Bunker Art Studio is an independent studio-gallery on a small scale in Boscombe, run by the artist Penny Hansford. It isn't a big civic gallery: it occupies one of the creative units inside the Royal Arcade, the Victorian shopping arcade that is Boscombe's best-known building, which gives it more of a personal, workshop atmosphere than Bournemouth's larger museums and exhibition venues.
The Royal Arcade setting
The arcade deserves a look in its own right. Archibald Beckett, a local builder sometimes described as "the maker of Boscombe," put it up in 1892, and it is now Grade II-listed. Its best-known feature is the tall glass-domed ceiling, which in earlier days let daylight fall on concerts given by an organ, orchestra and singers from a balcony above the shops. Today the Victorian building is home to a mixture of independent shops and small creative businesses, Bunker Art Studio among them, and the studio has moved between more than one unit in the arcade over the years.
Planning a visit
Since this is a small studio run independently rather than a public gallery with staff on the door, there are no formally published opening hours; the studio's Facebook page is the most dependable place to check before setting out. A visit pairs well with a look around the rest of the Royal Arcade and the broader creative scene in Boscombe, including Boscombe Arts Depot close by.
It is one of a number of independent creative spaces dotted around Boscombe. Find more in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.