In a fine Georgian building at the head of the Kingsbridge Estuary, you'll find Harbour House - a thriving centre for yoga and the arts.

From small beginnings in 1997, it has steadily expanded over 10 years and now houses three fine yoga studios, a quiet suite of rooms for meditation, a second floor art studio, and a magnificent art gallery which is the envy of the South Hams.

Supported by a charitable trust, the aim of Harbour House is to offer an affordable and enriching experience of arts, yoga, t'ai chi and meditation, and a venue for meetings and support groups.

Exhibitions generally run for one, two or three weeks, offering visitors to the gallery a regularly changing and inspiring visual experience. Local artists can apply to hire the gallery for solo or group shows, and 2008’s artists include painters Sally Fisher, Mick Loates, John Rochester and Hilary Soper, sculptors Joanna Martins and Caroline Mercer, and Devon Guild of Craftsmen photographer Mei Lim.

Summer shows include Press Gang, the Salcombe printmakers who this year celebrate their tenth anniversary; the South Hams Arts Forum, a flourishing artists' collective; and The Contemporary Living Fair - a group of designers and makers who take over the gallery with a beautiful collection of glass, textiles, basketry, paintings and much more.

Many artists like to give an informal gallery talk, explaining their working practices and inspiration, and the Thursday at 12 noon slot is becoming a popular fixture. Everybody is welcome, there's no need to book, and admission is free.

A selection panel meets at the beginning of July each year, to review all applications for the gallery.

2008 begins with the lively Primary Colours exhibition, where 12 local primary schools are invited to contribute drawings, paintings, printmaking, collage and sculpture in its many forms. A significant number of adult artists maintain that this is the most invigorating and inspiring exhibition that an art gallery can offer!

The F-Word comes to Kingsbridge in February. It's a powerful touring photographic exhibition exploring the idea of forgiveness in the face of atrocity, and telling the stories of both victims and perpetrators. Don't miss it.

Harbour House usually runs two Open Art Exhibitions each year, where local artists are invited to respond to a given theme and take their chance with the friendly selection panel. Artists don't have to be local, of course, but it is a requirement of the exhibition that each artist takes a turn at stewarding in the gallery - a rewarding experience, and one that helps to keep low the cost to participating artists, since Harbour House manages to maintain its diverse activities with just a small, part-time staff, and a band of cheerful volunteers.

For the Easter Open Art Exhibition, the theme is Calm and Serene. It's a theme that could apply equally to landscape, still life or portraiture, for example, as well as to abstract work and sculpture. The selectors are hoping for some thoughtful new works which convey a mood of calmness and serenity.

In the autumn, the theme is Being Human, Human Being, and artists are invited to consider what it really means to be a human, spiritual, social being. Short of inspiration? Try local art therapist Jenny Murphy's one day workshop in February, where you'll have an opportunity to examine this intriguing concept in more depth. Full details of entry for the Open Exhibitions can be downloaded from www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

Life drawing remains popular at Harbour House, with an annual painting weekend, a block of tutored sessions every term, and a regular untutored studio every Friday. There's also an established portraiture class, and a wide range of drawing and painting workshops for artists of all levels of ability and experience. Then there’s the children's art club, creative writing, literature appreciation, singing workshops and belly dancing.

A steady stream of people carrying yoga mats or sketchbooks can be seen crossing the courtyard garden from the Promenade, but a number of less conspicuous activities also take place at Harbour House. Counselling and psychotherapy sessions are offered in a quiet first floor room, and several local support groups meet regularly.

And then there's The Cafe, with a balcony overlooking the gallery, and a surprisingly peaceful courtyard garden at the back. It's a popular, friendly meeting place, serving home-cooked vegetarian food.

For more information about Harbour House, visit www.harbourhouse.org.uk.