Lifting the lid on the best art galleries in Newcastle

It's hard to compete with the likes of London when it comes to art galleries, but for at least a decade Newcastle has been forging ahead in its own way in a bid to prove anyone who thought there was no art worth seeing outside the capital wrong.

The hard work has paid off and the city now has a great selection of contemporary and classic galleries displaying work by some of the world's most renowned artists as well as little-known up-and-comers striving for their big break.

As if to demonstrate the fact, the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art on the Gateshead side of the Millennium Bridge became the first non-Tate gallery to host the Turner prize last year – helping put the north-east even further into the art world's gaze.

All of this means that if you're headed to a hostel in Newcastle and looking to browse an exhibition or two you will not find yourself disappointed for choice - just follow our guide to the best galleries in the city…

The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

Standing proud on the banks of the River Tyne, the BALTIC has long been a local landmark since its time as a flour mill, but after closing in the 80s it stood forlorn until extensive redevelopment turned it into the north-east's number one contemporary art gallery.

Spread over six stunning floors, the building itself is pretty spectacular, but the gallery's international reputation has seen world-renowned artists such as Damien Hirst and Yoko Ono feature on its stellar exhibition programme.

"In 2011 it played host to the Turner Prize, which attracted more than 150,000 people," explains Carol Bell, head of culture and major events at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, while the Elizabeth Price's BALTIC exhibition has been put forward for the 2012 award. Free entry. Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BA. Mon - Sun, 10am - 6pm.

The Biscuit Factory

As one of the UK's biggest independent commercial galleries, the Biscuit Factory has a lot to offer that is great to take in, but the venue is very much geared towards selling the works of art so it is not what everyone is looking for from a gallery.

Its focus is very much upon contemporary art and sculpture makes up a large part of its exhibitions, while the fact that it is essentially a giant art shop also means that it is packed full of different works that provide a feast for the eyes. The downside to this, however, is that it can sometimes feel over-crowded and there is a lot of competition for your attention. Free entry. 16 Stoddart Street, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE2 1AN. Mon to Fri, 10am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 11am - 5pm.

Hatton Gallery

With a permanent collection boasting more than 3,500 works from the Renaissance to the 20th century, the Hatton Gallery on the Newcastle University campus has a lot to offer – including works by Francis Bacon, John Martin and Richard Hamilton.

These are displayed alongside its well-received exhibition programme, which brings some stunning and diverse events to Newcastle, from historical to contemporary. Free entry. Quadrangle, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU. Mon to Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun 2pm - 5pm.

The Laing Art Gallery

Having been open for more than a century, the Laing Art Gallery is the oldest public art gallery in the city and stands just a couple of minutes away from Euro Hostel Newcastle.

As far as collections go, it has arguably the biggest and best in the north-east, with classic art and sculpture as its centrepiece, but the Laing is also famous for offering a busy schedule of exhibitions and regularly brings some of the world's biggest names to Newcastle. One of the top events this summer is As Large As Life by favourite children's illustrator Quentin Blake, which runs from July 7th until October 14th. Free entry. New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AG. Mon to Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun 2pm - 5pm.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders is a small spin-off gallery from London gallery Lazarides, run by Steve Lazarides, the man rumoured to be Banksy's 'agent'. As you'd expect, its focus is on street art and Outsiders has capitalised on Newcastle's thriving graffiti culture to bring some of the world's most infamous street artists to Newcastle, often giving them their first UK shows in the city.

This summer sees the first ever solo exhibition from the LA-based Morley, whose unique brand of slogan art has been a feature of sprawling Los Angeles for the last couple of years. It runs from July 13thuntil August 18th. After the Morley event closes, another solo show from US graffiti artist Borf takes over, running from August 24thuntil September 29th. Free entry. 77 Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3DE. Tue to Sat, 12pm - 6pm.

Side Gallery

Dedicated to documentary photography, the Side Gallery has been a mainstay on Newcastle's Quayside for 35 years and there is nowhere better to see photographic exhibitions in the north-east. The gallery tends to host works of the 'concerned photographer' tradition and many of its events deal with difficult social issues - both local and international - that do not make for particularly easy viewing.

Ongoing exhibitions worth taking in this summer include The National Womb by Anastasia Taylor-Lind which explores the baby boom of Nagorno Karabakh – a landlocked region next to Azerbaijan and Armenia. Meanwhile, Karen Robinson's All Dressed Up runs until August 11th and casts its lens upon the lives of teenage girls living in Durham's former mining villages. Free entry. 5-9 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3JE. Tues to Sat 11am – 5pm, Thurs 11am – 7pm.

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