Newbury Street Art Galleries

Here's what you'll find in Back Bay's best galleries

If gallery-hopping is your idea of the perfect Sunday afternoon adventure, Newbury Street art galleries in fashionable Back Bay will become your favorite Boston destination.

Although you'll find many art galleries in other Boston neighborhoods, nothing compares with the concentration of art galleries in the former mansions lining Newbury Street. 

Well over 30 - perhaps even 40 - galleries cluster along a 6-block stretch of elegant Victorian mansions.  Even the antique shops intermingled with the galleries and designer boutiques offer paintings and sculpture- we list a few in our Guide to Newbury Street Art Galleries below.

Positioned like jewels among the other glamorous shops and restaurants in this premier Back Bay shopping area, the Newbury Street art galleries offer everything from very affordable art by emerging artists to museum-quality pieces by Old and New Masters. 

Likewise, some galleries attract new collectors and people who just happen to love a particular piece, while others sell mainly to museums and wealthy connoisseurs.  Still others are where the residents of Back Bay's spectacular townhouses, condos, and mansions go to buy art for their homes - and occasionally sell pieces as well. 

In case you're wondering if these rather swanky Newbury Street art galleries get snooty unless you spend a million dollars, don't worry.  They're used to browsers who come just to look in and not buy . . . and of course, they know that even the most casual looker may someday fall madly in love, pull out a credit card, and purchase something with which they'll live happily ever after.

Check out our guide to get a sense of what you can find in the Newbury Street art galleries..  And then, pick an afternoon and head over to Newbury Street for some world-class gallery-hopping.

Guide to Newbury Street Art Galleries

In case you're planning a gallery-hopping tour, I've arranged the Newbury Street art galleries based on their locations.  Start at the Taj Hotel (corner of Newbury and Arlington, across from the Public Garden.  Walk past the Taj along the right side of Newbury Street.

Newbury Fine Arts

29 Newbury St; 617-536-0517; www.newburyfinearts.com

Opened in 1984 by 2 devoted collectors who wanted to share their art and love of art with others, Newbury Fine Arts features fine works by an interesting mix of top contemporary artists from all over the world.  Many of the artists have exhibited here for years as their fame has grown. 

Others, true to the gallery's roots, passionate amateurs. 

This means that you'll find some surprises here.  Do you normally expect to find exhibits of art by musical stars in art galleries? 

Newbury Fine Arts draws upon its long-standing ties to the music world to bring together music and art in its occasional "celebrity" exhibitions.  These have featured the work of singer Tony Bennett, Police guitarist Andy Summers, and Rolling Stone lead guitarist Ron Wood. 

Unless you happen by when a celebrity event is underway, the reason that you'll probably find this gallery interesting is that whatever your ideal price point is, you can probably find an affordable piece of high-quality work that you will love. Bottom line? This Newbury Street art gallery puts art in its proper place:  your home.

Galerie d'Orsay

33 Newbury St; 617-266-8001; website

Galerie d'Orsay offers works ranging from Old Masters such as Rembrandt and Renoir to early 20th century modernists such as Picasso and Miro to contemporary painters, print makers, and sculptors such as Bruno Zupan, Luc Leestemaker, and Samir Sammoun. 

Shows run for about a month. The wide-ranging periods and styles mean that you could stop by every time you visit Boston and see something completely different and interesting.

Gallery NAGA

67 Newbury St; 617-267-9060; www.gallerynaga.com

NAGA specializes in contemporary art and studio furniture, typically rather avant garde and experimental.  Out of all the Newbury Street art galleries, Boston's NAGA is where you'll typically see the most cutting-edge pieces. 

Shows typically last 3, maybe 4 weeks, with a week off in between exhibitions.

Martin Lawrence Gallery

77 Newbury St; 617-369-4800; website

The Martin Lawrence Gallery has 13 locations around the country, and rotates exhibits among them. 

This Newbury Street art gallery specializes in paintings, sculptures, and limited edition graphics by old and modern masters - Rembrandt, Picasso, Chagall, Hallam, Warhol, Haring, and many others. 

In addition to its gallery exhibitions, the Lawrence Gallery also conducts auctions of works by 20th century artists where you can place winning bids on paintings, sculptures, etchings, lithographs, and other types of prints. 

