METROPOLIS Art is celebrating its third birthday with some more eye-catching exhibitions.

The gallery in Westbourne is showing off work by renowned artists like Banksy and Stuart Semple – and Tom Lewis is among the latest to have his work included.

Owner Vicki Angus said it has been a successful three years since taking over from the former Hunter Simmonds gallery.

She said: “I certainly like to think we’ve improved the art scene.

“It’s an emerging scene and there are lots of people interested in art here once you start searching beneath the surface.”

Former Poole college student Stuart Semple often sells his work in New York, Milan, London and Hong Kong and has celebrity fans including Noel Gallagher, Dave Stewart and Debbie Harry.

And in February he caused a stir by giving away his work to youngsters at the launch of his exhibition at Metropolis.

Vicki said: “That recent Stuart Semple exhibition was a big highlight for us.

“He’s a big name in the international art scene and his originals go for a lot of money.

“He had a limited edition print he was giving away and it is exciting to work with somebody who is at an international level but is still local.

“That was one of the highlights but all our exhibitions have been amazing.”

And Vicki loves the way people feel free to come in and browse the artworks.

She said; “We have a lot of people who come in and treat it like a public gallery and that’s fantastic.

“And we’ve tried to come up with art across a spectrum of prices.”

With work by Banksy, Blek Le Rat, Nick Walker and the Urban Artist Soap proving popular at Metropolis, Tom Lewis said it is a “boom” for him to be working with the gallery “It’s refreshing that people with taste are able to stay open in these difficult times,” he said.