I came across here when Gemini Wolf had their CD release show in it about a month ago, and I was…read moredefinitely impressed by the art that was inside it. Not only will you find all kinds of art that you will like, you will also find plenty of art that you can afford, which is pretty rare for a Philly art gallery. While there were a few pieces that went for $100 or more, a lot of them also went for $50 or less. So you will definitely find something good to add onto your wall. Art@Sophi also has the occasional incredible concert, or art party that is always worth checking out.

I come here all the time for First Fridays and it's honestly one of my favorite small museums in…read morePhiladelphia. The fact that it's generally free makes it even better. What I really appreciate is how often they rotate the exhibits on the first floor. It gives you a reason to keep coming back because there's usually something new to see. The second floor houses the permanent collection, which is thoughtfully curated and showcases just how creative artists can be when working with wood and natural materials. The pieces range from traditional woodworking to contemporary art that really pushes the boundaries of what you expect from the medium. Some are incredibly intricate, others are playful, and some are just plain impressive. It always makes me stop and look a little longer than I planned. The gift shop is also dangerous for my wallet. It's filled with beautiful handcrafted wood pieces, jewelry, home goods, and small art objects that feel more like gallery pieces than souvenirs. Every time I walk through, I find something I want to take home. If money were no object, I'd probably buy half the store. The staff are consistently friendly and welcoming too, which adds to the experience and makes the space feel approachable. It's definitely a niche museum, but that's exactly what makes it special. There aren't many places dedicated to this kind of art, and it's fascinating to see how artists transform wood, fiber, and other natural materials into something completely unexpected. Always a fun visit and one of those hidden gems I find myself coming back to again and again.

The Museum for Art in Wood in Old City is a fun little museum. It's free to visit (although they…read moresuggest a $5 donation), so it's great short stop if you're in the area. It is - as the name suggests - a museum dedicated to art made from wood. There are bowls and vases and sculptures and trinkets and furniture and more. Some of the pieces are beautiful. Some of the pieces made me laugh or smile. And they have a great shop. But since the museum is small and free, I'd suggest popping into the museum, not just the shop. A quirky little art museum, worth fitting into your Old City itinerary if you need a break from revolutionary history, early American history, and the Constitution!

I have seen and heard about Merritt Gallery since I moved to the area about year ago, but this was…read moremy first time going inside. It is an impressive, contemporary space with a very wide selection of art including wall and free-standing sculpture. When asked for prices the range was quite wide from $900 to $50,000 (yes, $50k). Given some of the pieces displayed and artists represented I imagine that range goes well beyond $50k as names like Picasso, Matisse, and Warhol come up on their website. The gallery has three locations and represents around 175 artists meaning that what you see in store is only a very small sampling of their actual collection. Though I always am looking for new pieces for my collection, today I went in to have a small print framed. Caitlin, one of their consultants, ably showed me an incredible selection of frames ranging from contemporary to hand-carved, hand-detailed wooden frames worthy of the Louvre and works of art in and of themselves. Having chosen to forgo a mat (not needed with this piece) and a fairly simple thin frame, the price caught me off guard: $216. While the financial part of my brain said "no!" the artistic side said "give it a try." I paid the fee and was told my print would be ready in about two weeks. Caitlin offered to have it delivered to me and installed which I may take them up on. Conclusions: Merritt is a great gallery and framing shop. The price lowers my rating to 4.5 stars (I'm a budget conscious art collector). The only issue I had was when Caitlin and I went upstairs to figure out my invoice she left my print exposed on a framing table. I didn't think much about it till I had left, but I wonder when/if someone went down and secured the print from damage. This lowers my ranking to 4 stars. Otherwise a good experience.

my husband and i just moved from an apartment into a house and needed new artwork to fill up the…read moreextra space. i had been to the merritt young gallery in ardmore, and found out that they just opened a new gallery in haverford, just called merritt gallery. i talked to one of the consultants, marcie, and made an appointment with her to bring artwork to my house! it's one thing to see the art in the gallery, but the fact that she brought it to my house really let me see the possibilities! marcie was really helpful and has a creative eye. she was able to suggest paintings that i originally wasn't so sure about, but now that they're here, we absolutely love them!!!

Normally I'm a big huge supporter of original art and all that it has to offer. But this is just a…read moreplace that I can't take seriously. You know how John Malkovich played the jaded art teacher who painted nothing but triangles in Art School Confidential? This would be that in art gallery form. All this gallery ever has on display is different canvases (canvas,wood,etc.) that are painted in a combination of colored blocks. A bright summer color on one side meets a dark night color on the other. Or sometimes it's just a piece that's one color and nothing more. and the entire art display is themed that way, so you can go by every piece rather quickly without putting much thought into what the art might be about. and somehow these pieces of art (?) manage to sell for well over $500. At least the the people who work there are friendly. So at the very least it's an amusing stop to make during First Friday.

