eye and are wondering where to find an Amsterdam art gallery that showcases it, look no further than Galerie Binnen where the furniture is on display as art. The artists featured here are a combination of local and international people who bring a variety of different perspectives to the design table.

Gallery Carla Koch. Do paintings bore you? If so, your eye might be more likely to have its attention caught by three dimensional works of art. Ceramics, pottery and glasswork are all types of art that are showcased at this gallery. The artists of Amsterdam work in many mediums and there’s a gallery for showing off each of them.

Gallery Hug. The name makes it sound like a warm-and-fuzzy place but the photographs that are exhibited at this international photography museum are sure to shock you with the variety of subjects they take on. From the beautiful to the bold, the exhibits on display at this museum are designed to be breath-taking.

Jaski Art Gallery. If you’ve been doing your research into traveling through Amsterdam and you’ve been keeping an eye out for art galleries, you might have come across this one in your reading. That’s because this is one of the most well-known and established art galleries in Amsterdam and the one that many travelers are aware exists. In addition to its own exhibits, this gallery works with several other area exhibits to provide ongoing displays of various types of art to those people interested in experiencing what Amsterdam’s creative class has to offer.

Galerie Mokum. This is the gallery for people who are interested in paintings from the realism genre. The gallery knows how to do these well since it’s been doing them for forty years. It does branch out into other areas of art at times but you can count on finding Dutch realism at this gallery at any time that you might take a trip to its location.

There are two sides to Amsterdam: the history and the forward-facing appreciation of the evolving world. Both of these sides seem to co-exist almost seamlessly in this unique city. They can be appreciated as separate aspects as well as together as a joined force when they are viewed through the lens of art. Amsterdam’s art galleries are a place where that can happen for tourists from any location as well as for locals who are still getting to know their city.

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Tags: amsterdam | Europe | netherland