One of my favourite places in Auckland, the Waiheke Community Art Gallery is truly special. It…read moreseems to capture everything that's magical about the Island in just four rooms. The last time I went was for the opening of the Off The Wall sculpture exhibition, and it was as stimulating and well put together as any exhibition I've seen. The Gallery always seems to attract and foster distinctly fresh perspectives, and the variety of pieces was terrific. One of the great things about this gallery is that it attracts a great mix of people too, from hippy creative types to some of the posher, newer residents of the Island. It always has a distinctly relaxed, island vibe so you don't need to feel out of place if you pop in from the beach in your jandals, but at the same time, there's plenty to be serious about in the quality of the art. I'll admit I have a weakness for art gallery shops and Waiheke is the best I know of - it's a tempting collection of jewellery, ceramics, paintings, prints, and small sculptural pieces.

Yesterday I was on a mission to view as many art galleries as I could in the city, honestly I…read moredidn't get to many, considering the size of Auckland their isn't actually a great deal around. I have heard that Wellington is the 'art capital' which I look forward to visiting one day. So, Lonely Dog Gallery I heard about you from a previous Yelp review and decided to go pay you a visit. The work here is thematic, comical, fine art and well presented. It is obviously in a specialised market which I am pleased to see does good business - I took note of quite a few red dots (art that has been bought). Plus being in such a good location next to Britomart's transport centre in the hub of the city must mean a lot of tourism flow through. I was also relieved to find it easy to get to, unlike some other inner city galleries I couldn't even find the bloody door to get inI d Although I didn't but any of the art I did buy one of the cards of the art, for my eldest sister in mind, (a big fan of dogs), $5.00 each or you can buy them in packs. They have a description on the back which added to the appeal.

Lonely Dog recently moved down Customs Street a few hundred metres closer to Queen Street…read more Otherwise, it's still the exact same intriguing spot for a quick look as it's always been. For those that don't know, Lonely Dog is a sort of art phenomenon started by Kiwi artist Ivan Clarke who one day started adding human-esque dogs into his dramatic landscape works. It's a sort of weird comic book meets fine landscape art mix, and as such it makes for some pretty surreal stuff with all sorts of symbolic parallels drawn between the dogs and reality. Can't say I've ever bought anything from here, but it's a fun place to linger for a few minutes for a look if you're in the area.

Located in the old Waiheke Police station, the aptly named Cop Shop is an interesting place to…read morevisit, especially if you're into the arts. The building itself is wonderful to look through; it's all white-plastered and with lots of tiny yet light-filled spaces, even a garage and two old cells (complete with old beds and dunnies). The Cop Shop is a true artist-run space - there are pieces of art for purchase (including some beautiful woven pieces last time I visited, and a couple of appealing paintings), as well as opportunities to watch artists at work and to see installations from local artists. It also hosts workshops and specializes in workshops for kids. They don't have a website but are very friendly, so if you're interested I'd just bowl in have a chat about what's on.

Gorgeous Art gallery in the heart of Auckland! My husband and I enjoyed strolling the gallery…read moreduring a recent trip. I really enjoyed their Manet and Picasso pieces. If you have a few hours to spare, there's a really nice outdoor space to sit and read a book!

We had just finished eating on Queen Street and were wandering around the area when we stumbled…read moreupon this art gallery museum. We decided to walk in and I'm glad we did. The first floor is free and features several exhibitions, so we took our time roaming around. One of the main exhibits focused on Māori art, and we spent about an hour exploring the pieces and learning more about Māori history in New Zealand. It was genuinely informative and beautifully presented. There was also a display by a Korean artist on the first floor. I don't quite remember the theme, but the design of the house-like structure had some Chinese influences, which made it visually interesting. Overall, if you have some time to spare and want to cool off from the scorching sun, this gallery is definitely worth a visit. Bonus points for clean restrooms, too!

