With Cowbridge being the most affluent town in South Wales, and possibly the entire country, it…read morecomes as no surprise that they have a couple of galleries, despite being a small market town. This is the more conventional of the two in that it is curated by the owners and displays an ever-changing stream of work by local and internationally acclaimed artists. The other, Sue McDonagh Artist Studio & Gallery, as the name suggests, is a personal endeavour on the part of the artist-owner Sue McDonagh. I appreciate both galleries immensely., and feel tat they enrich the creative wealth of the town considerably. These galleries, coupled with the fact that there are a wealth of artisans working in the town also, means that the cultural heritage of the town is assured. The price tags accompanying the work regularly exhibited here can be hefty, but with a good selection of prints, which you can either self-frame, or draw on the services of the gallery, and their expertise in this field, there is an eminently affordable means of putting something fine on your walls.

It's such a shame that Kingfisher gallery is closed on a Sunday because it's exactly the kind of…read moreplace you'd stroll around on a lazy day out in Cowbridge. Still, it's a great little gallery that stocks paintings and sculptures by local and well established artists. If you don't have the budget of a collector, fear not because some prints are available to buy which make excellent gifts. The atmosphere is laid back and welcoming and the space itself has great light (which is sort of what you want in a gallery). There isn't a great deal of edgy/modern pieces (don't expect to see a dismembered doll or a Banksy) but if you like the gentle classics you'll love it here.

A top class art gallery in the middle of nowhere - what's not to like?! Hauser & Wirth is a…read moreleading gallery for contemporary and modern art with well established outlets in Zurich, London, New York and LA. I love the fact that they took over an old farm in Somerset and turned it into an oasis of calm and beauty. The current exhibition by Pipilotti Rist (till Feb 2015) alone is worth the trip. One of her video and sound installations is presented in a big room where visitors are asked to take off their shoes and settle on one of the fluffy sheep skins dotted around the floor - the most comfortable exhibition I have ever visited! There's also a lovely shop with local artisan products and a restaurant/bar - enough to keep you busy for most of the day.

Sue McDonagh has quite an incredible biography. I recommend that everyone read it before paying her…read moregorgeous little gallery a visit. It will provide a context for meeting the woman, and the work that she creates. I love the kind of story that Sue's life has taken on. It is a tale of triumph in the face of adversity of some considerable scale. It is also a narrative that suggests, to me at least, that dynamic forces are at play in our lives, leading us to where we are 'meant to be'. Sometimes the precursor to this type of life-changing circumstances can be terrifying and tragic, but the brave will always come through with flying colours. Sue McDonagh has courage by the bucket-full, and so, unsurprisingly, this untrained artist has hung her work at some of the most prestigious galleries in the UK, including the Mall Galleries in London. There's no question that she has a huge talent. Her figurative work is amazing, but it's her more abstracted seascapes that really talk to me. They are utterly gorgeous. Sue welcomes commissions of any type. She is a particularly accomplished portraitist, but will also consider commissions for land and seascapes.

If I had the money I'd be visiting this place all of the time! They have a beautiful selection, and…read moreeven manage to make Wind street look tasteful (which is clearly proof that miracles do exist)!

From the owner: Gower Gallery is a wonderful place to visit for art, arty gifts, crafts and ceramics. We also offer…read morea professional framing service all done to artist quality. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and we pride ourselves on having lovely things for every budget. We exhibit originals and prints by R N Banning, Valerie Ganz, Katie Allen, Michelle Scragg and Arwen Banning as well as a host of other Welsh artists.

Certainly not a fancy gallery, the building itself is if anything slightly run down; none of that…read morereally matters though, as I was most impressed by the actual exhibitions and the staff, which make this gallery worth a visit. The building is not too large, there are only really three rooms with art on display (one of them is rather minuscule). Whilst this inevitably makes the exhibitions small, I believe the available space is effectively used and the work on display is integrated seamlessly. The gallery generally houses exhibitions with pieces focusing on the topic of pre and post apartheid South Africa. Whilst mainly works of photography, there are one or two sculptures, and there are two installations which feature a projector. I found the present exhibition to be: - fascinating, evocative, odd, thought provoking, and on occasion slightly disturbing; reactions that I'm sure the gallery and the artists featured would desire. I was particularly impressed by the staff, who were both incredibly knowledgeable yet un patronising (they really offered a wealth of information). Unless you're particularly fascinated by art of South African origin, I wouldn't recommend making a trip to Penarth solely to visit this gallery, advice which is not issued in criticism, but due to the small size of the gallery (it would only take you 30mins at the most to explore). Penarth however is a fantastic little area of South Wales, so I recommend that you combine a trip to this gallery with a visit to other local attractions.

