Art & About

Art & About in Woking is a gallery that gives local artists proper space to show their work without the pretension you'd find in bigger venues. It's the kind of place where you might stumble across something genuinely interesting - paintings, sculptures, installations, the lot - without having to queue or pay a small fortune.

The gallery functions as a working creative space as much as a showcase. You'll often find artists in the studio, which beats staring at work through glass and wondering what they were thinking. It's collaborative rather than stuffy, and that changes the whole experience.

This works best if you're the sort of person who actually cares about contemporary art or local creative practice. Kids won't get much from it unless they're old enough to engage with the work themselves - under eights will be bored within minutes. Give yourself an hour, maybe ninety minutes if there's a show on that really grabs you.

If you're staying at Chapel Farm Park just down the road - that's the one with the stronger reviews, worth noting - Woking town centre is close enough for a culture-and-coffee afternoon without it feeling like a pilgrimage. Same goes for Wyldecrest, though you're looking at a short drive either way. It's the sort of place you'd add to a Saturday in Surrey rather than build a day around, but if you're in the area and into art at all, it's worth the diversion.