I've lived in the South End for about a year now and haven't done nearly as much exploring as I had…read morehoped to (school, always getting in the way!). So last weekend, boyfriend and I decided to stroll down Harrison to find Gaslight and get to know the neighborhood better. We passed Ars Libri and I was drawn to the stacks of books inside. Typically when stores have doorbells, you ring them...so we did. Soon after, a man let us in and left us to explore without giving us a snooty attitude just because we're on the young end of the spectrum--something I've encountered in many snobby art bookstores before. Before I could comprehend where I was, I noticed a large table amid the stacks with open bottles of wine so that, presumably, you could sit and sip on something as you read. Sweet, I thought. And then I realized that I had found the holy grail. Most people like art, so an art bookstore would be a cool thing to find. But as an art history major who is minoring in museum studies, the realization that the place was solely dedicated to books on art, ethnography, and architecture led me to hold in the loudest squeal that would have ever left my lips. I flitted from bookshelf to bookshelf, seeing titles that I had read excerpts from for school before but had never been able to hold in my hands. I was in heaven. The store is impeccably organized, and the selection is amazing. I didn't speak much to the shopkeep, who I understand is a book dealer, but I imagine that he could find anything you might ever be looking for. And depending on what you're looking for, the book prices are actually pretty reasonable; there were a couple of out of print titles that I had been stalking on Amazon for upwards of $50 that were for sale at Ars Libri for less than $30. Not bad at all, especially considering the fine quality and excellent condition they were in. I highly recommend this bookstore for any lover of books or art, or anyone looking to expand their horizons a bit. The space is beautiful and light, a soothing respite from the bustling city. I will most definitely be returning and hope to gradually fill my bookshelves up with the phenomenal wares this store has to offer.

An excellent dealer in fine and rare used books primarily in the fine arts…read more Ars Libri is located in an unassuming storefront on a quiet part of Harrison Ave. Stumbling upon it one Saturday morning I couldn't tell if it was even open to the public. I tried the door, and finding it locked, began to walk away. Just then a gentleman popped his head out and asked if he could help me. I was just passing by and curious, I said. "Are you open?" "In a few minutes," he said. "Come on in." Inside it felt more like the back room of a museum or a fine library. Historic and arcane books in all manner of languages lined the shelves of aisle after aisle, ranging from small manuscripts to huge leather-bound catalogues. Along one side, the owner sat at his desk, making deals on the telephone with other dealers of rare and delicate volumes as I just walked the aisles in some awe, occasionally daring to remove and inspect a book here and there when I wasn't afraid I'd somehow ruin a treasured artifact. I have to admit, the whole place was a little bit intimidating, and I felt a little, well, unqualified to be there. The cheapest of books here are not at all cheap, and the low-key display and location made it feel almost as if I should have had an appointment to be there. But he let me in, so I tried not to let it bother me. If you're like me and your heart rate picks up a little when surrounded by mysterious, intriguing old books, or if you're just passionate about the fine arts and want to see some books on the subject that you probably won't find in may other places, it's worth hunting this place out and having a careful look around.

This charming gallery in Boston showcases exceptional art that truly enriches the city. The…read morecuration by Ally is consistently excellent, making her a standout figure in the local art community.

I stumbled upon Sloane Merrill one spring evening taking a walk up Charles Street. On a normal…read moreday, this is a lovely spot for some window shopping, but that evening their window had a beautiful, dark piece of urban impressionism from Daniele Cestari and I could see through the window some amazing samples of the same style from Gregory Prestegord's show "Safe Haven." This gallery has a bright, cheerful, simple space of white washed brick. It has just the right feeling for a gallery: low-key and welcoming but not particularly corporate or fancy. And they have excellent taste in art! Of what I've seen over a few visits (and on their website) they tend towards art with good contemporary style that isn't over the top "modern." It's a wonderful blend of realist and contemporary impressionist. There are some galleries that you go to just for amusement sake, to see what "creative" new materials are considered artistic these days. There are some galleries you go to for the browsing, just to add some color to your day walking around. This gallery is, for me, aspirational. It has exactly the sort of work I'd like to collect some day, and that I'd be happy to devote some precious wall space to!

