Now from the outside this gallery looks a little dull, but honestly it is worth going inside!…read moreAlthough there are a number of safe bet paintings and they stock Beryl Cook which isn't my cup of tea but I know is very collectible. But over two floors it does surprise occasionally. I found some oil paintings downstairs that I liked and they have some small sculptures on show as well. The best bit, however, is that they are official stockist of Roald Dahl / Quentin Blake prints which are just the most heart-warming, quirky and fantabulous things. At £75 a pop they aren't cheap, but would make a grown-up present for a kids wall (or to evoke those childhood memories!). They also, quite randomly, have Beano and Thunderbirds figurines! The proprietor is really friendly and welcomes you to browse. Different exhibitions are held in autumn and spring which shakes the stock up a bit. They also offer a framing service.

I am a massive fan of little gallery's like this. They are great oppertunities to see what local…read moreartist are producing, and as a way to vue up and coming talent. It's always worth popping in if you are in the area and even though most of the work will be out of your price range it's always nice to have a little look, and too a certain extent judge the work on what you feel would be worthy enough to appear on your wall in your house! With some good prints on sale even if you can't get an original there will be something tha tickles your fancy and is well within the limits that your wallet has to offer!

3D Gallery is a really wonderful shop located near Park Row and the Christmas Steps. It's…read moresandwiched in between a DIY shop and another gallery so it's definitely caught the right 'arty' crowd. This Gallery isn't massive, but the selection of artwork is really very good. I have never gone in and not found something I would love to take home had I had a couple of hundred quid spare. I also really like the jewellery section at the back, and have spent many a days admiring the intricate details on most of the pieces.

This is one of those galleries which make you want to earn lots of money so you can buy more art. I…read morenever fail to fall in love with at least one piece every time I go here (which is quite often!). On the last visit it was the abstract work of Russell Frampton - in fact the gallery is quite strong on abstract work but does also usually have some serious show-stopping work in the windows which are more accessible. Even if art isn't your bag, baby, then this has a little secret - it is home to some of Bristol's lovely jewellery makers. You can find unique handmade rings and necklaces at very reasonable prices. Now, and this is scary, you have to ring a bell to be let in. It isn't like they want you to press your platinum American Express to the window and you have to be dressed head to toe in Laura Ashley to be deemed safe. It's just because the owner likes to be pottering about most of the time rather than waiting for people to come to the shop. Don't be afraid!

Stokes Croft Museum is amazing! I went to the opening night last night, and I was blown away!…read more I'm really reticent to tell you why it's so good, because I don't want to spoil it for you... I just want to tell you to go there, and check it out for yourselves. It will make you think ... it will may you laugh... and it will make you angry and sad in equal measure. In short, it will do what art is meant to do... that being to provoke a response, even in the most indifferent observer! What I will tell you is that the Stokes Croft Museum brings together all that is good about the Croft. There are several key influences brought to bare in this space, and it is the product of some really inspirational collaboration. Stokes Croft is really happening these days... and all credit must go to the people behind PRSC and Hamilton House, as well as the new Arts House and some of the more long term businesses like Kuvuku. It just makes me want to say: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! And here's a personal note to Chris, (who is seminal within PRSC... sorry mate... I bought the Talula Bankhead canvas)

This is a new contemporary art gallery. In quite a secluded location, this gallery is usually…read morealways quite empty - of people that is, not artwork. I have always found something different when I have been here. The works showcased are always very raw and interesting to ponder upon and peer at. I haven't yet been here and not stopped to look at every single piece on exhibit. This used to be a restaurant, that didn't do so well, and I am glad that it didn't - or else this gallery wouldn't have been here. They support local and upcoming talents, so if you want to ask them more about that, or want a flash of inspiration, come here and check it out.

So, I'm really into contemporary theatre, in a shameless plug I am going to slip in here that I am…read morepart of a Bristol based theatre company called Openbatch Theatre - check us out on facebook! But, back to The Bristol Gallery, while I am open to all things contemporary I do sometimes have difficulty appreciating contemporary art. It's the whole, my next door neighbours kid could have done that with his eye's close effect that I'm not a massive fan of! Though not on the scene for very long The Bristol Gallery has an impressive calender of exhibitions to come, so you can pick and choose what you think you might be more interested in. They're website is absolutely jam packed with information, but it's tricky to read as it's white and yellow text on a black ground - so well worth popping and and seeing the collections in person.

No not a place to get your cuticles done, Nails gallery is one of the best art gallery/shops in the…read morecity. They have a good mix of artists and a good range of varied work. If you give each visit to Nails enough time in-between you can guarantee to see a completely new range of work. The art here is for sale, but don't shy away from just coming to have a look at some of the brilliant new work being completed by local artists. The gallery is a very bright and vibrant space inside full of local art and it's much larger than it first appears. As you walk through the archway you can see another mix of contemporary and older art work. They deal in prints, mixed media, oil etc and sell a great deal of very current, beautiful art. Some of these galleries are perceived as being quite stuffy and as only selling water colours of local duck bonds. Nails are not one of these galleries. In fact my favourite piece today was a large oil painting of Barbie being dragged down a back alley. Say what you will about the subject matter by trust me when you saw it, it was truly art affirming.

