great works. a wide variety of styles and mediums. has been an excellent part of the community for…read moreyears.

From the owner: Hera is a proactive community of artists who are passionate about bringing fine art to South…read moreCounty, Rhode Island and the larger community. Hera Gallery promotes a professional artistic presence for emerging and established artists who are dedicated to their creative practice. In addition to a full schedule of exhibitions, Hera strives to engage the public through programming such as lectures, talks, film and video screenings, performance and spoken word. Established in 1974, Hera Gallery is a non-profit artist-run arts organization that has continued to stimulate discussion and challenge perceptions for over 40 years.

This is a great gallery, which features CONTEMPORARY ART!! Yayy!! Not one single friggin' sailboat…read moreor sunset to be seen. I have to compliment the people who curate/run the gallery for their bold approach to art in an area that is so damn conservative in approach. They got some balls, fer sure. This is better than most of what you'll find in Providence, and would fit in well in any hip, urban art area. The fact that it's in a beach community dominated by tourist schlock is amazing. And I didn't find the prices high at all - some of the work would easily be triple the price in Boston or NYC, so show some love to this place and the talented roster they've assembled. I am definitely a fan!

We went here on a whim last night thanks to my moms friend who had mentioned it. What a great…read morelittle space. I had been here years before when some friends had showings here, but now its a bright, clean, professional studio! A great crowd, with an awesome DJ spinning old skool hip hop. Who doesnt love a little OPP while checkin' out some dope art!? The front is like a little gift shop, with books, t-shirts, wallets, etc. Being that it was the opening for this show, there was wine and ice cold PBRs ready for our consumption. I love me some art, dont get me wrong, but daaaaaamn, this stuff was pricey. We are Narragansett people, not NYC. Just sayin'. Over all, I was pumped to see so many young people out and about and being part of something that other people worked really hard for. Its nice to see that there's a solid art community down here that doesnt consist of just pictures of lighthouses (no offense to you lighthouse photogs!).

Paid almost double the price at this store for what you can get on Amazon for a watercolor set…read more Paid $37 at Arnold Art Store. $19 on Amazon. Wish I had checked prices on Amazon first! This store has marked up prices for location convenience. I get that. But I did not think the mark up would be double the price! Also bought a brush set and water color paper here. Prices for those things seemed reasonable. Salesperson seemed nice but wow prices are not nice at all!

Always friendly folks, knowledgeable in what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a #4 quill (lettering…read morebrush), right now, got my fingers crossed!

I love the Kristen Coates store. The variety of merchandise makes me want to peruse around all day…read more I enjoy the candles, the pillows, the creative art. It is at a very convenient location next to other lovely shops and close to the Bellevue Ave where the Tennis Hall of Fame, the Audrain Auto Museum and the Historic Mansions are. After the first time I went into her store when she was on Thames St, I started to follow her on Instagram. Sad when she closed on Thames St., I hoped she would relocate. And she did! I'm so glad we can still enjoy her charming store with carefully curated merchandise, a lovely dog and her welcoming self. If you are around Newport, be sure to stop by and support local businesses like Kristen Coates.

Such an amazing store and Kristen is so nice!! The art and home decor is incredible. I highly…read morerecommend stopping in here!

Local art displayed and local guy who was friendly and helpful about the neighborhood and…read morerestaurant recommendations. Stop in and support - we did!

We were looking to pick up something for our new apartment and came across Blink on our walk along…read moreThames. My fiancée found a print that she loved but unfortunately they were out of it in the size she was looking for. Gigi (sp?) from the gallery told us that the owner, Alexander "Sandy" Nesbitt, was out at the Newport Folk Festival with many other pieces and that we should check back after the Festival to see if our piece was among those he took with him. We came back the next day, and a different woman (apologies for forgetting your name) kindly looked up our piece in the inventory and told us there was one left at Sandy's main gallery at the other end of Thames St. She was able to have us purchase it at Blink and have it put aside at the other studio. When we got to the other studio the piece was nicely wrapped waiting for us, and we were able to have a great chat with Sandy about his art, the festival, and much more. We will be back, and are very appreciative of everyone at Blink for their help.

