A great range of original artworks, prints, glass, sculpture and jewellery. They also do picture…read moreframing!

Art Images Gallery is situated on the lower end of The Parade, close to the city. In addition to…read morefunctioning as a gallery, Art Images also provides framing and hanging services, as well as art rental and consultancy. Currently on show at Art Images Gallery until Christmas is an epic group show of almost 50 artists of varying styles, backgrounds and competencies. A mixture of painting, sculpture and object based work is on show, nothing outstanding though. I did quite like the paper cut work by Linda Marek which although cute, was well executed and interesting. JoJo Spook also had some interesting abstracted figurative sculptural work constructed from a variety of objects, including something which resembled a baking rack and other kitchen utensils. The works had a primitive tribal feel, and were and interesting application of the mundane media used to implement the work. There were several pieces which were at best kitsch and at worst woefull, although I won't name names. However, the variety of work on show makes it well worth checking out.

Kensigton Gallery is a mid tier and quite conservative commercial gallery located east of the…read morecity. Housed in a Victorian style terrace building with nice large windows facing the street . The highlight of their represented artists is Greg O'leary, a brilliant painter of still life and a personal acquaintance of mine. Currently on show are works by Shirley Keene and Brian Budgen. Shirley Keene is an elderly painter working in quite a naif style working with thick paint and flat colours. Whilst the images she produces are quite pretty, there is not a lot of depth to her work. Brian Budgen again is not pushing any boundaries with his hard edged depictions of local vistas, bordering on the illustrative and certainly well within the bounds of the uninteresting. At times the Kensington Gallery can put up some fantastic exhibitions of work within the traditional genre. However it is hardly, as it claims to be, "Adelaide's leading contemporary art dealer."

What a dangerous shop this is. I was next door drinking gin at the Howling Owl and thought I'd pop…read morein for 5 minutes... you know, just for "a look". Next thing I know, I've bought two fantastic necklaces and I'm having to resist a third. So much for saving money this month! There's so many great things in this store and what impressed me most was that all the designers and artists are from South Australia which is an absolutely terrific way to showcase what this state has to offer. A great place to buy an unusual and charming gift.

Have you been searching for the place to find the "Heaps Good" t-shirts? Search no more, this is…read moreit! An amazing range of really beautiful original artwork is housed here ready for you to buy up big! Gloriously witty, downright sexy and incredibly well done from simple little cards through to rather complicated objects; dinner plates, cups, ear rings, prints, nick knack's... it is all here and the best thing about it all, this is South Australian through and through. It's not that they don't like artworks from any of the other states, it's just that there are some people who want to do the 'buy local' thing when it comes to spending their money, and they want to support local artists, and believe me South Australia has lots of them. There are so many artists creating so much work here that you will find quite a few stores and galleries that only have South Australian work in them; this is certainly one of them. I wouldn't say there was a particular style in this part of the country, but I would say the standard is very high, and the prices are pretty reasonable. It's not so cheap you imagine the artist has no self worth, but nor is it priced out of every-ones range. The women looking after the counter tell me that the hottest seller is the original t-shirt with "Heaps Good" written over a map of South Australia, and it's popular because it reflects the sort of vernacular used here - South Australians don't really speak all that well, but maybe I'll get run out of town if I say that (!) so perhaps I should settle for saying "Heaps Good" is a way we express ourselves with a little touch of wry humour? Urban Cow do have a website and it is worth checking out. I'm informed that you can rest assured the artists do get the best part of what you pay for their work, and no, it's not all prints and paintings; like I said, there are plenty of things including sculptures, textiles, ceramics, glassware and odd, silly things to delight anyone who likes a nice bit of art. They say "Every picture is worth a thousand words," so I went mad taking quite a few pictures, if you check them out you will come up with the thousands of words that my pictures will inspire in you rather than me attempt to describe everything I saw (and loved). The friendly staff will gladly let you browse without charging you an entry fee, even though the shop feels as much like a gallery as it does a unique gift shop. Enjoy browsing and good luck deciding what to buy. From what I hear, the "Heaps Good" t-shirts are the strongest item, but you be the judge.

Hill Smith is an up market commercial gallery located on in the middle of Pirie St in the city…read more It is housed within a beautiful red two story building with large windows at the front and a charismatic black umbrella dome covering the entryway. There are exhibitions more or less monthly, as well as a number of works held in their stockroom which can be accessed on request. Hill Smith represents a number of the better known local and interstate artists, including David Bromley, Robert Hannaford and Nick Harding. Presently on show is the work of Stephen Trebilcock (Main gallery), Janine Mackintosh and Peter Syndicas (First Floor Gallery). I really love Janine's work which consist of something representing Mandalas constructed from various found natural and man made objects. Her work with eucalyptus leaves has an especially appealing aesthetic, the leaves being beautifully preserved and meticulously stitched with linen thread to the canvass. The juxtaposition of rusted man made objects with preserved natural elements also gives the work a musical quality. Syndicas work, exhibited also on the First floor, consisting of sticks cast in iron and bronze, also follows this natural aesthetic but is, in my opinion, less appealing and although certainly difficult to accomplish, less creative. Trebilcock's work, presented in the Main Gallery consists of a series of beautifully painted still lives, vibrant in colour and texture. The few exteriors presented in the body of work appear slightly illustrative and artificial due to an oversaturation of colour which is more suited to the still lives. This detracts slightly from the overall effect. Of particular appeal were the two triptychs, "Australian Selection" and "Oranges and Grapes."

