The visual Arts have long been of interest to me, even prior to my own days spent in an art school…read morefor several years. So, seizing on the opportunity to write reviews for Yelp I decided it would provide a great opportunity to sight some galleries around Auckland that I had not yet seen since moving here last year. NKB on Mt Eden Road was holding an exhibition titled 'Impressions' (28th March till 16th April 2013) when I went in to have a look at both the gallery and the art. Neither moved me all that much I am sorry to say. The gallery was very small, boxed in and simplistic with its stark white walls and typical timber flooring. Now, this could be just me to some extent, a personal review remember, not a critic. I like 'old school' art and unique 'old school' galleries. So modern fine art is not really up my alley, now having said that the one piece that I did admire, just a little, was a piece called 'Lone Tree Wangamui' by Matt Palmer, a simple print that made an impact with its line work, colouring and composition. The gallery does have a more varied collection of fine art in the stockroom that can viewed on the website too.

Perhaps the most pleasant and affable art galleries in Auckland. By no means the largest, but nkb…read moreGallery has quality art over quantity. It is a sad thing that it has become common place to be ignored, or even looked down upon, by staff in art galleries. I was almost stunned as I entered nkb and the staff member politely finished his phone call and offered information on the exhibition, all without forcing a brochure into my hand and peering over my shoulder. This small Mt Eden shows off some great art, of various techniques, by up-and-coming New Zealand artists alongside some more familiar names. An inviting gallery I will be sure to keep an eye on in the future.

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.

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!

Lopdell House is Titirangi's historic cultural heart and its functions go far beyond an art…read moregallery. I've been here on school trips doing art workshops in the dank basement. I've been to plays in the theatre by the Titirangi Theatre Company. My favourite thing to do here is to ride the elevator; vintage and beautiful with a pull-across iron gate. Even just popping in to the cafe to soak up the atmosphere is worthwhile. Unfortunately none of us will be doing much of anything at Lopdell House for the next little while as Auckland Council treats it to a much-needed makeover including serious structural work and a whole new adjacent building. In the meantime the gallery and theatre are operating out of temporary spaces in New Lynn. We can look forward to this grand old lady that started life as a hotel, reopening rejuvenated and hopefully being around for many years to come.

A great new gallery building next to the lovely Lopdell House. Amazing architecture & veiws along…read morewith cool contemporary art exhibitions. A great reason to head west! Stop on the way to tbe beach.

Flagstaff Gallery is a petite wee gallery located near Mt Victoria in Devonport Village. There is a…read morenice range of contemporary NZ art on display that all have a fresh modern take on classic New Zealand motifs, such as Brad Novak's clever little 'Eye Chart for Aotearoa'. What impressed me the most about Flagstaff was their very innovative wall drawer system at the back of the shop - there were all these massive sheets of fencing that would slide in and out of the wall, and they would all have pieces of artworks displayed on them (each fence belonged to a different artist). I thought it was a very clever use of the limited space in the gallery. The shop assistant was also very nice even though we came in just before closing time, and happily chatted away to us about some of the artists on display and the framing service they have on offer. Definitely worth a visit if you are into NZ art and in the area.

If you're pottering around the Main Street of Devonport and you have some free time, make sure you…read morepop in and have a gander at Flagstaff gallery. They have a range of contemporary New Zealand artists work on show here, from paintings through to sculptures. There are a lot of eye catching peices in there at the moment, and if you are not all that familiar with New Zealand art this gallery provides a good showcase. They also offer a professional framing service service for your own personal 'work of art' like family photographs, or of work you buy in the gallery itself. What I think is most cool about this gallery is that they actually hire out the venue to be used for functions and cocktail parties etc, they call them 'corporart cocktails'. My friend was actually telling me she went to a work function here once and it was all very classy and posh with live music and everything! Oh to be a fly on the wall!

Contemporary, swanky gallery located in Lorne Street, Auckland Central. This gallery has an…read moreinternational ambience - something you might find in London or New York. I have been to a few exhibitions here including the (infamous) 'Mongrel Mob' portraits/photography by Jono Rotman, taken over 7 years, I was told. And most recently a fashion show (NZ Fashion Week 2014) for Lucid Collective - menswear collection last night. The space is versatile adapting to everything art - be it performance, an opening for a start-up or a local artist showcasing sculpture or stills. Exceptional interactive experiences.

Located a stones throw away from the Auckland Art gallery and Albert Park, this gallery has enough…read morespace for wall art, sculpture and people to move about comfortably without feeling crammed. The over sized windows allow for plenty of natural sunlight to catch the smaller details in the art on display. This is the second of two galleries, located not too far from one another. The staff are friendly, upbeat and more than willing to answer any questions about the current collection. A full day of art and a picnic near by sounds like a plan to me.

The Gow Langsford Gallery is a must-see for locals and art-loving visitors to Auckland…read more The Gallery showcases contemporary local and international artists, and is often involved in international art events. Long-established as one of Auckland's most prominent commerical art spaces, the Gallery is set over two locations. The Lorne Street home of Gow Langsford is the larger space, and focuses on the Gallery's staple of large-scale sculpture and painting, but both are worth exploring, and sometimes exhibitions are shared between the two. Together the two spaces of Gow Langsford contribute enormously to Auckland's Art Precinct, and the Gallery also offers an impressive online stockroom (there's a link on the website) that offers big names like Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Michael Parekowhai, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons.

There must be something I am missing about this gallery, so many great reviews, but when I went in…read moreearlier this year nothing impressed me all that that much. Actually some of the art even put me right off, for example there was a small sculpture made from metal, twisted into two arches and was not much bigger than the size of a helmet, priced for over $2000. This should not have shocked me, I have seen lots of expensive modern art in my time, but it does disappoint. Poor art overpriced gives art and artists a bad name amongst many other factors. I was personally involved in the visual art industry for several years and the amount of times I had to defend the importance of art. Even in my first year of art school I recall being very young and optimistic and having a young soldier whom I had just met in a club when out with friends say (not ask), "well, what is that doing for the country?". I was stunned with his honesty and didn't know how to respond at the time. That man may have been ignorant but he reflects the view of many people, that we can't be ignorant of ourselves. If we want to value and celebrate the arts in our society we should reflect this through the art itself, and in our convictions behind the art we make, that I can now say with confidence.

I'm so pleased I accidentally stumbled across this little gallery on Ponsonby Road; it's a small,…read morequiet but inviting space on the K' Road end of Ponsonby and showcases small but interesting exhibitions in its whitewashed rooms. I really like its current "Islanders" exhibition, which showcases the work of NZ sculptor Jo Torr. I'm really fascinated by fashion history and the exhibition provided a unique insight into how Polynesian culture inspired European dress during the early days of New Zealand's colonization, which I found really interesting. There are usually two exhibits on in the gallery at any one time: a small one in the window at the front, and the main one covering the rest of the gallery. It's a real shame the gallery isn't slightly bigger as, really, you couldn't spend more than about half an hour in there; but it's free and culturally enriching. I think it's really important for places like this to exist in any city and this one is great if you just want a quiet break from the noise of the city for a while, learn about stuff or just look at beautiful things. Exhibitions usually change around once every month or two.