Room212 is Bristol's smallest art gallery, but that's not to underestimate its importance. This…read moregallery ceaselessly provides homespun talent with an opportunity to be seen for a fraction of the price that they would have to pay elsewhere. Exhibitions change weekly and can be joint ventures or individual shows. The space can be booked from as little as £15 for the week and a 5% commission is chargeable on sales. And no, this isn't a typo! I didn't forget to add the zero! All enquiries to Henk: henk.mullen@gmail.com after checking out the lowdown on the website: http://www.room212.co.uk/ Artists man their own shows and are at liberty to open for as little or as long as they like. The savvy ones will post their opening times in the window and on the website. But even if it's not open when you happen to walk past, you can still view all of the pieces being exhibited from the window. It really is that small. If you do have the good fortune to chance upon it when the door is open I recommend that you step inside. You can hope to buy a piece of original art for as little as £10, and gain an intimate knowledge of the pieces on show from the artists themselves. The owner deserves a Knighthood!

Room 212 is the sort of place one can't write a lot about. Not because it lacks any particular…read morestyle or character. In fact it has great deals of both. Rather, because it is dynamic. It is an art space constantly changing. A collective of sorts, each week different artists can use the shop to display their art works. Some will use just the window and open for an hour a day. Others may open all day every day with their doors wide open to the public. And being different artists all the time they all have different contact details too. The one thing I can say is that every time I have walked past this original little number I have walked in. Something about the creativity or the freshness just pulls me in. So if local and independent artists doing their thing is what you like - see if you can walk by without stopping.

Home to many great designs and pieces of art (and once putting up a design by me!) the Architecture…read moreCentre offers interesting educational displays to do with the profession. Their exhibition space changes regularly, currently offering work by the artist Neville Gabie looking at the recent Cabot Circus development. A nice contrast to the more contemporary art focused Arnolfini, this corner of town really does have a lot of cultural offerings. You'll particularly like this place if you have any interest in the built environment, not just 'architecture' in the stereotyped classical sense of the word. As well as exhibitions they have events every now and then, things like debates and big art projects. The various goings on make it the Architecture Centre a stimulating experience, particularly if you're interested in buildings.

Squeezed between the busy youth hostel and the celebrated Arnolfini, this little gem is often lost…read more With its aim of promoting and supporting architecture and the built environment, it all sounds a little dry but you will be surprised. The venue has exhibition space for projects worldwide and is a hub for finding out about conferences, talks and events to do with architecture and the environment. They hold their own little events as well looking at Bristol in particular and are quite strongly devoted to encouraging children to look at their city - for example they have some design classes coming up and a drawing day. The gift shop at the front of the venue is fantastic - I actually use this as my main card shop in town - and their commitment to children's education continues here with a nice selection of educational and design-led toys, making it great for buying gifts for some of the parents I know! They also have a nice selection of jewellery from local artists, some very unusual things. On top of this they have a conference room to hire.

Originally Bedminster Library, the Grant Bradley Gallery has been supplying wall space to both…read morenational and international artists since its inception in 2005. This is the perfect antidote to the bruisings and spinnings of my weekly shop in the Bedminister Asda next door. Last time I sought solace in the Bradley was after a particularly taxing time involving a self-checkout - the stunning collection of textiles from an artists' collective put pay to any feelings of shop-rage. The underlying ethos is for approachability, so you wont get any of those arty affectations. The Bradley is totally welcoming, and is just as much a place to sip lattes and get your nose into a good book - they have a mezzanine floor with huggy sofas, a selection of secondhand books to peruse, high whitewalls that induce calm and there's always some top-draw art to goggle. There are life drawing classes, talks from artists and arts' events for budding Damian Hirsts during the scholl holidays. Also, the giftshop is a good place to seek out that individual gift - my girlfriend had to practically be manhandled out the door after discovering a must-have range of handmade handbags for under £10.

This gallery is just a brisk walk from Temple Meads and worth the trip. A gallery with an eye for…read moreselling items for gifts so all art is approachable. Often with a slant toward art for children or their rooms which is not surprising considering the number of mums in here mid-morning for a cup of tea. Last xmas they had an amazing display of kinetic cardboard sculpture kits. Don't let that put you off - they have art for us grown ups as well! They had a very interesting exhibition on from artists with learning disabilities when I last visited. They have a new area at the back which has a selection of second hand books - profits from the books go straight to charity.

