The Art Gallery of Haskovo was founded in 1962. The gallery premises consist of two houses attached together. The buildings, which were completed in the beginning of the 20th century, have now been recognized as a national historical heritage. The initial collection of the gallery numbered a few artworks gathered from the local district council, national bank and other institutions in Haskovo. In 1964 the gallery collection was further expanded by some 500 new works by the local artists Dimitar Ivanov (Lico) and Petar Topchev. Those were mostly watercolor paintings, sketches and drawings. Later, the gallery collection was significantly enriched by artworks purchased from local collections, ateliers and exhibitions.

Today, the art fund of the gallery consists of more than 1670 works of art (paintings, sculptures, sketches and icons). The permanently exhibited collection includes works of many notable Bulgarian national artists such as: Stefan Ivanov, Nikola Marinov, Marko Markov, Ivan Lazarov, Alesandar Mutafov, Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Nenko Balkanski, Vasil Barakov, Boyan Petrov, Ivan Hristov, Cenko Boyadjiev, Alelsandar Poplilov, Petko Abadjiev and others.

Of the later generation of artists, all of whom have already established their name and have contributed to the national art heritage, the gallery houses works from: Svetlin Rusev, Dimitar Kirov, Atanas Pacev, Teofan Sotirov, Todor Panayotov, Pencho Balkanski, Anastasia Panayotova, Galilei Simeonov, as well as many others. The spirit of the gallery is shaped by the works of artists, who have worked and lived in the region. Prominent such names are: Aleksandar Stamenov, Petar Mihaylov and Hristo Forev. The permanent exhibition bears the presence of the world’s most influential art movements and trends, depicted through the prisms of the local and, in a more general term, national artists. Through those prisms it tells its own story. One of the traditions, talents and achievements of the Bulgarian artists.

The gallery also owns a collection of paintings donated by Dr Jivko Vradjaliev. The permanent collection is continuously being expanded and in the recent years has had many additions from well-established contemporary artists such as Nikolay Aleksiev, Mihail Lalov, Juri Bukov, Petar Velichkov, Petyo Aleksandrov, as well as many others.

Since 2009, the gallery bears the name of Atanas Sharenkov, a prominent artist and art technologist born in Haskovo. As of 2011, gallery „Atanas Sharenkov“ also has a branch, Gallery „Forum“, located on Otec Paisii 40a str, Haskovo.