Galleria Florentia

79 Newbury St; 617-585-9200; website

Somewhere between art gallery and high-end home furnishings / decorative arts, the Galleria Florentia specializes in bronzes, European wood inlays (both furniture and decorative items), exquisite porcelains, leather bound books and other items, and breath-taking, spectacular, wish-I-could-have-every-single-piece Murano glass. 

What can I say . . . the glass alone is reason to stop by.  But when you see the other museum-quality items in this very chic Newbury Street art gallery, you'll be doubly glad that you did.

Axelle Fine Arts

91 Newbury St; 617-450-0700; website

With so many art galleries, Boston's Newbury Street has something that's sure to please everyone. 

Axelle Fine Arts' lovely offerings is likely to please a lot of people.  One of 4 locations around the country, Axelle features contemporary French painters. 

The art is nicely hung so that you can focus on each painting.  You'll spot many tempting things here that you'll want to take home with you. 

Lanoue Fine Art

125 Newbury St; 617-262-4400; www.lanouefineart.com

This highly acclaimed Newbury Street art gallery features mid-career and well-established painters, sculptors, and printmakers who create abstract and representational work.  If you enjoy pieces with an almost dreamlike or mythic quality, you'll probably find a lot of things here that you'll want to take home with you.

Shows typically run for about a month, and are very well curated, so you get quite an in-depth look at a particular artist's vision.

Arden Gallery

129 Newbury St; 617-247-0610; www.ardengallery.com

You'll find an interesting and eclectic mix of emerging and mid-career contemporary artists working in a wide range of styles at the Arden Gallery.  Abstract, super-realism, surrealism, minimalist - you'll find it all here. 

Exhibits are usually up for 3-4 weeks, and feature artists such as Tom Seghi, Teri Malo, Joanne Mattera, Anthony James, and Sharon Booma. 

If you like contemporary art, you're sure to find a lot of things of interest in this popular Newbury Street art gallery.

Brodney Antiques & Jewelry

145 Newbury St; 617-536-0500; website

Although as Brodney's name suggests, the emphasis here in on antiques, collectibles, and estate jewelry, you'll find enough sculpture and paintings here to make a visit worthwhile, especially if your interests lie in pre-20th century American, European, and Asian art. 

The emphasis is on very good to museum quality items, and not surprisingly, this family-owned shop (now run by the younger generation) is a favorite of serious collectors. 

Actually, it's a favorite of everyone who shops there.

Rolly-Michaux

290 Dartmouth Street; open Tues-Fri 11am-4pm and Sat 11am-5pm; 617-536-9898

Just off Newbury Street, one of Boston's top art galleries is located in the historic Vendome building on the corner of Dartmouth Street and Commonwealth Avenue.

Ron Rolly and Ron Michaux have been art dealers and gallery owners since 1967, and focus on 20th century master graphics, watercolors, drawings, and contemporary American and European artists and photographers. 

In the light-filled space, you'll see work by contemporary artists such as Robert Castagna and Robert Sweeney.

Victoria Munroe Fine Art

161 Newbury St; 617-523-0661; www.victoriamunroefineart.com

Specializes in drawings, sculpture, and other media from various cultures, periods, and perspectives.  Exhibitions tend to be quite interesting, and usually last 6-8 weeks.  You'll see some wonderful things here.

DTR Modern Galleries

167 Newbury St; 617-424-9700; website

DTR Modern Galleries, which also has branches in New York and Palm Beach, specializes in 20th century modern masters and 21st century big-name contemporary artists. 

You'll see Chagall, Miro, Warhol, Picasso, and Matisse - as well as many others not so well known.  The gallery focuses on newer enthusiasts as well as serious connoisseurs, and both private and corporate collectors.

Childs Gallery

169 Newbury St; 617-266-1108; website

Specializes in high quality European and American paintings, prints, watercolors, drawings, and sculpture, from Renaissance through the 1950s. 

Established in 1937, Childs is the oldest of the commercial Newbury Street art galleries, and has a huge inventory - one of the largest in the U.S.   In addition to art that appeals to mainstream tastes and would look perfect in elegant settings, the highly knowledgeable staff at Childs also seeks out works that may be slightly overlooked, out of favor, or unusual.  

As a result, you never know what you'll find here, and there's a good chance that you'll see something very interesting.  Exhibitions usually run for about 8 weeks, and may feature groups of artists, individuals, or works based on particular techniques, media, or themes. 

