by Hot Tip: Sculptures, Wreckage and Stories in Glasgow
Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, actually a gallery, is a wonderful walk through beautiful madness. Minutes from Buchanan Street in Glasgow, this land of stories is full of mechanical figures made of wood and metal and all sorts of scrap, arranged in two different ‘performances’ of scenarios and stories. The place is quiet AND hectic, and like nothing else I’ve found anywhere in the world. You will marvel at the skill behind the creations and walk out with a big goofy smile on your face.
Anna
An island of art in Wales
Anglesey isn’t all about long names and big beaches. It also has many hidden treasures, the Oriel Môn art center and museum in Llangefni being one of them. Stunning works by Welsh artists and a fascinating statue of Kyffin Williams are among the many great things for visitors to explore. It’s a fascinating collection, with activities for children and free entry.
Enid Bibby
Advice from Guardian Travel readers
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Indigenous showcase in the Southwest
The Rainmaker Gallery in Bristol is a space dedicated to contemporary Native American art. The owner, Jo, is committed to showcasing the best of emerging and established talent. It’s worth visiting to see her ever-changing exhibition schedule, while the artwork, homewares and jewelry on sale always make great gifts. If you have time, pop into the Coe Gallery (also in Bristol) which focuses on Indigenous art from Australia.
Angel
Beautiful and nautical in Dorset
I love visiting Sladers Yard in West Bay, Dorset. This delightful former Georgian rope warehouse now displays contemporary British arts and crafts, including stunning furniture produced by the owner, who sailed here decades ago from Norway on a boat he had built. His work continues to evoke nautical shapes and sentiments. My budget doesn’t extend to the art on display, but I’m lucky enough to be able to shell out for the cafe’s Fabulous Fish Pie (£20).
Paul Jones
A show of time and tide on the Thames
At Trinity Buoy Wharf, an open-air arts center opposite the O2, moored vessels evoke memories of east London’s maritime trade and include the tugboat, Knocker White and a red lightship, now a music recording studio. A small shed houses objects dedicated to scientist Michael Faraday, while bizarre iron sculptures by Andrew Baldwin range from tabletop objects to larger mechanical objects. One of the UK’s several time and tide bells is rung by the river to signal high tide, and a tidal listening post makes music determined by the tide. Party at Fat Boy’s Diner or Orchard Cafe, in a former shipping container with a black cab and a tree on the roof.
Roy Messenger
Open your eyes to Liverpool
I first found the Open Eye gallery behind a cafe down a cobbled Liverpudlian street. Now it has moved, like the rest of the city, things sprout feet and take flight elsewhere. Triangular in shape, it occupies a place on Mann’s Isle, facing seagulls and the waves of the flowing River Mersey. The space is silent, letting the whispers of the photography echo and broaden your perception of humanity. Community is important. It is a place to look at reality by reflection and decipher the mood of the moment. It’s ageless, it seems to always exist only once you’ve arrived.
Jennifer Ratcliffe
Crafts and culture in the Ribble Valley
The Platform gallery in Clitheroe, Lancashire showcased delightful, imaginative and thoughtful arts and crafts long before the Ribble Valley became famous for its gastropubs. Local artists and craftsmen are rooted in the industries, agriculture, landscape, history and culture of the area, and their works reflect these influences: wool, bobbins, wood, linocuts from fireplaces, mills and rolling hills. It’s beside the railway that used to take you to Yorkshire, but is now the terminus – a small step from Manchester but a giant leap into that sweet spot between urban and rural.
Martin Charlesworth
Art, life and nature in a Cornish idyll
On a quiet lane between the woods of Frenchman’s Creek and the Cornish village of Helford sits Kestle Barton. It’s a gallery showcasing talent from across Cornwall and beyond, in a beautiful historic farm complex, parts of which date back to the Tudor era. The rest of the buildings are vacation homes. The gardens, originally designed by James Alexander-Sinclair, come to life in late spring and are a great place to spend time just sitting and enjoying the view of swallows diving and scurrying in the sky. It is a peaceful place to appreciate art, life and nature together.
Layla Astley
Marvel at the masters of Birmingham
Birmingham’s Barber Institute of Fine Arts is located in an airy building on the University of Birmingham campus in Edgbaston, close to the city centre, and is easily accessed by local train and bus. It offers a curated collection of Western art, spanning seven centuries, with paintings and sculptures by, among others, Rembrandt, Degas, Monet, Turner, Van Gogh and Magritte. Described as a ‘National Miniature Gallery for the Midlands’, it is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm and admission is free.
Bernini G
Art school visits Alnmouth, Northumberland
The Old School gallery in Alnmouth on the north-east coast is in a lovely building – it’s a former Victorian schoolhouse and serves excellent cake, has a fabulous shop and puts on atmospheric art exhibitions. It does a good job of showcasing local and female artists. Always to visit when we are standing!
Leah
