The collection of the Department of Art contains almost five thousands museum pieces. On display are the works of men from prehistoric to modern times. The oldest exhibit is a fragment of mummy case, made in Egypt in the first millennium B.C. There is also an interesting collection of Gothic sculptures, paintings and a glorious triptych made at the turn of 15th and 16th centuries in Antwerp with a scene of Jesus' birth in the middle and numerous religious paintings created from 17th to 20th century. What is the most interesting, is the collection of paintings (especially of P.M. Bohu?ň, M. Strzegocki, E. Świerkiewicz and J. Stokłosiński showing the local upper crust) graphics, artistic handicraft, china, pottery, glass, silver, tin, cloth, furniture and various bric-a-bracs from 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, the time of the most dynamic economic development of the town. The separate group represents the collection of art nouveau graphics published from 1898 to 1920 by Jahresmappe der Gesellschaft für vervielfältigende Kunst in Wien.

There is also an ample collection of the modern paintings and graphics in the Department of Art. Beginning with the works of the modernists (J. Stanisławski, J. Malczewski, A. Karpiński, S. Filipkiewicz, V. Hofman, S. Czajkowski, L. Wyczółkowski) and the community of artists of the 1920s and 1930s (J. Fałat, A. Bunch, J. Glasner, F, Zitzman, B.P. Oczko, V. Strauss, R. Harlfinger), to the works of local present-day artists (the members of The Beskid Group: J. Bieniek, K. Kopczyński, J.Zipper, J. Grabowski, Z. Zwolski, M. Kwaśny; A. Biedrawa, E. Delekta, J. Hołard, M. Kliś, B. Krzysztof, T. Sztwiertnia) and the works of the prizewinners of the Bielska Jesień all-Polish painting contest.

Because of the crafts' dynamic development, very absorbing is also the group of museum pieces relating to the craftsmanship, especially to the cloth trimmers, dressmakers, weavers, drapers, butchers and shoemakers. The tin wilkoms, tankards, jugs, silver and gold-plated medals, leather and metal shields and the wrought craft counters (the then safes and strongboxes) from 17th to 19th century.

There is also an extensive collection of small paintings from 18th and 19th century (enameled or painted on canvas and bones and bas-relieved in wax and ivory), the manufactures of artistic smithery and the firearms, cold steel, fowling pieces and different parts of armory since 16th century.