Kostanay Regional Art Gallery was inaugurated in 2008. The opening of the gallery was a great and long-awaited event in the cultural life of the city. Gallery comfortably settled in the heart of Kostanay in Altynsarin street 133. The building of the gallery is a bright example of civil architecture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and forms the historic center of Kostanay.
Creating of a separate art gallery was a logical result of creative development years of Kostanay artistic life. Over fifty years ago, "Kostanay artistic production masters Kazartfond" formed the first creative association of professional artists. They came from Almaty in 1959. It is an association, which later became a center of regional artistic life.
The main activities of masters was creative and production work on the design of buildings, places of culture, visual propaganda. Painting, graffito, mosaic, stained glass, decorative and monumental sculpture - the entire amount of productive work carried out by artists and masters. At the same time, each of them worked creatively. In case of a permanent participation at national exhibitions, Kostanay artists allowed to be actively involved in the overall artistic process and successfully assert themselves. Artists received high marks. Their skills grew stronger and improved.
Finally, regional branch of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan was formed in Kostanay, 1993. The Regional Art Gallery was opened in 2008.
The gallery has three large exhibition halls, which was located on two floors of the building. On the ground floor is placed creative workshops of known artists from Kostanay: Vadim Bykov, Yuri Novoselov, Shalunova Svetlana. It is possible to see masters' work here, and checkout pictures: portraits, landscapes and original compositions. The building has an art gallery where you can buy original works of famous masters and young artists.
Themed and solo exhibitions of artists are constantly provided in the gallery - works of visual artists and young artists. Residents and visitors can get acquainted with the presented works.
In spite of a young age, Kostanay Regional Art Gallery celebrated the fifth anniversary in 2013, and gallery staff could sum up the results of their work. According to the head of the art gallery, there have been more than 50 exhibitions for five years: personal and collected thematically art. The art gallery has become a real center of regional cultural life. Here opened solo and thematic exhibitions, and held recitals of eminent artists and sculptors. Besides Kostanay viewer can see submitted paintings of artists from other cities and countries.
On the opening day of the anniversary, which took place on 21August 2013, was presented 37 self-portraits, which were painted in different years by well-known artists. Among them are George Juices, Leonid Igoshin, Nicholas Torshin Vadim Bykov, Sergei Lugovo, Svetlana Shalunova, Oleg Kuskova, Bayan Batalov. Paintings were made by different techniques: watercolor, pencil, dry brush, retouching, airbrush, collage, plaster. Each work shows the viewer a personal, intimate conversation between the canvas and the artist.
The exhibition Wax Museum of St. Petersburg was a guest twice, Kostanay residents could see more than 50 exhibits, figures of characters from the Guinness Book of Records, Charlie Chaplin, heroes of popular cartoons, Jack Sparrow, and many others by visiting the exhibition.
The staff of the gallery is constantly working on the completion of funds, and on the organization of new and interesting art exhibitions. They are always welcome gallery's guests and enjoy guiding tours, acquainting visitors with numerous paintings and works of art from the collection of the gallery.