Love is Enough: runs at BMAG 25 April – 6 September 2015

Following a stint at Modern Art Oxford, Love is Enough, an exhibition bringing together two artistic legends, will be coming to Birmingham. Curated by Jeremy Deller, this visual feast of an exhibition launches today and will run until September. It features the work of Andy Warhol and William Morris, two artists you wouldn’t automatically draw together, but the exhibition draws several parallels, surrounding mass production and pattern making amongst other comparisons.

If you’re a fan of either artist, or indeed of patterns, it’s well worth a visit (I was lucky enough to see the exhibition in Oxford).

There’s a lovely selection of images of the team installing the artworks on the Birmingham Post site.

Free with National Art Pass (standard entry £7)

Adult: £7.00
Concession (student / senior): £6.00
Child (3-15 years): £3.00
Child (under 3): Free
Family (2 adults & 2 children): £17.00

Opening Times:

Mon – Thu, 10am – 5pm
Fri, 10.30am – 5pm
Sat – Sun, 10am – 5pm

Today (14th February) sees the start of New Art West Midlands 2014. It was announced in December that 24 emerging artists from our own regional universities would exhibit their work within four different galleries across Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

A Turning Point West Midlands initiative, New Art West Midlands exhibits the work of 24 artists, all of whom have graduated from one of the region’s undergraduate and postgraduate fine art degree courses in the past three years: Birmingham City University, Coventry University, Staffordshire University, University of Wolverhampton and University of Worcester.  Encompassing four nationally important galleries plus five universities, it is the largest partnership of its kind in England.

Who are the Artists?

All of the artists have recently come from undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There really is a great range of different artists here, with their work ranging from sculpture, film, photography, performance to painting.

• Morna Lockie Anrig  (BCU)
• Csilla Farkas (University of Worcester)
• Cheryl Howard (University of Worcester)
• James Birkin (Coventry University)
• Lucy Hutchinson (Coventry University)
• Gregory Dunn (BCU)
• Barbara Witkowska (Staffordshire University)
• Anna Smith (Wolverhampton University)
• Santhanha Nguyen (BCU)
• Sikander Pervez (Staffordshire University)
• Ali Reed (Staffordshire University)
• Anna Horton (BCU)
• Hannah Sutherland (Coventry University)
• Leah Carless (BCU)
• Glen Stoker (Staffordshire University)
• Caroline Ali (Wolverhampton University)
• Chris Wright (Staffordshire University)
• Sade Buckle (BCU)
• Wendy Ann Titmus (BCU)
• Bethany Fisher (Staffordshire University)
• Sharon Farrelly (BCU)
• Emily Mulenga (BCU)
• Amelia Greville (Staffordshire University)
• Sarah Sehra (University of Worcester)

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

The Barber Institute Steering Committee is chaired by the University of Birmingham’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Whitby as well as representatives from the University’s College of Arts and Law, the Henry Barber Trust and the Friends of the Barber Institute. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts owes its existence to the vision of Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber (1869–1933). First opened by Queen Mary in 1939, the art deco building owes its design to architect Robert Atkinson (1833-1952) and has since been a home to major art collections, a public gallery and the original concert hall for the University of Birmingham. Their collection includes paintings by Old Masters including Botticelli, Rubens, Gainsborough and Turner, as well as Impressionist and other 19th and 20th-century masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir and Magritte.

The Barber Institute will be exhibiting the work of Caroline Ali, James Birkin, Sade Buckle, Leah Carless, Cheryl Howard, Sikander Pervez, Glen Stoker, Wendy Ann Titmus and Chris Wright from the 14^th February – 27^th April. Is open from Monday – Friday between the hours of 10am – 5pm and on the weekend it is open  11am – 5pm.

Grand Union

First opened in March 2010, Grand Union is directed by Cheryl Jones. Based at 19 Minerva Works in Fazeley, Grand Union is an exciting artist-led project space that houses 8 purpose built studios (and they really are lovely!) which were designed by designer Matthew Higginbottom with Queen & Crawford. As well as exhibiting the works from the Turning Point West Midlands artists, Grand Union will also be hosting a talk on the 17^th February from 6:30pm till 8:00pm featuring artists Leah Carless, Sarah Sehra, Anna Smith, Glen Stoker and Hannah Sutherland.

The exhibition is on between 14^th February – 15^th of March. Grand Union is open from 12pm – 5pm on Thursday – Saturday.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery opened on 28th November 1885. Birmingham’s citizens had campaigned for a Corporation Art Gallery for over 40 years. The generosity of manufacturers such as Thomas Clarkson Osler, Richard and George Tangye, and Mayors Joseph and Richard Chamberlain, secured the art gallery for the town. Now funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council it now boasts over 500,000 objects to make up the numerous collections that originate from each of the continents and dating from 200,000 years ago to the modern day.

Having recently held the successful Photorealism Exhibition (still open until 30^th March) they will be exhibiting the Turning Point West Midland’s Artists from the 14^th February – 18^th May.

