Öland is a vibrant meeting place for art, design and literature, where the unique light and magnificent nature have long inspired creative expression. Here, established artists coexist with new talents, and around the island you will find open studios, local galleries and genuine handicrafts. In the artist village of Vickleby, the legacy of the so-called Vickleby School lives on, while education and exhibitions help shape the art life of the future.
27 May 2026
Culture Design and Crafts
art tips on Öland
10 art tips
Below are listed five local artist groups, spread throughout Öland, that regularly arrange exhibitions and art tours. This includes painters, graphic artists, textile artists, ceramicists, sculptors, blacksmiths, photographers and glass artists.
Here are further tips on places where you can experience local, national and international art and design, from north to south:
- Vida Museum & Art Gallery
Experience a unique art center with a view of Kalmarsund. Both national and international artists are on display here.
- Öland Museum Himmelsberga
In the large art gallery and in the museum's galleries, which are located in an idyllic setting, various exhibitions by both local and national artists are shown.
- The Paradise Workshop
Large, bright exhibition areas with an open ceramics workshop and inspiring shop.
- Gallery Tinnert, Arontorp
There is both a gallery and an art shop. During the year, exhibitions with different themes are shown.
- Capellagården
Every summer, the students show their work in furniture, ceramics and textiles.
Art on Öland
Öland has a long tradition as a base for artists, writers and designers. Over time, this valuable cultural heritage has been consolidated and preserved and around the island there are a large number of active artists, craftsmen and writers. it is easy to understand that the artists are inspired by the unique and talked about light that can be experienced on Öland. The most talked about in the art context is Vickleby, which during the Second World War became the centre for several of Sweden's most important artists at this time. The travel ban in Europe limited the opportunities to travel to Paris and be inspired by world artists such as Matisse or Cézanne. Instead, a number of artists and cultural figures gathered in the south-eastern village around what came to be called the Vickleby School, founded by Arthur Percy and William Nording.
Open studios are available around the island and a number of art tours are arranged by local artist collectives and other cultural associations. At local bookstores and country stores, you will find novels, poetry collections, children's books and non-fiction books, published by current Öland authors. Local design is particularly noticeable in the potters working around the island. Here you can find everything from small-scale production to internationally established brands.
A common denominator is that Öland's nature often inspires in form, color and function. Maybe that's why education in design and art is established at Capellagården in Vickleby and Öland's Folk High School in Skogsby? The many students naturally leave their mark and contribute to the continued development of art and design here. Student exhibitions are arranged regularly and maybe you will meet tomorrow's world artist here? Or why not give yourself a pottery course this summer?