Whilst it lacks the wow factor of her neon inside Liverpool Cathedral, Tracey Emin's Roman Standard…read moreis also worth seeking out. Her first piece of public art, it was installed in 2005 and consists of a tiny, life size bronze bird perched on top of a four metre pole outside the Oratory next to the Cathedral. Commissioned by the BBC, the sculpture reflects Emin's on-going fascination with birds and the belief that they represent strength and freedom. As the pole is centred behind the Oratory gates the Roman Standard seems to appear and disappear depending on where you stand, creating a feeling of mystery and ambiguity. Walk too far to the left and you could miss it altogether....

Some really beautiful pictures here…read more The independent art gallery specialises in historical and modern prints, originals, paintings and photographs. Specialists in images of Liverpool, shipping and sport. Images of Liverpool include Royal Liver Building, Albert Dock, Liverpool Overhead Railway and Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' Crosby Beach. Respected marine artists that they show include Gordon Ellis, Samuel Milton Brown, Brian Entwistle, Gordon Bauwens, Norman Colebourne and Les Cowle. Pic's of Liverpool and Everton football clubs are also stocked at Liverpool Pictures.

Liverpool Pictures is an independent art gallery selling prints of Liverpool, located on the Albert…read moreDocks, it's a great place for tourists and proud locals to pick up pictures as memories of the beautiful scenery in the surrounding Dock area and waterfront. They have great postcards for 60p and really cheap prints of the sunset over the mersey and the Three Graces. They also sell some rather interesting black and white prints of Old Liverpool so you can really see how the city has changed and developed over the years. It's a good little gallery that captures the essence of the 'pool in still life.

I was so excited to see that Liverpool had a Tate branch because I'm very aware of the London…read morelocation. It was so convenient that most of the museums were directly across the street from our Hilton hotel. This location is perfect most of the tourist spots were dotted all along the dock area here! It was a rainy day too so we were so lucky to be so close. After London we were so weary of cabs even though the most of the cabs are those vintage large black ones where your luggage can go at your feet. Most of the museums have had a donation box near the entrance/exit areas. This is smart because I definitely gave more on some occasions when we were thrilled with the exhibits. I actually tend to give more at the end of a visit instead of upfront. Some places ask straight away and some have a collection box near the exits. I think people are more generous after enjoying the museum fully. There were many beautiful exhibits inside. Many works associated with a "color" theme throughout the museum. I was very surprised to find pieces by Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso inside. Actually I had never seen this piece by Pablo and I loved it! His work is so different with each decade his style changed and evolved. If you travel to Liverpool I would highly suggest staying at the Hilton, all the museums are just a few blocks ahead to the port. Loved this Tate!

I was so excited to visit the Tate museum to see the Don McCullin exhibition that I had booked well…read morein advance. Don McCullin is a photographer that takes photos of war and famine and poverty, my type of photos of things that are real and hard hitting and it certainly didn't disappoint. The photos I saw were powerful and thought provoking and sometimes disturbing and I left in awe. The Tate museum and gallery in Liverpool is fantastic and well worth a visit put this on your itinerary.

Are you lost? A stranger to these parts? In search of artistic stimulation or inspiration?…read more You've found yourself in the right place then. I didn't know this Service Station existed. You could walk past oblivious, reaching the grand entrance to The Bluecoat without realising that you have skipped past the artist/poet in residence exhibition rooms. All concrete and white walls, art and poetry on the walls, a thought-provoking video installation and one of the artists sat willing to chat about his work. At the moment the exhibit is Mistranslations which had some great works mixing Spanish and English. There are gaps between residences but the website will keep you updated, fear not! So if you're walking on by, don't be a stranger and stop in. Even if it's just for 5 minutes it'll give you some food for thought for the day.