Really, I love Five Main. I love walking in and hearing the door creak. I love being surrounded by…read morevisual symphony of art. It isn't just ordinary paint on canvas and stock photography, this place has painted seashells, handmade jewelry...it's something you absolutely must see. Normally, I don't get all gushy over an art store, because they don't strike a chord with me, but this place really did. The proprietress, Ellen, is really sweet and takes the time to find a piece of art that fits you and your budget. There are some fantastic seascapes, pictures of lighthouses and some stellar photography here. You need to check it out. Call the gallery though, because there are not specifically posted hours.

Fantastic art work that is somewhat nautical centric. Owner/artist is pleasant and thoughtful. A…read moreWickford must for tourists and locals alike.

Nice gift shop. Variety of items. Something to do on a rainy day in Charlestown. Average prices.read more

A real gem in South County. The owners seem very knowledgeable and willing to help without…read morehovering around you. I would highly recommend stopping by.

"Pretty little legs, I want to draw them Like a Degas…read moreballerina Pure white skin, like porcelain She's a work of art and I should know I'm an art lover" (The Kinks) We were taking a leisurely stroll along Thames Street when we saw a nice gray and blue art gallery with big signs that read "Retirement Sale". Well, that was all we needed to head inside. The store is gorgeous with framed canvases, unframed canvases, and hundreds of frames everywhere. The store has a huge inventory, but it was super-neatly organized and felt uncluttered. We saw art styles of every description - landscapes, seascapes, abstracts, realistic and stylized human and animal portraits, a very deep variety of colors, artistic approaches and sizes. We had recently remodeled a bathroom and wanted a piece of artwork to hang there. We both agreed on a 12"x16" oil painting of a gray seascape with a lighthouse, beach/ocean scenery, moored boats and a full moon. The color themes perfectly complemented our wall color, and what's even better is that we could choose whatever frame we wanted. We went with a grayish/white distressed frame that reminded us of driftwood. Man -- it was perfect. The store will be closing soon because the owner is retiring, so there are some very sweet sales going on right now. For the oil painting and frame, we paid $84.53 and had the pleasure of working with Gallery manager Lisa Amado to transact the purchase. She packaged everything up so carefully and gave us such detailed hanging instructions, you'd have thought we just bought the Lost Ark of the Covenant!

Nice gallery with a lot of art that seemed duplicated in some sort of way and was available in…read moredifferent sizes and very affordable. It's a 1 story gallery and easy to walk through and navigate. They offer shipping for pieces which is cool. We came from out of town so this service would have been ideal especially if we wanted large items that would not fit into our bags. They also allow you to pick a frame for your art for the price you see on the piece (the frame is included with the price.) They had a sign that they are closing and the art was marked down.

The South County Art Association is a nonprofit that offers both a fine art gallery with a small…read moregift shop and classes in painting, printmaking, stone carving, and pottery. The studio classes are not well advertised and are sort of a "best-kept secret" of the South County art scene. Not many commercial studios have the resources that the SCAA has. The pottery studio (or "Pot Shop") in particular is fabulous. Small but well-stocked, with frequent firings in both gas and electric kilns, as well as on-demand raku firings (for the price of labor and gas), there isn't a better place to do pottery. Classes allow unlimited studio access, and the usual Pottery I and II are usually augmented with specialty class or two and workshops that bring in well-regarded potters from all over New England to demonstrate personal techniques. The members are convivial, too -- Monday morning coffees for work and socializing are generally well-attended. All SCAA members get to participate in the juried member shows and the Holiday Sale, as well as other annual events like The Great Art Heist.

South County Art Association is a very well run organization…read more The folks are really welcoming and friendly. The exhibitions are hung to perfection. Its a great place to be a member.