The Royal West of England Academy is one of Bristol's most acclaimed art galleries and the grand…read morebuilding certainly alludes to an old, traditional atmosphere. While it is certainly true that the building is grand and steeped in history, the Academy recognises the importance of contemporary art and it regularly hosts exhibitions that would appeal to more than just art buffs. Entrance to the permanent exhibitions is free but you do have to pay to access all other shows (unless you try and sneak in to a private view, which is usually the night before the show opens to the public). Past exhibitions include Crimes of Passion, where the gallery was taken over by prominent local graffiti artists, and several modern drawing exhibits. The gallery also holds regular open exhibitions where artists of various levels and disciplines can submit work and there is definitely a focus on the importance of local art and student artists. A visit to the RWA is worth it and if you're not sure what's going on then check out the website for up-to-date information of past, present and future exhibitions.

Apparently this is Bristol's finest and most boasted about Art Gallery, but I have to say, until…read moretoday I had never heard of it! Not that I'm a massive Art Gallery fan or anything but if it were that much of a big deal I would have expected to have known about it! They have mixture of exhibitions on show, some that stay for longer than others, and the gallery rooms are quite breathtaking. Reasonably priced at £4.00 for an adult, £2.50 concessions, I probably wouldn't go back but it's nice to say I've been.

Plan 9 contains a gallery and artists spaces in the middle of Bristol's shopping centre, Broadmead…read more It is run by a group of artist, curators and writers and offers international and national residencies. It's possibly the most reputable contemporary arts establishment in the city and exhibits international artworks, hosts critical debates and screenings.

Now now I have only given this two stars because it is not to my taste! But that is not to say it…read moreisn't a useful shop and supportive to artists of Bristol - which it very much is being a co-op and that should be highly applauded. However. This is a street of cool galleries and kitsch shops and it isn't what you would expect. I have been inside a few times over the years and I have never found anything to make me stop. Maybe I'm fussy. Maybe I just like my art more abstract than cute. Personally, I think this is a place to take mums (at the risk of getting a clay cat in hilarious posture for your birthday). Please, go, visit, make up your own mind and write a review here!

Theres a fantastic variety in the Potters shop. I would say it has a brilliant customer service,…read morepeople were helpful with purchases, and could always offer advice. Theres always something there that catches my eye and personally I find it great for gifts for any occasion.

Being that I love East Asian art (and I had the discount Bath tourist card), I just had to go. I…read morewas not disappointed! The curator/owner(?) of the museum is very friendly and had a nice chat with him about the current exhibitions. The museum itself wasn't very busy, which was nice as it can be a bit narrow, covering 4 or 5 small floors. But don't let that fool you, there are some incredible pieces to behold. There is even a video on the restoration of a few pieces that are in there. It looks like there are events for children every now and then, too. Pieces range form the Jomon period in Japan to modern artists. The Chinese wood pieces that mimic the shape of animals were a favourite. If you are into East Asian art, I highly suggest you set aside an hour or so to peruse the changing collection. The gift shop itself is quite good with reasonable prices! Win!

A small but fascinating museum exploring East Asian art. The quality of exhibits is very high and…read moreit is well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity of the Fashion Museum as it is over the road. It doesn't take long to go around.

I don't know what it is about art shops that make me want to spend all my money, sack off my job,…read moregrow a goatee and start painting again! Do one rent, sod you bills, who needs money! And this shop is no exception. I went in today for some more practical bits & pieces and didn't think I would find anything useful at a reasonable price (for some reason this shop has a reputation for being quite pricey) but I was very pleasantly surprised, not only did I find a great selection of the sketch books I was looking for, but the prices were very reasonable and I bought a pen. If it is possible the man who served me was too helpful. I mean as I walked in the front door the sales assistant was stood right in front of it and asked if he could help, which is fine, I said I was just looking, then he asked again and sometimes, especially in lovely little art shops, you just want to potter around looking at all the bits & bobs. Nevertheless he was very friendly and being helpful isn't a crime.

Bristol Fine Art is a one of those really good shops that i probably have walked past a hundred…read moretimes without realising it was there. I first noticed it when we were in the 2 hour queue for the Banksy Exhibition . We were feeling creative and wanted to try out our graffiti skills so went in search of somewhere that sold Spray Paint. Weirdly Bristol Fine Art didn't sell any which was disappointing, nonetheless we had a snoop around and they sold some really great arty stuff. Prices were pretty reasonable and I have since noticed that they have started to stock spray paint. A great shop to pop into for any arty things, but also for some great gifts as they sell crafts too.