I'm a big fan of this gallery…read more Despite living just down the road from it for a number of months, I only really ventured in for the first time last week. I was pleasantly surprised by the modern and professional atmosphere that I suddenly found myself in. I'm not entirely sure what I had been expecting, but it was certainly not the wonderful photographic presentation before me. Although the gallery is small, they do a lot to maximise their space and put their artwork together in a thought provoking and interesting way, rather than just hanging it on the wall. This is a lovely gem not far from the train station, Penarth Pier and lots of cafes. I advise you to make a day of it.

I don't claim to be any sort of expert of Art but I certainly enjoy visiting exhibitions and…read morefinding new inspirations. Off the Wall takes its place in a beautiful old Victorian building and holds modern contemporary exhibitions, or sales if you can afford it. The atmosphere isn't at all stuffy and everyone is given a warm welcome. I've been to a couple of exhibitions and really enjoyed the selection of works on display. This would be a great place for anyone looking for some art work for their homes, or for investment and if there's nothing on display that you fancy the staff will try and find you something to your taste. Lovely place to visit, if a bit out of the way from the main shopping area.

Cardiffs newest gallery for contemporary art introduces a disparate range of modern, urban,…read morecollectable, edgy artwork to shake up the established roster of South Wales galleries by bringing something different to the walls of south wales. From Jamie Reids 'never mind the bollocks' screen print for the (in)famous Sex Pistols, through to well known names such as Peter Blake (Sgt Pepper Beatles album cover fame) and Welsh establishment hero Kyffin Williams the gallery also seeks to support the new with work from the freshest talent around and all with a visually intersting slant, and prices to suit a wide range of budgets. Located in Llandaff with lots of restaurants and coffee houses nearby, offthewall is worth a visit or go to their online galleryfirst to get a feel before you explore the work a first hand.

I really and truly cannot express my love of this place enough!…read more St. Donats Arts Centre is situated near on the South Wales coastline in the grounds of a medieval castle (complete with jousting field), which is now an International College. Imagine a Hogwarts by the sea, and you're mostly there. They offer a large bar area with outstanding views, a gallery and cinema, and theatrical and musical performances go on in the traditional Tythe Barn. This is also the venue for the critically acclaimed Beyond the Border storytelling festival, which takes place every year. Although this venue is small, the staff are friendly and eager to please, and the regular clientele are an amazing mix of locals. The only downside to the centre is its distance from most major areas. But it is certainly well worth the trip, just make sure you check out their website before going down, as there are not events happening each day, and you certainly don't want to turn up and be disappointed!

Within the grounds of St Donat's Castle lies the enchanting St Donat's Arts Centre, housed in a…read more14th century Tithe barn which has been converted into a fully-equipped theatre. Another modern addition to the barn is the completely new and contrasting 'Glass Room' on one side. The publicly-funded centre puts on a high quality arts programme throughout the year in this unique setting, which has wonderful views right across the sea towards Exmoor. The barn itself is widely considered be be one of the most inspired public buildings in Wales. The centre provides a really diverse programme of children's theatre, craft classes, dance sessions, cinema, exhibitions, world music events, jazz in the Glassroom. festivals, choir rehearsals, workshops and live shows. It also hosts the internationally renowned Beyond the Border storytelling festival, and it's the perfect, enchanting venue for this lovely event (with outreach storytelling in venues elsewhere in the area, too). The Box Office and Gallery are open 10am - 4pm on weekdays, plus evenings and weekends when there are performances taking place. Check the website for upcoming events, and keep your fingers crossed that the weather is fine when you visit so you can also enjoy far-reaching views out to sea.