Pucker Gallery

171 Newbury St, lower level; 617-267-9416; www.puckergallery.com

Drawings, paintings, prints, photos, sculpture, and ceramics by contemporary artists from all over the world - especially African, Japanese, and European artists. 

The gallery offers informative and interesting audio tours on two of its floors.

Society of Arts and Crafts (SAC)

175 Newbury St; 617-266-1810; www.societyofcrafts.org

True, most of what you'll see exhibited here is more toward the craft end of the spectrum than the arts end.  But every so often, you'll see an exhibit of something like fiber art and you'll realize that the boundaries between craft and art can be blurry, at best.

If you're looking for something contemporary, SAC is a worthwhile stop.  And of course if you love crafts created by highly skilled artisans, you should stop by for that reason also.

Marcoz Antiques

177 Newbury St; 617-262-0780; www.marcozantiques.com

Within its three very fine antique furniture and decorative art galleries, Boston's Marcoz Antiques includes many treasures that cross over into the "art" category. 

Although the focus is on 18th to 20th century European furnishings, you'll also find many wonderful pieces of art, especially 3-dimensional pieces, that will fit perfectly with period decor but also look

Nielsen Gallery

179 Newbury St, 1st floor; 617-266-4835; www.nielsengallery.com

The high-regarded Nielsen Gallery, a Boston presence since 1963, showcases and supports contemporary artists whose work tends to be experimental and avant-garde. 

Exhibitions typically last 4-6 weeks, and includes artists of international reputation such as Joan Snyder, Dexter Lazenby, Nathalie Miebach, and James Cambronne. 

The Nielsen maintains long-term nurturing relationships with many of its artists, and mounts exhibits of their work on a periodic basis. 

International Poster Gallery

205 Newbury St; 617-375-0076; www.internationalposter.com

Browsing here is tons of fun . . . and slightly addictive. 

The International Poster Gallery features vintage and modern posters from all over the world.  Prices range from affordable (around $100) to waaaay higher.

You can find almost any style, period, category, subject, artist, or country you want.  If they don't have it already, they may be able to acquire it. 

Warning: this is a collector's paradise.  And if you're not already an addict - I mean, collector - when you walk in, thinking you'll browse for about 5 minutes, you will be when you stagger out 3 hours later, dreaming obsessively about French art nouveau and Italian travel posters that you must have.

Person + Killian Photography

251 Newbury St; 617-236-1622; www.personkillian.com

Person + Killian isn't really an art gallery at all - but you may not realize that if you stop by. 

Boston photographers Jill Person and Lauren Killian blur boundaries by infusing their wedding photos with such a high level of photojournalism that the results are something that you might see showcased in a gallery. 

So if you're out gallery-hopping, pop in for a couple of minutes, or at least peer through the window.  You'll see "I do" photos elevated to an art form.  Who know, you may even decide that you need your wedding photo taken . . . hmm. . . time to get engaged?  or renew vows?

Continue walking along to Gloucester Street, cross at the corner, and then walk back down the other side of Newbury toward the Public Garden.

New Art on Newbury

244 Newbury St; 617-267- 2787; website

Gallery owner Tom McCarthy is one of the 20 or so local Boston artists whose work is represented at New Art on Newbury - and if you're lucky, you can even see him painting here.  He's best known for his paintings of iconic Boston scenes . . . the glowing red Citgo sign, Fenway Park, his "Boston after Dark" series.

In fact, this is the best of the Newbury Street art galleries for finding paintings of local landmarks by new and established artists.  Whether you're visiting Boston and want a special piece of art to commemorate your visit, or you live here and want to come home to art that captures the magic of the city or other images by your favorite Boston artist, you're sure to find something wonderful.

Vose Galleries of Boston

238 Newbury St; 617-536-6176; www.vosegalleries.com

Founded in 1841, the Vose Galleries have been passed down through 6 generations of the Vose family and is the oldest family-owned art gallery in America. 

Vose Galleries specializes in 18th, 19th, and 20th century American realistic paintings and works on paper, and has the largest inventory on American realistic paintings in New England. 

This large Newbury Street gallery displays paintings in exquisite settings on 5 floors.  Each gallery is furnished like a room so that you can see the pieces in a home-like setting.  If this genre is within your area of interest, the Vose Galleries are a "must-stop" site.

L'Attitude Gallery

218 Newbury St; 617-927-4400; www.lattitudegalleries.com

Do you have a sculpture garden, or a spot - indoors or out - that you might transform into one?  If so, this is the place to come! 

