Nygård-Nilssen was secretary of The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments from 1929 to 1946. He replaced Harry Fett as head the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage serving from 1946 to 1958. Arne Nygård-Nilssen also edited the magazine Kunst og Kultur, and a series of scientific books.[3]
Nygård-Nilssen, Arne; Bugge, Anders; Kielland, Thor; Shetelig, Haakon (eds.) (1945) Norsk Kunstforskning I Det Tyvende Århundre. Festskrift til Harry Fett (Cammermeyer Boghandel)