I got into an argument over the weekend with George, an art dealer friend of mine about, well, art...George claimed I would have a hard time telling my art from my elbow and apparently buying a tote bag and postcard from the Tate Modern gift shop does not constitute 'supporting the arts'. I think he may have even used the words 'culturally uncouth'. Ouch.

This comment was particularly hurtful after my New Year's resolutions to become more 'erudite' and to read a 'big book' this year and to generally expand my intellectual horizons.

I told George I was mortally offended over such claims and was disappointed that he thought I was all style and no substance. In fact, I endeavoured to point out that on all of the foreign trips and holidays I went on last year, I always found time to visit an art gallery (and not just to pick up a postcard). To prove it, I had to submit to George a catalogue of the cultural hotspots I frequented last year from my travels. Here is my list:

Dia:Beacon, Beacon, New York

Dia:Beacon is a factory turned gallery with seemingly limitless headspace. It presents 25 artists from Richter to Judd in an orthodox and flat-out-cool way. Each oversized piece suits its 240,000-square-foot showroom. And once you've worked up an appetite from looking at all of that art, well, a few blocks away is The Piggy Bank providing slow-smoked spot-on southern BBQ foods (opt for the pulled pork sandwich). After a refuel, push on to the Storm King Art Centre, a 500-acre eco-minimalist sculpture park twelve miles south in Mountainville. The main attraction is an old gravel pit sculpted into a sea of ten-to-fifteen-foot-high waves. Mind-bending. Oh, I do believe that is two cultural hotspots in one day. IN YOUR FACE GEORGE!

Galerie du Globe, Chamonix

There's no doubt that the Galerie du Globe is the liveliest and most dynamic cultural centre in the Argentière/Chamonix valley and a great place to visit if you are looking to rest your weary ski limbs for an afternoon. The gallery encourages promising artists, while displaying the work of established artists. The central theme of all exhibited work is the environment and place and all of the pieces are for sale with profits going to humanitarian and environmental causes, meaning you can take a little piece of Chamonix home with you.

Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

Probably the most renowned of the city's museums, the Hong Kong Museum of Art houses one of the best collections of Chinese art anywhere in the world featuring a rotating collection of nearly 15,000 items. The collection of Chinese antiques is perhaps the museum's most impressive, where you'll find everything from traditional ceramics and glassware to a Mandarins costume and bamboo carvings. A bonus is the beautiful backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

Art Space, Santorini

One particularly stylish venture is Art Space in Exo Gonia. This amazing, free gallery is housed in two wine cellars, a rake distillery and the large caved space of the old winery, carved into the pumice rock. For sightseeing on a budget, you couldn't do better - check out some contemporary art and sculptures from acclaimed Greek and international artists, then when you've worked up a thirst, head over to the modern winery for a tasting. Cheers!

So now that I have proven I'm not 'culturally uncouth', in true artistic style, I'm going to celebrate being a culture vulture by painting the town red...