You find all kinds of 3-dimensional pieces, in all kinds of media.  All you have is the top of a coffee table?  That will work, too. 

Pieces range from serious to whimsical.  In the sculpture art galleries, emerging and established artists will dazzle you with their humor, profundity, and creativity.  Many of the pieces are museum quality. 

In the other galleries, you'll find wonderful jewelry, ceramics, and furniture.
striking in a more contemporary setting.

Guild of Boston Artists

162 Newbury St; 617-536-7660; www.guildofbostonartists.org

One of the most popular Boston art galleries since 1914, the Guild of Boston Artists shows the work of contemporary local and New England artists who specialize in traditional painting styles. 

The gallery represents about 70 artists who work in a range of media. You'll see lots of traditional, realistic landscapes here.  When you want an excellent painting with which you can live happily for a long time, this is the place to come.

Copley Society of Art

158 Newbury St; 617-536-5049; website

This non-profit art association (called "CoSo"), founded in 1879 and the oldest in the U.S., features exhibits of emerging regional and local artists. 

The CoSo building has 3 galleries, with exhibitions sometimes spanning more than one of them.  Each exhibition typically features one artist and runs for about a month, although some group shows go for a couple of months. 

CoSo is a top spot for discovering and acquiring works of not-yet-famous artists for affordable (although not cheap) prices.  Styles generally tend toward realism rather than abstract, and are fairly mainstream rather than avant garde.  You'll see some wonderful things here.

Barbara Krakow Gallery

10 Newbury St, 5th floor; 617-262-4490; website

The Barbara Krakow Gallery specializes in post-World War II paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints. 

You'll find big-name contemporary and mid-to-late 20th century artists featured in this highly-esteemed Newbury Street art gallery - Cindy Sherman, Richard Serra, Elsworth Kelly, as well as a few emerging artists destined for future fame. 

Shows typically represent single artists, run 4-6 weeks, and are always interesting.  This gallery is a favorite with owners and designers of lofts and other large, sleek spaces, as well as collectors and lovers of art of this period.

Not quite on Newbury Street - Other art galleries nearby

Thos Moser Cabinetmakers

19 Arlington St; 617-224-1245; www.thosmoser.com

Here's where you can see furniture as sculpture.  Hand-crafted from cherry by highly skilled artisans using traditional joinery methods, Thos Moser furniture is simple, elegant, and beautiful. 

But another reason to visit the Arlington Street showroom is that the floor space doubles as gallery space to exhibit top-notch original work by local and national artists.  You'll find some beautiful and affordable pieces . . . and by seeing them in this showroom, you can even get a sense of how they might look in your home.

St. George Gallery

Formerly on Newbury St - now at 162 Boylston Street, Suite 49 (the Steinert Building), in the Theatre District across from Boston Common; 617-338-0200; www.stgeorgegallery.com

As part of a growing trend toward artist/owner art galleries, Boston big-name artist William St. George showcases his own work in the St. George Gallery, where he also represents the work of Yvette Stenzel. 

St. George's work is big, full of light and life, and exuberant, and so popular that he also sells high-quality giclée reproduction prints and cards. The gallery also hosts classes and workshops.

Even though the St. George is no longer in Back Bay, it's only a couple of blocks away.  Stop by if you're on your way to a show in Boston's Theatre District or one of the nearby comedy clubs.

Boston map showing Newbury Street art galleries

Use this map of Newbury Street to find the art galleries mentioned on this page.

Directions to the Newbury Street art galleries - nearest subway ("T") stations

Most of the Newbury Street art galleries cluster within the 6 blocks closest to the Public Garden.  Both the Green Line/Arlington and Green Line/Copley stations are convenient; both are one block away on Boylston Street.

Tips about Newport Street art galleries

Hours:  Like art galleries elsewhere in the city, many of the Newbury Street art galleries have infrequent and/or unpredictable hours.  Some are open at additional times by appointment.  Some close for large chunks of time, like the month of January or August. 

If you're just walking around a neighborhood and feel like exploring a couple of galleries but don't care which ones, the hours won't matter so much to you.  But if you're interested in a specific gallery, first check the hours on the gallery's website, and then always call to confirm.

Prices:  You'll find everything from very affordable to sky-high prices - although of course, when you fall in love with a piece, sometimes you don't care.  But like with other types of expensive items, you may find some negotiability.  In any case, you have nothing to lose by inquiring.