100 YEARS OF THE HOUSE OF ART IN OSTRAVA / (1926–2026)

The year 2026 is exceptional for the House of Art in Ostrava. Our exhibition building will celebrate 100 years since its opening. Since May 13, 1926, when it was first opened to the public, it has remained one of Ostrava's most distinctive architectural and cultural symbols. The building was designed by architects František Fiala and Vladimír Wallenfels, whose modern and timeless concept in the center of Ostrava still stands out today.

Celebrate 100 years of the House of Art with us. More information HERE.

The beginnings of the House of Art are firmly linked to the Association for the Construction and Maintenance of the Exhibition Pavilion in Moravská Ostrava, which in 1923 announced an architectural competition for a new exhibition hall. This resulted in the design by the duo Fiala–Wallenfels, realized with minor modifications into the form we know today.

František Jureček (1868–1925), an Ostrava builder, collector, and patron, also played a crucial role in the establishment of the House of Art. During his lifetime, he donated a significant part of his art collection to the House of Art Association with the wish that it be permanently accessible in Jureček's Picture Gallery. This gift laid the foundation for the collection of today's Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava, which currently cares for more than 24,000 artworks and is housed in the heritage-listed House of Art.

Alois Sprušil (1872–1946) was an equally important figure associated with the beginnings of the House of Art. He was a founding member of the House of Art Association, a tireless organizer of artistic life, and the first administrator of Jureček's Picture Gallery. From 1926 to 1946, he also served as the unpaid director of the House of Art. Thanks to his dedicated work, the collection grew rapidly. Sprušil was at the birth of professional collection care. He gave lectures and, every Sunday afternoon, guided visitors through exhibitions for free. With his enthusiasm, he shaped the character of the institution in its first decades.

The celebrations of this year's centenary will primarily focus on the presentation of the GVUO collections. We are thus continuing the original idea of the founders of the House of Art. You can already look forward to an all-day celebration of 100 years of the House of Art in Ostrava, which will take place on Wednesday, May 13.

100PA You may have noticed a new visual element that has started to appear on all GVUO graphic outputs. It is a typographic pun 100PA, which refers to the word 'stopa' (track/footprint) and commemorates the hundred-year imprint that the House of Art has left in the Moravian-Silesian Region and throughout the entire republic. The House of Art was one of the first exhibition buildings in our country to be built on a so-called greenfield site. We believe that it has left its mark not only in the lives of the visual artists who exhibited here but also in the history of the region and has become part of the story of many families living in our region. And we will be happy if it leaves its mark in your heart too.

The GVUO Team