This art gallery, located down a steep stair case in the Lower Exchange Hall in St Nicholas Market,…read moreis dedicated to promoting local art and local artists. The relatively small space plays hosts to many different styles, but they've all got one thing in common - they all use Bristol as their muse. Among the pieces they exhibit include photographs, prints, sculptures and ceramics. Nails gallery also pride themselves on delivering affordable art to Bristolians. Their prints and paintings start as low as £18 so they're bound to have something suitable for you, no matter what your budget is. For me, I love just having a nose around the gallery and seeing different artists take on the city. There's a few nooks and crannies in which to find hidden gems so take your time and really take in what the gallery has to offer.

I don't quite know what to make of Art Original. Is it a gallery? Is it a glorified memorabilia…read moreshop? Who can say! This hard to navigate shop is packed to the brim with celebrity inspired works, signed sports photographs and posters of local hot spots. The staff say a friendly hello upon entering but did give me a suspicious look when I lingered too long. Not a comfortable or enjoyable shopping experience.

Bit of a weird one this. It sells memorabilia, oddly enough. So, currently, there's a hell of a lot…read moreof Michael Jackson (shamoan, mutha***ker!) pictures and artists interpretations in the window, as you might expect. Therefore, there's a lot of musical icons here, with some of the framed pictures, posters and prints apparently signed by said celebs. Next up, there's various sporting heroes from today (such as Man U or Arsenal team shots to bloody Nigel Mansell!) All in all, it's a bizarre shop that charges over the odds for things that might work as the ultimate present for some people, but seems cheap and tacky to me. Meh.

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.

Cube Gallery stocks a much more modern and contemporary selection of art pieces than the next door…read more3D Gallery. It's good to pop into both to get a good grasp at the variety on offer, but I find Cube Gallery doesn't quite live up to it's neighbour. I found it cold and uninviting inside, and I wasn't too impressed with their artwork either. Prices are also steep so I would say I am unlikely to find anything that attracts me, but well worth a look inside if you are in the area.

The uninspiring exterior of this art gallery and shop really doesn't promise very much, but…read moreactually once you're inside it hosts some great changing exhibitions of contemporary art by both established and up-and-coming talent. From moody, wintry landscapes and still lifes by Karen Edwards, to colourful, modern 2D and 3D patterns by Peter Monaghan, there's quite a range of contemporary art. I like the paintings by Katie Allen, inspired by the landscapes and changing seasons of South Wales - they contain an overall picture of a landscape, but within this when you look carefully each element is also made up of an intricate abstract pattern. If you enjoy browsing or buying modern pieces, this place is worth a visit - it's expensive, as you'd expect - but there's always a chance that you could pick up a gem by an emerging artist who's set to take the art world by storm.

If Bristol's could be represented by one image, it would doubtlessly be one of the hundreds of…read moreworks of graffiti plastered across the city. Weapon of Choice jumps on this bandwagon, with a little street art gallery and shop just up from the Christmas Steps. Created by Bristolian artist, Cheba, this brand is well known and respected across the city, you can recognise the swirling white-on-black logo without realising you'd ever seen it before. The shop here features exhibitions from a variety of Bristol's finest graffiti-style artists as well as printed t-shirts, trainers, toys, accessories and skateboards. Check their website for details of live graffiti events and gallery openings.

Only in Bristol! I mean, only in Bristol could the art movement of this generation culminate and…read morematerialise into a 'high street' outlet, where what was once an art form defined by its illegal nature of it's location has become so mainstream you can buy pieces in a shop. But it is such a brilliant business idea, I am jealous I didn't think of it, even though I couldn't have done as good a job as they have with Weapon of Choice. Reading the reviews below has been very helpful, I didn't actually realise the scope of artists that displayed their work here or who will be in the future. I thought it might all be work produced by the owner, but I think it's even more exciting now I know it will act as an exhibition space for this art movement. The work there today was technically brilliant and the artist clearly has a very funny, intelligent, creative streak, and has produced this almost abstract, surrealist graffiti art. If you are coming to this city from elsewhere and you want a taste of Bristol's cultural significance and its influence on a broader scale, visit this shop, it'll tell you everything you need to know.

I'm going to admit that I wavered about going into this gallery - it is very elegant and grand in…read morean expensive part of town and wasn't sure I would be welcome to browse. However I got a nice 'good morning' as I came in and not disturbed as I walked round. They have a quick succession of exhibitions here so worth coming back regularly. They handle some pieces by Barabara Hepworth and Henry Moore so that should give you an idea of their expertise (and price!). At the time I went they had 'scapes by Paul Lewin which were astonishing.