The Ivanovo Regional Art Museum was established by a decision of the Soviet government in 1959 and opened its doors in 1960. The museum building, made of red brick in an eclectic style, was constructed in the late 19th century and originally served as a Real Technical School and a School of Colorists. It is located in the historical center of the city. The foundation of the museum's collections was formed from part of the collection of the Ivanovo Regional Local History Museum.

Of particular value are the unique collections gathered by the Ivanovo-Voznesensk manufacturer and collector D.G. Burylin, which include works of art, cult objects, and artifacts from the Ancient World and Eastern countries. The museum also houses collections of Russian and foreign graphics, as well as donations from the 1920s-1930s from the State Museum Fund, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Russian Museum. Among the exhibits, one can find masterpieces of domestic and Western European art from the 16th to the 20th centuries and examples of Russian avant-garde.

Today, the museum's collection consists of 45,118 items. Subsequently, the collections were actively replenished with works by renowned masters of all directions of Soviet art of the 20th century and works by Ivanovo artists.