The Pretoria Art Museum came into being in order to house the Municipality’s growing art collection, which had been built up since the early 1930s. The museum was officially opened in 1964.

The museum’s main focus is on contemporary South African art, and exhibitions are held regularly. The collection consists of the old masters and the Michaelis Bequest which includes mainly paintings from the 17th century North Dutch School. Attention is also given to South African art, including urban, rural and traditional art and new media techniques in order to reflect the historical diversity of art in South Africa. Temporary exhibitions of up-and-coming artists are displayed on an ongoing basis.