The Kunstverein für Mecklenburg und Vorpommern in Schwerin was founded in 2002 to establish a platform for contemporary art in the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and beyond. The Kunstverein presents regional and (inter)national artistic positions in changing solo and group exhibitions as well as a discursive programme. The focal point is the promotion and mediation of young artists in the context of current artistic and socio-political discourses.

From 2007 to 2011, Dr. Marie Cathleen Haff was the first artistic director. She was followed by Dr. Julia Wirxel (2012), Anne-Kathrin Auel (2013–2015), Andreas Wegner (2016–2018) and Nadine Grünewald (2018–2023). Hendrike Nagel has been the artistic and commercial director since 2024.

The Kunstverein operates on the basis of its statutes, which define the association’s objectives, tasks, and structure, as well as the rights and obligations of its members. The current version of the statutes can be viewed here.

The concept and practice of Kunstvereine [art associations] was added to the German UNESCO Commission’s National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage in March 2021, recognising them as a living form of cultural expression: “Art associations combine civic engagement with voluntary art education. Originally reserved for the bourgeoisie, they now promote open participation and enable broad social classes to engage with art. As urban and modern networkers, they participate in and drive forward discourses on contemporary art, embodying an understanding of democracy that is important for the preservation of a vibrant and diverse cultural heritage.”

The Kunstverein für Mecklenburg und Vorpommern in Schwerin is a member of the ADKV–Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Kunstvereine.