Love the range of great artisan products and exciting events being held at this gallery. The staff…read moreare really nice and welcoming! They use all pre-cautious measures for covid-19.

If you are looking for art to beautify your home or yourself, and/or a one-of-a-kind gorgeous gift,…read morecome to The Gallery in Malden! With artist receptions and performance events, this is the local happening place. I strongly recommend coming here. You will leave happier, filled with the joy of having been immersed in a very special place in our city.

My best friend, one of her roommates, and I went here for their long-pose Thursday yesterday and…read morereally, really enjoyed it. It was fairly simple to find, though we did use a GPS, and on-street parking was free. The space that I was in was typical gallery fare: white walls, gray floor, good lighting. The people were really nice and friendly, and were genuinely happy to see new faces. They welcome any media as long as you are respectful of the other people and the space, so that meant that there were people oil painting, using charcoal, and also the standard set of graphite. The fee was just $10 for the two hours and I am fairly certain that it all went to the model. They had booked a great model too. I could fill this space with stories of the models that I had in art school, but I think that Yelp wouldn't be too happy with that, let's just say they left much to be desired. This model, however, was great. I am looking forward to going back, hopefully, next week. They also have short-pose Mondays which are kind of intriguing to me. As for the rest of the space and other stuff that they do, I can't vouch for it yet; this was my first time here. I will say that I am looking forward to exploring all that they have to offer and that if this was any indication then whatever I find, I will most likely like, if not love.

Beautiful gallery. Had a lovely time with the staff, they are very welcoming & knowledgeable…read more Amazing collection of art- Picasso and Dali originals + really great contemporary art too. - Sophie M

Wonderful small gallery with amazing original art from many of the masters. The staff was terrific…read moreat describing the pieces. All in all a very enjoyable experience. There is no charge for entering the gallery.

We had a wonderful First Friday evening in the SoWa district and I wish that we had more time as…read morestores & studios wrapped up fairly early in my opinion. It was so nice to spend time in our son's friends studio and see how the artist created his works, displayed them and greeted all of the visitors. Each studio was unique and impressive. This visit was 10/3, but I am eager to return again in the early spring to explore further. I will say, while most artists and shop people were friendly, a few were a bit standoffish. Maybe it is exhausting hosting so many people who are flowing through all day & evening. I loved the whole concept !

I came here for an evening and was blown away by the amount of raw talent in our city. I checked…read moreout 2 full floors but was unable to see everything because there were so many studios to see. This is a really special piece of Boston, and it almost feels magical to witness so many creative minds in the same building. It's worth your time to check it out. Apparently they also have a parking lot filled with food trucks so it's a perfect date, romantic or with friends.

Gerry Bergstein artwork…read more This is a small gallery inside a old church. You don't expect this little gallery in here. It's free and it featured artwork that was really beautiful and arty! No bathroom They don't sell anything Downside: the artwork didn't have descriptions or details about it Overall: cute stop

Gallery NAGA is one of my favorite galleries on Newbury street…read more It always has such a wonderful show and has the most friendly staff. I highly recommend checking it out if you're in town! One of Boston's Best!

Stumbled across this lovely art and meeting space when I went to pay for parking at the Atlantic…read moreWharf Garage (the payment kiosk is located right outside the elevator in The Gallery). The Gallery at Atlantic Wharf features an array of art from local artists and is programmed by the Four Point Arts Community. 300 By Design, the latest exhibit at The Gallery at Atlantic Wharf explores movement, abstraction, and design. This collection of artwork is from five artists who live and work in the Artist Building and will be on display through October 5, 2024. There's an open meeting/working space just around the corner, which features a vast amount of comfortable seating and tables. The space was wonderful, calm, and clean. There are also public restrooms that were open during particular hours and a water bottle refill station back in the gallery area. This space was a great gem of a find in the downtown Boston area.

