The Neue Kunsthaus Ahrenshoop traces its origins back to the Kunsthaus Guttenberg, established in 1994 by the painter, graphic artist, and book artist Gerlinde Creutzburg as a platform for contemporary art in Ahrenshoop on behalf of the Künstlerbund Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Named after and initially housed in the former vacation, residential, and workspace of sculptor Hertha von Guttenberg, this Künstlerinnenhaus served as an important niche venue for gatherings outside state control during the GDR era. Following Hertha von Guttenberg’s death, her heirs made the house’s cabinet-like small rooms available for ten years to host contemporary art exhibitions. From the very beginning, interdisciplinarity, a focus on Northern Europe, and close collaboration with the Künstlerhaus Lukas defined the artistic program.

In 1998, in cooperation with the municipality of Ahrenshoop and the Freundeskreis NEUE KUNST HAT FREUNDE, Gerlinde Creutzburg initiated and realized the conversion of the former kindergarten at Bernhard-Seitz-Weg 3 into a larger Neue Kunsthaus Ahrenshoop, with architectural redesign by Rostock-based architect Ursula Jastram. Gerlinde Creutzburg, occasionally supported by guest curators such as photographer and publisher Boris Becker, jewelry designer Susan Pietzsch, painter Kerstin Seltmann, artist duo Thürmer, cultural manager Zinaida Scherschun, and author Simone Trieder, was responsible for the programming of the Neue Kunsthaus. Since 2018, guest curators from the Künstlerhaus Lukas residency program have also been developing exhibitions in close collaboration with the artistic direction of the Neue Kunsthaus.