This is the 5th Liverpool Biennial, celebrating modern art on an International scale…read more Throughout the streets of Liverpool, artists' instillations can be seen in a myriad of situations ranging from abandoned factories, city parks, bombed out churches, down to the Tate Museum All media varieties from film, to paintings, to models, to light sculptures, etc... it's all fair game & it's all a spectacular sight to behold! Just some of the exhibits we enjoyed in the 2008 MADE UP included: * An enormous Spider's Web, made of lights, connecting a block of buildings in the downtown area * Boxed-in room that is lined w/ mirrors & lighted balls - the effect when the door is closed is just like Carl Sagan - you're standing among billions & billions of stars * Yoko Ono designed the instillation in a beautiful bombed out church - whose perfect outer structure was a facade in the literal sense due to its vast destruction on the inside * City Park where Evergreen Trees rotated tilty-turny * The BEST, most astonishing instillation we saw was this "normal" building in the Downtown area that had a huge hunk cut out & placed on hydraulics - the cut-out piece then *rotated* w/in the building - AMAZING Exhibits will have you walking around Liverpool so there's an added bonus of seeing the beautiful city itself, up close & personal. Nicely laid out maps from the Welcome Center will easily guide you through all the areas of interest & they also commission nighttime activities throughout the 2-month run..... so there's a lot to see & a lot to do! Every 2 years from September through November - most exhibits are FREE Mark your calendars for 2010!! Don't miss it!!

The Liverpool Biennal happens, well, every two years unsurprisingly and over the last decade has…read morebeen a strong element of Liverpool's reinvention as a place of artistic energy and creativity. It's a festival which causes some division amongst Liverpool's artistic community as it is a showcase of international art with commisions going to artists from all over the world and works being shown from internationally renowned names with, some see, not enough attention given to the city's own artists - but then it would really only be a pointless exercise for Liverpool and not the internationally recognised event that it is! The 2 month long event takes place in all the cities galleries but also spills into many other spaces such as outdoor public places and cafes and bars which means that the city does come alive with unusual sights and sounds.

This is a great sculpture on Hope street by John King, each case is lablelled with the person it…read morebelongs/belonged to, including Paul McCartneys guitar case and Charles dickens and many more. Very cool display, loved it!

Positioned outside Liverpool College of Art, A Case History is an intreguing sculpture that…read moreconsists of stacks of concrete suitcases and bags. Some of them are stacked in a small group as if they've been abandoned at an airport or train station, others are stacked high and in a haphazard fashion that showcases their different shapes and colours. Designed by the artist John King, the sculpture was installed in 1998 and is impossible to miss if you're walking down Hope Street. Look closely and you'll see, all 27 suitcases and the couple of guitar cases are labelled with the names of influential and legendary Scouse writers, composers, musicians, architects, photographers and political activists. Endearingly, alongside Lennon and McCartney you'll find cases referencing feminist pioneer Josephine Butler and Merseyside poets Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten.

I think that the Kazimier has secured the top spot as the quirkiest venue in terms of decor and…read moreevents in Liverpool. It's one of those cultish venues that will go down in the city's history. They are well known for their bizarre themed nights that they put on either once a month or once every six weeks. These nights are so popular they often sell out within a day and are they hype of the week as they approach. They often have live bands and a great fancy dress theme, and it's a well known fact that people really make a big effort and go all out for these occasions. Other than these nights, the best promoters in the city seem to bring quirky bands from all over the world to play this fairly small venue as it has a great atmosphere that a lot of the bigger venues don't have!

The Kazimier is easily Liverpool's top venue for gigs and events. I have been coming here since it…read moreopened and have always had a great time. You get a varied mixture of bands playing here, from local legends and newbies all the way up to reknowed international acts. Most recently the Liverpool label Antipop put on their birthday event and it was the best night out in... forever. The old montly Psycho Motel night that was on here in the past is now a part of legend. There is a decent variety of drinks to choose from and while it's not the cheapest, it's not ridiculous either. Perfectly resonable! For you lot who smoke (poor you) there's an outdoor area with seating for you to puff away. It's good for non-smokers too to be honest, if you just want to get some air. The Kazimier, along with Mello Mello, is the musical hub of Liverpool and somewhere you should be spending the majority of your time. Absolutely essential venue that you CANNOT miss out on.