The facility deals with a wide dissemination of culture in Olsztyn. The most common and best-known undertaking of MOK is the annual Olsztyn Artistic Summer which is held for 3 months in summer.

The institution meets the cultural needs of both the locals and tourists by organizing exhibitions, debates, sessions with authors, performances, concerts and lectures. Next to MOK there are many groups  that enable and inspire cultural activity, such as “Teatralny Spichlerz”, the Visual Arts Center, or the Collegium Musicum Choir. The facility has contributed also to the growth of the Museum of Modernity in the revitalized Raphaelsohn’s Sawmill.

Since 1990 MOK has been functioning as  the City's Cultural Centre. Since 2008, the seat of MOK is a restored Naujack Tenement House where are also 2 out of 5 galleries are run by the institution (“Amfilada” and “haloGaleria”). The other 3 galleries are located in the Old Town ((Rynek, Spichlerz, Sąsiedzi).