The building was designed by the architect Gisle Jakhelln. He took his inspiration from traditional Icelandic construction because Espolin Johnson had Icelandic ancestors. In June 2006, the gallery was expanded with a new wing measuring around . The gallery received financial support for the expansion from the
Arts Council Norway,
Nordland County Council,
Vågan Municipality, and the
Sparebanken Nord-Norge bank. ==References==