Best of Boston

2002 Best Art Gallery

Bernard Toale Gallery

The burgeoning SOWA (South of Washington) district is now a must-see destination, thanks in no small part to Bernie Toale. Toale’s gallery has been a showcase for everything from the sculpture of Roxy Paine to the intricate, layered drawings of ICA Artist Prize-winner Ambreen Butt to the portraits of photographer David Hilliard. The gallery’s Boston Drawing Project also provides a much-needed home for other local artists and for worthy smaller projects that might otherwise be overlooked.

450 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-482-2477,