October
Autumn Holiday Course I
Tue, 20/10 – Fri, 23/10/26, 10 am – 1 pm
Golden leaves, rolling fog, and gusty winds take center stage in this holiday workshop for children ages 6 to 10. Together, we’ll playfully immerse ourselves in autumn’s natural world and discover how to creatively capture the shifting moods of this special season.
On an exciting journey of discovery through the exhibition, we’ll draw inspiration from atmospheric landscapes, warm earth tones, and the interplay of light and shadow. In the museum studio, these autumnal impressions will then be creatively brought to life: The children will design their own works of art, experimenting with vibrant fall colors, intriguing textures, and various painting techniques. The result will be truly personal masterpieces brimming with imagination and expressiveness.
Fee: 50 Euros, siblings 35 Euros
Fully booked!
Guided tour for seniors
Thu, 22/10/26, 3 pm
On our senior citizens’ tour, you’ll enjoy art in a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of opportunity for conversation. Together, we’ll delve into the 19th century and discover Tina Blau’s impressive landscape paintings. Rosa M Hessling’s fascinating light installations create an exciting link to the present day, entering into a unique dialogue with the historical works.
Look forward to an inspiring afternoon full of light and colour, stimulating conversation and a cosy finale with coffee and cake at Café Chagall.
Admission including the guided tour, a drink and a slice of cake: 16 euros
Fully Booked!
A Journey of Light Through the Region
Sa, 24/10/26, 3 pm
Meeting point: Ahlen Art Museum
| Time | Schedule |
|---|---|
| 3 pm | Departure from Ahlen. |
| 3.40 pm | Hamm: Light Installations in Sacred Spaces: “Stranded” by molitor & kuzmin and “public stage” by Mischa Kuball. |
| Culinary break/snack in Hamm (Afterward, we’ll enjoy a light snack—included in the tour price—at a cozy restaurant within walking distance). | |
| 6 pm | Unna: Center for International Light Art. Visit to the current temporary exhibition “LIGHT DIALOGUES.” |
| 7.30 pm | Unna-Lünern: Contrasts in the village church. “That’s what (s)he said” by Brent Birnbaum and “Tunnel IV” by Chul Hyun Ann. |
| 8 pm | Return trip via Hamm: A glimpse of Vollrad Kutscher’s “Blue Wave” as we drive by. |
| Final stop: Ahlen, St. Bartholomäus Art and Culture Church. At the St. Bartholomäus Art and Culture Church in Ahlen, we’ll see the temporary light art installations on display. |
The tour will be expertly guided by cultural educator Kristina Wotschel.
Advance tickets: 22 euros (plus service fee); at the door: 25 euros.
Registration will open soon through Volkshochschule Ahlen.
Glow in the Dark
Sat, 24/10/26, 8 pm
To celebrate the 9th Night of Light Art, we’ll dim the lights in the museum and join you on a journey to discover works that are over 100 years old. Led by Dagmar Schmidt, you’ll sharpen your senses for an extraordinary experience: Immerse yourself in a sensory journey of discovery where the phenomenon of light can be experienced in a completely new and moving way.
Fee: 12 euros
Nights of Light Art
Fri, 23/10 – Fri, 06/11/26
The ninth edition of the festival invites visitors from across the Hellweg region on a journey of discovery. In addition to the 51 permanent light art installations that illuminate the Hellweg from Ahlen to Fröndenberg and from Lippstadt to Unna, there is an extensive program featuring temporary exhibitions throughout the region. This year’s theme is to showcase art from storage in churches and historic buildings, as many light art works are currently stored in museums, with artists, and in private collections.
The main opening of the 9th edition of the Nights of Light Art will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 7 to 8 pm at the Wilhelm Morgner Museum (Thomästraße 1, Soest).
In Ahlen, the Nights of Light Art will open on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 6 pm at the St. Bartholomäus Art and Culture Church. Light artworks by Volkhard Kempter, Christoph Dahlhausen, and Andreas Horlitz will engage in a dialogue with the historic architecture. On October 28 at 6.30 pm, the Art and Culture Church will host the panel discussion “Lichtwechsel – When Light Art Enters the Sacred Space,” followed on November 7 at 11 am by the closing event “Ancient & Modern Portraits for Organ,” which combines classical organ works with pop and rock hits.
Autumn Holiday Course II
Tue, 27/10 – Fri, 30/10/26, 10 am – 1 pm
Golden leaves, rolling fog, and gusty winds take center stage in this holiday workshop for children ages 6 to 10. Together, we’ll playfully immerse ourselves in autumn’s natural world and discover how to creatively capture the shifting moods of this special season.
On an exciting journey of discovery through the exhibition, we’ll draw inspiration from atmospheric landscapes, warm earth tones, and the interplay of light and shadow. In the museum studio, these autumnal impressions will then be creatively brought to life: The children will design their own works of art, experimenting with vibrant fall colors, intriguing.
Fee: 50 Euros, siblings 35 Euros
Fully booked!
November
EXHIBITION REMODELING
Mon, 2/11 - Fri, 20/11/26
The museum remains closed.
Opening "Ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit!"
Sat, 21/11/26, 4–7 pm
With an unflinching gaze, Anna (1936–2020) and Bernhard Johannes Blume (1937–2011) brought the petty-bourgeois world of postwar Germany into sharp focus. Everyday objects play a key role in this, appearing to spiral out of control in their images.
Their humorous works are precise commentaries on social norms and themes that remain as relevant today as ever. We are dedicating a major retrospective exhibition to the artist couple and placing their work in a new, contemporary context: Their large-format black-and-white photographs, Polaroid series, as well as drawings and objects from the estate of Anna and Bernhard Blume enter into a dialogue with international contemporary video art.
Our supposed order of “things” remains an illusion, which the artist duo exposes in their provocatively chaotic and absurdly philosophical visual world. Hard to believe—a thing of impossibility!
Welcome:
Dr. Martina Padberg
Director, Kunstmuseum Ahlen
Remarks:
Angelika Weide, Head of the Cultural Affairs Department
of the Münster District Government
Patrick Bürger, Deputy Chairman of the Board
of the LWL Cultural Foundation
Roland Klein, Deputy Board Member
of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost
Introduction:
Dr. Anna Luise von Campe
Curator, Kunstmuseum Ahlen
The museum will remain open until 7:00 p.m.
Admission is free!
(Due to the construction of the new city hall, there are only a few parking spaces available directly at the museum. Additional parking is available about a 5-minute walk away on Freiheit or at Stadtpark 4.)