The Albany Gallery is a great little commercial gallery that is located above Zio Peppino on the…read moreAlbany Road. There is every reason to visit Albany Gallery at any time of the year, but there's presently an even more compelling reason to make the effort to go there. The current exhibition will be on for the duration of the summer, and features work from some of the best of contemporary Welsh artists. And it's excellent! There are circa. 70 different artists exhibiting, who specialise in all different kinds of media and subject. Prices for work exhibited vary dramatically, starting at incredibly affordable prices. Now is definitely the time to buy fine art. The art market has not been this depressed in a long time, and with galleries exerting pressure on the artists to keep their work affordable, prices have dipped or remained static for a while. It's difficult for an artist to discount their work as it devalues the pieces that have been sold previously, and so there is an unwritten obligation borne by each artist to protect the commercial interests of existing patrons. Nevertheless, galleries are going out of business left, right and centre, and those that remain are doing al they can to preserve the market. Keeping prices affordable is one of the key means of doing this. Artists tend to increase the sale price of their work on a regular basis. It is common to see considerable price increases within a short space of time. Each successful exhibition, of which an artist will have several a year, will prompt them to review the value of their work. A successful exhibition at a high profile gallery that has been met with critical approval in the media may cause an artist to add a nought to their sale price, taking the value fo their work from £500 per piece to £1,500 for example. This means that price increases have been seriously inhibited owing to the fact that the art market has remained relatively static throughout the duration of the recession. Therefore, prices should rocket once the market has stabilised once more, making any investment today a good one. Obviously you have got to buy right, so it pays to know what you are doing, but quite often buyers can make a killing just by buying what they like... (if they like it, it usually follows that other people do too, and demand ultimately regulates the market).

I definatly think this is one of the best galleries we have here in Cardiff. I was introduced to it…read moreby my art teacher and have been a few times when I like the sound of an exhibition the have on. Of course any gallery is only as good as its exhibitions and their website is very good at letting you know whats on when and shows you the kind of art they do. I love the fact that it shows the very best of contemporary British artists. It even hosted an exhibition by the late Kyffin Williams who is arguably one of Wales greatest artists. You can't help but feel inspired and the staff are very approachable and happy to talk to you about the pieces.

if you like caulture then this is the place to go. very relaxing place brings a bit of harmony to…read morethe place and very interesting.

Coed Hills Rural Artspace has reinvented itself more times than Madonna. Last year it was the place…read moreto go for an amazing and intimate mini-festival, and this year it's all about courses and workshops. Have they traded hedonism for mind expansion? Looks like it! But, the actual fact of the matter is that there is one unifying sub-theme to all of their endeavours... the environment and its understanding and, perhaps more importantly, its preservation. Even the mini festivals were a platform for the delivery of information pertaining to eco-concerns, with a programme of workshops scheduled over their weekender events, as well as guided tours of the grounds, including a whistle-stop tour of all of the wind generators, solar tracking array units and biomass burner, as well as a visit to the permaculture garden. As well as being an impressive outdoor art space, and exhibition venue, replete with a woodland art trail, and various workshops where artisans apply their crafts, working in wood and stone, and artists realise their inspirations, often using recycled and sustainable materials, Coed Hills is also a living breathing experiment in sustainable living. There are about ten people living at Coed at the moment. Each of them contributes to the upkeep and running of the centre. Courses held there already this year include a really ambitious Forrest Gardening workshop that has taken place in stages, allowing for seasonal changes, and there's a wind turbine making workshop coming up in a couple of weeks.... Coed Hills is as inspiring as it is unconventional. For more information about what goes on there it's probably best to visit their Facebook page... or you could always try the website...

Situated two miles east of Cowbridge in the pretty village of St Hilary, this place is considered…read moreWales's leading venue for art in the environment - educating visitors about both sustainable living and creative arts within the environment, using a range of traditional woodland skills and crafts. The centre grows food following permaculture principles and is working towards self-sufficiency in energy production, and visitors can learn all about ecological land use and renewable energy sources. Open from 10am until dusk all year round, the entry fee is nominal and visitors can explore the renowned 80-acre woodland sculpture trail. On site there's also some goats and chickens, Rahni's Cafe, Starfish Healthfoods, a Summer Craft Shop, and a disabled access path. The centre doubles up as a unique conference venue with artists' workshops, gallery space, and green woodwork facilities, too. I've never been anywhere else quite like it, and with Cardiff only 20 minutes drive away it's well worth a visit if you live in the city.