Northeast Georgia residents don’t have to drive to upscale Atlanta museums to get their fill of art and culture.

Sprinkled throughout the region are various art galleries, offering an assortment of tastes, styles, media and activities.

Hillary Sheppard knows about art in the area. She’s managed multiple galleries and is now opening her own, Sido Gallery at 1317 Washington St. in Clarkesville.

“It’s been quite an adventure,” she said. “I’ve managed several galleries and things like that, but have never opened one from scratch. I felt like I’d learned so much from different places, meeting so many different artists, I wanted to do this as my own venture.”

Sido Gallery will open March 8, Sheppard said, though she hopes to open within the next week. Its hours will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“There’s a lot of color, and I’m hoping people walk in and realize they are in a happy environment,” Sheppard said. “I love what I do, I love to paint and demonstrate for people. I’m always glad to have people come in, learn things about them and find out what they’re attracted to.”

For Gainesville residents who’d like to view art a bit closer to home, numerous options are within walking distance from the Gainesville square.

Brenau University houses four separate galleries across its campus and at the Brenau Downtown Center.

Brenau’s Sellars Gallery and President’s Gallery, both in the Simmons Visual Arts Center at 200 Boulevard, are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The Sellars Gallery closes from 12:15-1:15 p.m. for lunch.

In the downtown center at 301 Main St. SW, the Manhattan Gallery is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Manhattan Gallery’s permanent collection includes some of the school’s most spectacular works, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Kiki Smith, Hunt Slonem and Margaret Evangeline.

Guests must check in with front desk attendant to view the gallery.

But Brenau is not the only university in Gainesville to house an impressive collection of art. The University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus is home to the Roy C. Moore Art Gallery, in the Continuing Education Building.

Currently, the gallery has an exhibit called Residue on display, said Beth Sale, the director of art galleries at UNG.

“There is a piece by Jonathan Bouknight, who is an Atlanta artist who came to Gainesville specifically to film the piece that is up right now,” Sale said. “He brought a dancer and choreographer, who did a performance in the gallery and left the objects they used for the performance as a ‘residue’ of the performance. So when you go to the gallery, what you see is the film they created projected on the wall, and a table with some balloons, candles and clay the choreographer actually manipulated in the filming.”

Gainesville is also home to the Quinlan Visual Arts Center at 514 Green St. NE. Beginning next week, the 38th annual Gala Fine Art Auction will be on display at the Quinlan, executive director Amanda McClure said.

From March 18 to April 9, the Quinlan will celebrate the 13th annual Youth Art Month.

When spring rolls around, three distinct exhibitions will go up on the walls April 14. They are the Ossabow Artist Collective “Coastal Light: Impressions of Georgia’s Barrier Islands;” “Sapelo Island Revered: The Photography and Paintings of Charles and Nona Stephens;” and National Collage Society’s “19th annual Postcard Exhibition.”

Quinlan also has a “Mini Gallery,” in the downtown Regions Center at Jewell and E.E. Butler parkways. The Mini Gallery features an exhibit called “Constellations” by Sandra Landergott. Her medium is encaustic painting, or a technique using molten beeswax and resin.

Locals interested in venturing outside the county limits also have a number of art galleries within reach.

At UNG’s Dahlonega campus, Michi Meko’s exhibit “Circle of Rivers” is on display until March 11 in the Bob Owens Art Gallery.

The Mountain Gallery at 1392 Washington St. in Clarkesville offers works from more than seven artists, available for viewing and purchase. The gallery also offers custom framing.

Sautee Nacoochee Center in White County has Twin Galleries, featuring works by Northeast Georgia artists and craftspeople, plus a hallway gallery with submitted art.

Finally, Canvas and Cork at 90 N. Meaders St. in Dahlonega offers several options along with art viewing.

“Canvas and Cork is a wine tasting room, with local Cavender Creek Vineyards wines, artists’ studios and art gallery,” said co-owner Beth Brightwell. “We have four studio artists and seven exhibiting artists including Billy Roper, a highly renowned contemporary folk artist. We also have weekly art lessons, wine and paint parties, live music events and art shows on a regular basis.”

Sheppard said she believes Northeast Georgia is a “wonderful” area for art lovers.

“I really enjoy living in this area,” she said. “I really care about my town and surrounding areas, and I’m really happy to be here in North Georgia. I feel really lucky.”