I brought three artworks in to be fixed. It took more than four weeks and it cost almost $300…read more One of the artworks had the wire on the back incorrectly installed and after five days of hanging on the wall, the frame fell down and was irreparably damaged. I sent an email to The Picture Store with images of what had happened and asked for a refund for the one artwork that was done incorrectly. I left a message a week later and now, after almost two weeks, I still have not heard back. Go someplace where the customers are treated respectfully after the work is finished.

This is an upscale framing store with "competitive" prices. I was initially thinking about going…read moreto a houseware store, buy the frames for the two items I had and do it myself, but I decided to at least stop by and see what they do. Adam was very welcoming and explained the various options. He has a good eye on the matting and type of frames to use. The price was "competitive," as I said. I just received them yesterday. Okay - now I know why it is best to have them professionally done. They are beautiful and worth every cent. I just dropped off a third item to be framed as a gift for my church - again "competitively" priced, but I know it will look fabulous!

I had a Gilt City for this experience and have been waiting for months to go…read more My boyfriend and I finally went last week, and we were both thoroughly impressed by Edwards and his passion for bringing together art and science. We walked through the museum portion first interacting with different stations. The museum is pretty small but detailed and takes about 30 minutes max to go through everything detailed though you can probably skim it in 15. The exhibits do rotate and the last one we wanted to see sold out. As we entered the next room we were greeted with a fabulous gimlet. 5 stars! Next we had the taste and smell experience of the exhibit where they had a vaporizing machine and you could drink (inhale) a margarita or chocolate which was mind blowing and so unique. We then did a smell machine where we guessed scents the machine was able to make up off different nodes, so fun. We tried inhaling chocolate cocoa through a cigarette-like candy. Our favorite was the vanilla coconut milk gel covered balls. They were delicious and unlike anything we have ever had. Super refreshing. We had such a good night we continued to Cafe ArtScience right next door where Todd Maul (former mixologist at Clio, our old favorite go-to) impressed us once again by mixing up some impressive concoctions. Probably one of our best date nights yet, so unique fun and different.

UNIQUE ART & DESIGN CENTER FOR A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE…read moreopen Wednesday - Saturday! I'm so surprised that I had never heard of Le Laboratoire before. Sitting next to Cafe ArtScience, this art gallery/design center is cleverly in the center of bustling biotech/pharma that is growing in Kendall Square. A Harvard professor opened this gallery only in Paris and Cambridge, MA as a place of true innovation showcased in a truly interactive way. I purchased a Gilt City deal for a guided tour through the Lab Lounge. The deal included the following: + GALLERY OF "THE TROUBLE WITH JELLYFISH": A full gallery with paintings, drawings, and a furniture installation with unique jelly fish objects, live jellyfish, and interactive ways to learn about the ways jellyfish are impacting the ecosystem. This exhibit is ongoing until Jan 2, 2016! + "OPHONE" EXPERIENCE: We were able to witness creating and sending different smells directly from an iPad to a device called the ophone, which emitted smells from different card insertions. + INHALABLE WHAF: Taking alcohol, this whaf turned the liquid into smoke that you could inhale and taste. You can't get drunk off of this "cocktail", though! + "AERO" BREATHABLE CHOCOLATE: This device looked like a mini vape, where you could inhale chocolate without consuming the calories! These aero shots were also available for caffeine and vitamin C shots. + LAB COCKTAILS: They were really strong! ~ 8 WIKI ICE CREAM TREATS: These ice creams were self-contained sundaes - little balls of ice cream in the center with chocolate or blueberry coating. I would just rather have a normal sundae! The guided tour was an awesome experience and we were able to see other inventions that were using recycled plastic and trying to preserve/create energy. This is a truly unique exhibit and perfect for the Kendall Square area, a place full of educated individuals and growing innovative industries. Definitely stop by for a date or group outing!