Five Local Galleries to Shop for Killer Artwork

Featuring one-of-a-kind posters, 18th-century paintings, famed abstract works, and more.


krakow witkin

Photo courtesy of Krakow Witkin Gallery

Krakow Witkin Gallery

The Newbury Street gallery offers statement sculptures, paintings, photography, and more by an impressive list of artists, from pieces by local up-and-comers to abstract works by celebrated virtuosos like Josef Albers. The Krakow Witkin’s shows rotate every six weeks, and the gallery also hosts an annual benefit exhibition that raises tens of thousands of dollars for the Boston Pediatric/Family AIDS Program each year.

10 Newbury St., Boston, 617-262-4490, krakowwitkingallery.com.

Lanoue Gallery
This space houses contemporary paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media in a 4,000-square-foot renovated warehouse located in the South End. The gallery’s offerings go well beyond what you’ll see on display though: Through in-person consultations and/or visits to your home, the staff can help you build an art collection that’s both personal and complementary to your space. Plus, their trademarked “Virtual Preview” process also allows you to visualize what a work of art will look like on your walls before you take it home.

450 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-262-4400, lanouegallery.com.

International Poster Gallery
Don’t be fooled by this gallery’s name: You won’t find college dorm posters here. The shop sells some 10,000 authenticated vintage originals from France, Italy, Russia, and beyond. The pieces in this SoWa spot range in style from midcentury modern to avant-garde and feature subjects such as travel, sports, and music. The business sells its posters in store as well as online, but shop quick: In many cases, the shop only stocks one of each piece.

460C Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-375-0076, internationalposter.com.

vose gallery

Vose Galleries / Photo by Tyler M. Prince

Vose Galleries
With nearly 200 years of experience, this sixth-generation family-run gallery has amassed an expansive collection of American art. The five-floor Newbury Street brownstone houses 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century American realist paintings and works on paper. At the turn of this century, the gallery also opened a division devoted to contemporary realism with works by the likes of Maine-based artist Joel Babb and Marshfield’s Liz Haywood-Sullivan.

238 Newbury St., Boston, 617-536-6176, vosegalleries.com.

Carroll and Sons

Keep your eyes peeled at this SoWa space: It frequently features the work of local rising stars before their paintings, photography, sculptures, videos, or works on paper hit major galleries. One example? Cartoons by graphic novelist (and Concord native) Karl Stevens, whose pieces have been regularly displayed at the gallery since 2010. More recently, his work has been showcased in the New Yorker and, this December, will be on display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

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