BMAG will be exhibiting the work of Gregory Dunn, James Birkin, Csilla Farkas, Anna Horton, Cheryl Howard, Lucy Hutchinson, Lockie-Anrig, Santhanha Nguyen, Sikander Pervez, Ali Reed, Anna Smith, Hannah Sutherland and Barbara Witkowska. Opening times are between 10am – 5pm all week apart from Friday when they open a little later, 10.30am – 5pm.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

WAVE is a collection of buildings. The group includes not only Wolverhampton Art Gallery, but also Bilston Craft Gallery, Bantock House Museum and Wolverhampton City Archives. Wolverhampton Art Gallery has a range of collections and regularly exhibits new works, including contemporary pieces as well as grand paintings dating back as far as the 18^th Century.

Not only is Wolverhampton Art Gallery a great resource for artworks, they are also involved with their community, regularly running events and workshops that are open to the public.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is open from Monday – Saturday between the hours of 10am – 5pm. They will be exhibiting the work of Sade Buckle, Sharon Farrelly, Amelia Greville, Emily Mulenga, Sarah Sehra, Anna Smith and Wendy Ann Titmus. Their exhibition of Turning Point West Midland’s art will run from the 15^th  February – 10^th May.

So who are Turning Point West Midlands?

Turning Point West Midlands is funded by Arts Council England and is also a member of the Contemporary Visual Arts Network. It is a 10 year strategy that began in 2006 to promote and support artists in the West Midlands. In partnership with Birmingham University, Professor John Butler acts as chair for TPWM with other organisations and individuals whom support Birmingham’s growing art community.

These members include; Arts and Heritage in Wolverhampton, Craftspace, National Trust Midlands, Ikon Gallery, New Art Gallery Walsall, Juneau Projects, Coventry Artspace, Eastside Projects, Birmingham Museums Trust, Grand Union as well as independent Consultants, Curators and Artists.

This is a great opportunity for our local artists and hopefully will open up many more opportunities for our creative community.

To keep up to date with all things New Art West Midlands, visit their website.

Is it just me or is Birmingham loving, and seems to be bloody good at, knitting?

I think of this threaded enthusiasm comes as a result of the work in the past of Stitches and Hos, who we’ve chatted about lots and lots.

Well those merry chap and chapettes recently did a project called Knit 2 Together commissioned by Kalaboration (a joint celebration of the 2012 Olympic Games and 50th Anniversary of Jamaican independence) to decorate the pillars outside the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. They did not do it on their own though, along with Birmingham’s Craftspace, over 400 individuals form around Birmingham took part in dressing the BMAG.

On Thursday 13th September there will be a chance to find out everything you wanted to know about this project by attending a conversation between Stitches and Hos Sara Fowles and Craftspace‘s Director Deirdre Figueiredo, which will be at the school of Art in Birmingham starting at 6pm.

Find out more here.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in partnership with The Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Grand Union, Birmingham is organising a high profile selected exhibition as well as offering five bursaries for recent visual arts graduates from the five regionally-based university art schools. The aim of the exhibition and bursaries is to profile the best, critically-engaged work emerging from the university art schools in the West Midlands since 2010 and offer new visual arts graduates a high quality professional development opportunity.

Click this here link for more info.

Very interesting it was too – fashion shoots, roof works (with views across the city) and the conservation studio. Here’s the slideshow:

Yesterday morning I headed over to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, for a visit unlike any other. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Symphony of a Missing Room by Lundahl & Seitl, feeling slightly apprehensive as I was given a pair of wireless headphones, blindfolded and led cautiously around the museum by sounds, voices and a mysterious hand. The whole experience was what I can only describe as dream like, and had me leaving feeling like I’d been awoken from a deep, disorienting sleep.

So far it’s been receiving plenty of rave reviews on Twitter, who all seem to be able to put the experience into words so much better than I can. If you want to check it out for yourself, book via the Fierce website, it’s definitely one to give a go.

Last night also saw the launch of both Flatpack and Fierce, at VIVID, which has been transformed into The Dirty End. Along with live music from Juneau Projects, they had a few tasty treats and cocktails on offer which will apparently be sticking around for most of the festival.

The Vintage Mobile Cinema had it’s first Flatpack outing this afternoon in Victoria Square, where it gathered quite a few admirers. The 22 seater restored mobile cinema, originally toured British factories from 1967, promoting modern production methods. As one of only seven made, this gem is the last standing after being brought back to life to tour the country once again.

With it’s cosy little interior, complete with red cinema seats, it feels rather like a mini Electric. I was also treated to a clip of Buster Keaton’s silent film Sherlock Junior (1924), which is being screening tomorrow night at the Town Hall, accompanied by live organ and piano.

If you fancy hopping aboard, the vintage mobile cinema will be at Handsworth Library on Thursday, Birmingham Markets on Saturday, and Cannon Hill Park on Sunday. Take a look at whats on across the weekend over on the Flatpack site.

I’ll try and update this post with other Flatpack & Fierce adventures, but in the meantime let us know which events you’ve made it to and what should be on our ‘must see’ lists.