SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst

SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst – is the National Gallery of Denmark and home to the country's largest art collection, with around 200,000 works. Originally owned by the Danish kings, the collection was given to the people with the introduction of democracy in the mid-19th century: that gift became SMK. Today the museum's ambition is to be a museum for everyone, bringing its collection into more people's lives.

For years, SMK dreamed of creating a permanent branch far from the capital, closer to audiences who cannot easily reach Copenhagen. The opportunity came in 2016, when Thisted Municipality offered to host works from the collection in the old warehouse of Doverodde, in South Thy. The building, its extraordinary setting and the strong local commitment convinced the museum that this was the right place.

In the following years SMK got to know the area, built partnerships with local organisations and experimented with ideas and formats to shape its presence in Thy. In 2023 the transformation of the former warehouse and grain store began: the old warehouse was carefully dismantled and rebuilt to meet today's safety and climate standards, while the new museum building was designed by the Norwegian-Danish practice Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter.

SMK Thy was inaugurated on 29 August 2025. From 2026, the museum is open seasonally, from Easter until the end of the autumn holidays.