If you like Contemporary Art this is the gallery for you. They really stick to the style and don't…read moreventure far from it. It's not my cup of tea because I typically think that contemporary artists are trying too hard to be different and end up being exactly the same as every other contemporary artists. The space is nice. I stop by when I walk by in hopes of finding an artist that grabs me. It hasn't happened yet, but like I said, its my style of choice.

Curving to three just because the bulk of the artwork doesn't seem to change as frequently the…read moremajority of other art galleries. But this basement gallery can be the perfect destination for an eclectic First Friday gathering. From the looks of the format Sub2 has 3 main walls that cater to three different arts: one digital, one illustration/arts, and one for photography. The photography selection and digital components of the gallery have been up for the past 3-5 months which is a little to long for an ever changing artscape like the galleries of Old City. but since it showcases chill astronauts and interesting photographic shots of Philly (I love the ones of Rittenhouse Square in a snowy winter!), I can't say that I'm complaining too much.The newest addition has been the cool black & white illustrations of Jen Lightfoot which were brilliant to look at. So wow it might have not shown enough art over the past couple of months as other spots, it at least makes up for it in quality over quantity. And on the gallery scale most of the pieces that it shows are actually somewhat affordable.

Stopped by this place for First Friday and loved it!!! The photography by Chris Byrne was great,…read moreand the astronaut art by Jason Brueck was out of this world (pardon the play on words). If you've ever been to Ten Stone, you've probably seen these guys before. Plus they had free wine, so my girlfriend and I were able to have a round on the gallery. Keep up the good work guys!!!

While Wexler Gallery is a great addition to Old City it's a little too overrated for my tastes…read more It's almost like lounging around someones classy living room without being allowed to touch anything. It specializes in all kinds of exotic looking furniture and glassworks and much more. the layout really gives you the urge to sit down and take a load off - but don't you dare unless you're willing to cough up the $1,000+++ price tag. Lewis Wexler used to be the former vice president of Christie's before he opened this gallery. So he definitely knows more than a thing or two about decorative 20th century design. He's also able to work with plenty of high end clients. If I'm ever obnoxiously rich I'll probably fashion that living room for people to lounge in out of stuff from here. Until then I'll be walking around and looking at the fashionably awkward looking chairs and tables like everyone else.

I stopped in the other day. It had been years since I've been here and had never fully experienced…read morethe gallery on its own without a ton of people. I'm happy to say I've officially graduated from First Friday's to wandering galleries when they are empty to gain some creative inspiration. Sure, I love making a night of it, but I highly recommend coming back on your own to take it all in. It's easy to say that Wexler is my new favorite gallery in Philadelphia. I might have spent an hour at the gallery. This large corner store gallery has a lot to offer and look at. The collection was curated from a number of artists, each exciting and interesting in their own way. The owner, or man with the glasses, couldn't have been nicer and was happy to guide me through the collection. Art is reserved for serious collectors, high-end designers, rich people with great taste, and people without kids.

Hidden Gem in Old City…read more If you are planning a trip to Philadelphia, I highly recommend adding this stop on your spots to visit. It is free and has many portraits of prominent figures that worked on building what we call America today. This location only recently reopened possibly due to government funding being low on certain venues. We were running a few minutes late for the 1pm tour and asked one of the workers there if we missed the deadline and he replied, " you guys are the tour as you are the only ones who showed up for it"! Hey, works for us lol. After stopping here, you have many spots in the immediate surrounding area you can head to. I recommend if you are coming from out of town to spend at least a week in the city and don't forget to try a Philly cheesesteak, a Philly soft pretzel, and a water ice! As always people SYOY!!!

There is no other place on the planet that you can go to see what our founding fathers actually…read morelooked like. Because we didn't have camera cameras back then, there was no way to really know what Benjamin Franklin look like. When you walk through this gallery, the artist that was commissioned by the wealthy back in the late 1700's had to have been the most talented artist that I have come across in the history of mankind. When you look at Benjamin Franklin's oil portrait, you can even see the mole on his face. It is the only representation of Benjamin Franklin I've ever seen that truly shows you exactly what this man look like. This gallery is filled with his artwork and prominent figures of our founding fathers. Timeframe are all inside of the gallery. If you managed to find a day that it is open, it is well worth a couple hours of your time to stroll through.

If you want African textiles or home goods, this should be one of your stops in Philly. They have…read moreclothing, textiles, jewelry, African paintings, woodcarvings, and sculptures. They also make in-house wellness products, including teas, incense, body butters, and seamoss. On my last visit, I left with both a beautiful mud cloth (in a pattern/color way I'd never seen) and a tote bag printed with pro-Black patches. I also wanted to note that this is a long-standing family owned business in Philly in a business corridor with other family businesses. We need to shop at these places of we want to see them stay open and thrive.

The items here are like a hug from your grandmother. Thoughtfully made, authentically curated from…read moreAfrica. Better than the items are the conversation that happens. This place is a portal to connect with your ancestors and all of our siblings through the diaspora.