Gerðarsafn Kópavogur Art Museum was built in memory of artist Gerður Helgadóttir (1928-1975) and opened in 1994. Gerður Helgadóttir‘s relatives gave the town of Kópavogur 1400 works from her estate after she passed away in 1975. Gerður Helgadóttir was a pioneer of three-dimensional abstract art and glass art in Iceland. The town of Kópavogur accepted the gift with set conditions; to build a museum honoring Gerður‘s name and to preserve and showcase her work. Gerður Helgadóttir (1928 – 1975) was a versatile artist who worked with sculptures, stained glass and mosaic. The museum collection holds more than 1400 works by Gerður Helgadóttir.
An exhibition of Gerður’s works can be seen on the lower floor of the museum. The exhibition is sponsored by The Museum Council of Iceland.