If you have artistic flare but not the traditional type, then come on down to 85 Cavendish Drive…read more(in the hub with Big Save Furniture, PK Furniture and Reece), there is a massively long drive way that backs onto Chipmunks which has fantastic graffiti art all over it. Graffiti artists from all around the world have come here and painted magnificent pieces, showing off their talents and skills which have made them known world wide. Before meeting my boyfriend never was I into this art, but it really is quite unique. These big bold pieces are done with spray cans and spraying techniques. I would never have known that those fine straight lines were all done freehand. It really is an art and far from the horrible eye sore tagging which gives graffiti a bad name. This local flavour is totally worth coming to view. It gives so much character to the area. I truly am a fan!

This store is great because it doesn't cater to the 'kitschy' side of New Zealand art and design as…read moremuch as some souvenir type stores like it do. It's more of an Art Gallery rather than a store. And affordable too. I love artist Tony Cribbs 'Adventures of Tin man' series and always like to pick something up whenever I see one in a store or gallery. They are just too cute. And funny as well. I always get compliments on them whenever I have people over to mine. They just exemplify the New Zealand sense of humor so well. I like the fact that Mana also has prints of a lot of their artworks so if you can't afford the actual original artwork itself there are still opportunities for you to own a slice of something. I'm currently crushing on one of their artworks, one of a Maori girl/princess wrapped in a traditional woven cloak. I may have to settle on the print of this one myself!

If you're looking for some absolutely beautiful local art, jewellery or gifts for someone visiting…read moreNew Zealand to take home with them or even to send to someone abroad, this place should be your one stop shop. They've got a fairly small but carefully curated collection of glassware, paintings and sculptures alongside jewellery and cards and other nick-nacks. My favourite things in here are the necklaces. Long thin silver chains with bird and flower pendants, which were gorgeous and really unusual. Things like this range from around $40 up to $400, so you're sure to find something no matter what your budget. I've been looking for a Green Stone necklace for my partner for quite some time and have never been able to find one that I really love, but the ones in Mana are the nicest I've seen in Auckland. Plus they were playing Ben Howard on the stereo when I walked in, which just made me like it even more.

This is an amazing art gallery/art store, where you can buy beautiful products made by the local…read moreNew Zealand artist. Fabulous paintings and photography for your home wall maybe, or original as they come necklaces, rings and bracelets. I am a huge fan of their Ceramics selection- mainly by Painted Pacific Pottery who is from my local neighborhood. Wall hearts by Lots of Love are super sweet, and perfect for the love in your life. I really enjoy popping in and seeing what they have each week, there is always something different around. You may even bump into an artist in the store, who has designed something there, so talk with the lady working at Next Door Gallery, and you will learn a whole lot about a bunch of local artists you may or may not have heard of. Just a great gallery; to buy that special gift you're looking for.

The West Coast Gallery is one of those places that you can't miss when visiting Piha - it's a…read moreregistered charitable trust, the West Coast Community Arts Trust, that supports local artists who reside in the Western region of Auckland. The gallery is situated in the old Piha Fire Station, converted after the new fire station was built next door. Filled with a wide range of artistic items, from oil and watercolour paintings, to sculptures, jewellery, cards, pottery and photography. A great place to discover well known West Coast artists, such as Dean Buchanan and Helga Strewe, to less known and upcoming artists. Regular new exhibitions, that capture the true spirit and essence of the west coast and its people. It's great to know that the money that you're spending at the gallery will go directly to benefit the artists themselves, and not just paying a huge mark up that you would pay in galleries closer to the city. Very well priced. Local roots, run by locals, for the benefit of the local community. Worth supporting!

This gallery is situated in beautiful surrounds, a very fitting place for an art gallery!…read moreI was surprised to hear that they are the only one in Piha, I figured there would be loads since Piha is such a famous destination so close to Auckland's CBD, popular with locals and tourists. So lucky them! They can cash in on the art trade all to themselves at this gallery! And it is a gallery well worth supporting, they are run by a non-profit Trust (West Coast Community Arts Trust). Any West Auckland Artist is welcome to place in an application to exhibit here, just follow the links and advice on the website (great website too guys!) and you can go solo or in amongst a group, obviously your proposal would have to state all those details. I haven't created a large body of work/art in a while, but this gallery makes me want to get all creative, maybe...