Juxtapose Studios is and Adelaide based art dealers. They use this gallery address for exhibits,…read moreand any member of the agency can book the gallery to display their work. The gallery is open during working hours from Wednesday to Sunday, as well as after hours for specific exhibitions. They organise monthly events and viewings, as well as getting involved with art festivals like SALA. Entry to see the work of local artists is free, so it's a great chance to get up close to original pieces of art, to either just appreciate or also to buy. Their website is comprehensive and the best way to stay informed of what's happening at the gallery. They list dates for the regular art and wine nights, as well as showing all their artists' profiles and work. A great way to finish a dinner out in town is buy a glass of wine then wander through the gallery and see what some of our local artists have been up to.

Tooth & Nail Gallery had their official opening on 9th December 2011 and long may it reign. Set up…read moreby the talented Jake 1 (otherwise known as Jake Holmes) this gallery space houses a collection of graphic artists, designers and painters who have all graduated from art school in the last few years and are looking to develop their work in a gallery setting. The space is an old shed in the city - well 'shed' as in formally a garage, but now it has been made over to house the studio spaces as well as a deceptively large exhibition area. Keep your eyes on this one folks; they may even be getting some performance art productions from well known blogging writer and actor David Jobling. Yes, it's true. I attended the opening night shin dig at Tooth and Nail and I must say it was a most interesting crowd of individuals who have all clearly got a lot going for them besides their youth and good looks. The art work is a lot of fun (I took a lot of photos so check them out) and it challenges as well as amuses, so get along and check out their work. There are also screen printing services and general printing and graphic design services available so if you are looking for that unusual fresh new look for your business, here is certainly one place worth visiting to find out which of these artists will provide you with a custom made look at a decent price for all. The phone number listed here is the number for Jake; so that's who you will call or leave a message with in order to check if the gallery and studio is open.

After opening the other week, Tooth and Nail is still in its utter infancy stage as a gallery. I…read morechecked it out the other day after hearing about the buzz of their opening party, and found it to be a pretty cool place. The art mostly all comes from local artists, and varies from canvas paintings, to screen prints, to wood paints and hand drawn pieces. All of it's on sale and you can grab the price list on the way in if you're inclined to collect. One cool thing about this art gallery (and perhaps a smart move economically speaking) is that the area that isn't used for exhibiting new work is rented out to artists to make more art. When I went in there were a few folks beetling away upstairs on their work, and was a sweet novelty to be checking out great art while more of it's being made just metres away from you. There's no official opening hours for Tooth and Nail but I was told there's normally someone working away somewhere indoors and they keep the place open. My advice would be to head in the late morning or afternoon to catch it open.

Nest is a cute little space that does all manner of good things…read more From the outside it just looks like another lovely little retail space on Magill Rd selling home-wares, and in part, it is. Nest have a small but curated collection of framed prints, textiles, accessories, clothing and the like, all with a graphic, modern aesthetic. No surprise really, considering it was started and is run by a graphic and textile designer. But more than just a cute space selling stuff, Nest has a program of art and craft classes specifically aimed at kids. Classes are around $235 for a term, and while I can't speak from experience (y'know, being sans kid), I love the idea of having a space for children to learn and draw and create. They also do parties as well, which is a great alternative to the usual fairies and clowns (which frankly freak me out). They are also involved in stuff like Writer's Week and the SALA festival, and I love the far-reaching and community-minded concept behind Nest.

Hugo Michell Gallery is one of the better commercial galleries in Adelaide, programmed according to…read moreMichell's younger pop-influenced taste. The stable of artists include some on the more decorative or illustrative street-art side of things (like Ghost Patrol) and then some whose work is more conceptual or involved with contemporary sculpture (like Tim Sterling). I've missed out on a few of the more recent exhibitions here - I was pretty busy in the second half of the year and don't often stop by the Norwood/Beulah Park area - but what I have seen here in the past has been good. The gallery itself is quite large and well outfitted. BIg polished concrete floor and track lighting. A much smaller gallery out the back, suited to video work. A few of the shows I've seen here have failed to fill the big space satisfyingly - there is a lot of potential for large scale/physically ambitious projects. That said, everything seems to be of a high standard of quality - I haven't ever been totally let down by a show here. Openings are always pleasantly social without being packed out. Nice beers too!

Located just shy of the city in Kent Town Greenaway Art Gallery is housed in a modern glass fronted…read morebuilding adjoined with an up market cafe/restaurant. Greenaway is the leading commercial gallery in South Australia for contemporary art and will often show work which would not get a foot in the door in some of the more conservative commercial galleries around town. Whilst the work shown is always very professional, and the artists well known and respected, it is often experimental and haphazard and this is really what has cemented Greenaway's reputation. The Gallery consists of two big rooms with white washed walls and a mezzanine area which often features the work of more up and coming artists. Currently on show at Greenaway is the work of Dani Marti, A talented Spanish-Australian Artist working in a variety of media. Her work has a wonderful aesthetic, powerful two and three dimensional constructions from various found objects in strong reds, blacks and whites. Of particular appeal were the black hemispherical and egg shaped constructions made of cord, but looking something like worms. In addition the present exhibition features two chilling video installations. Prior to Ms Marti's show was an exhibition of works by Christian Lock and Johnnie Daddy with works by Chelsea Leahman on the mezzanine level. Johnnie Daddy is a well known English-Australian sculptor who works in a multitude of media, is recognized for his exploits in casting (especially his cast iron cardboard pianos) and has completed several public commission sculptures around town. Images of works shown at the above and other previous exhibitions can be accessed on Greenaway's website.

An Art Gallery is something that's hard to review - because you might love one exhibition and the…read morenext you might not - so subjective. So I'm reviewing it based on an event space. I went there for a networking event which would have had about 50 people - the space it's self was very well designed and a giant blank wall allowed a presentation to be shown with ease. The biggest issue was that acoustically it was difficult to talk and the concrete floors made standing up (there wasn't anywhere to sit) difficult on my poor legs!