ART IN THE HEART 2013 A C ELE BRAT IO N O F GR EAT A RT A Birmingham Museums Trust Project
Explore world class art at 23 leading West Midlands attractions
www.artintheheart.org.uk
ACCESS INFORMATION Wheelchair and buggy friendly
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WELCOME Art in the Heart is a celebration of the diverse and exciting exhibitions taking place across the West Midlands during 2013. It highlights the strengths of the region’s world class art collections and its innovative contemporary programmes, many underpinned by national and international partnerships to bring art of the highest quality to the Heart of England. From May to December you can see work by amazing artists from Botticelli and Rembrandt to Damien Hirst and Quentin Blake in a variety of venues, from Jacobean and Georgian mansions to contemporary art galleries and even a Planetarium! Running alongside this calendar of exhibitions is a specially commissioned poetry programme, containing a series of public workshops led by Poet in Residence Philip Monks. This brochure gives an easy reference guide to all of the 23 venues taking part and a glimpse of some of the amazing exhibitions you can see. The handy map at the back provides an overview of the region and key travel links to help you find your way. Do visit the website to find out more. Led by Birmingham Museums Trust, Art in the Heart 2013 is funded by Arts Council England and made possible through the collaboration of all the contributing venues. Whether you’re new to art or a seasoned visitor, we encourage you to come to our venues and explore what the West Midlands has to offer.
Keep up to date with all that’s happening at
www.artintheheart.org.uk
AIRSPACE GALLERY AirSpace Gallery is a collaborative, artist led project in Stoke-on-Trent, providing professional development opportunities, studios, exhibitions space and support for artists.
Images: (top R) In The Window @ AirSpace: Reliving Room, 2012 by Glen Stoker, (bottom L) Artists’ Soup Kitchen #3, 2012 with Anna Francis & Kevin Hunt, photo: Glen Stoker, (bottom R) Conjuction ‘12 Opening Night, photo: Adam Grüning
Through a dynamic and evolving programme of exhibitions, events and activities AirSpace Gallery brings critical, high quality contemporary art to the region and provides opportunities for a broad range of artists.
AirSpace Gallery 4 Broad Street City Centre Stoke-on-Trent ST1 4HL AirSpace Gallery has an ongoing series of projects, which are developed through open submissions or with invited artists. This makes for an exciting and vibrant mix of artwork and events, which can include, painting, sculpture, installation and performance works.
Tel: 01782 261 221
The programme of events is constantly being updated, and you can keep up-to-date in a number of different ways including through the Mailing List, Facebook or Twitter pages, links to all these services can be found on the website.
OPENING TIMES:
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www.airspacegallery.org
ADMISSION FREE
Wed - Sat: 11am - 5pm
ASTON HALL Aston Hall is a magnificent Grade I listed Jacobean mansion sitting in a Grade II listed Park. Constructed between 1618 and 1635 by Sir Thomas Holte, the Hall was one of the last great Jacobean houses to be built in Britain - and remains substantially unchanged since this time. The Hall’s fine paintings, textiles, furniture and metalwork reflect the history of the house and the lives of the people who have lived here.
Tel: 0121 675 4722 ADMISSION PRICES: Adult £4 / Conc £3 Child Free (under 16) Portraiture display included in ticket price.
OPENING TIMES: Tue - Sun: 12pm - 4pm Please note we are closed during Aston Villa FC home match days and weddings.
Aston Hall boasts sumptuous interiors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, including its magnificent Long Gallery. View exquisite portraits by Peter Lely, Cornelius Johnson and others within this stunning historic context, which form part of the important stories surrounding the rich history of Aston Hall.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
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Images: (bottom) Oil Painting, Sir Thomas Holte (1571-1654), 1st Baronet of Aston Hall 1700 – 1800 ©Birmingham Museums Trust
Aston Hall Trinity Road Aston Birmingham B6 6JD
THE BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS Monet, Manet and Magritte; Renoir, Rubens, Rossetti and Rodin; Degas, Delacroix and Van Dyck - not to mention Botticelli, Poussin, Turner, Gauguin, Gainsborough, Van Gogh, Picasso, Hodgkin…
Images: (top L) © Simon Hadley, (bottom L) © National Gallery, London, (bottom R) Tom Phillips, ©DACS/ Tom Phillips
You can see key works by all these - and many more - great artists in the galleries at the Barber Institute. There is also a stunning coin gallery and an exciting programme of exhibitions, concerts, lectures, gallery talks, workshops and family activities.
ABOUT FACE:
DEFINING FACES:
PORTRAIT MASTERPIECES FROM NATIONAL COLLECTIONS
20TH-CENTURY PORTRAIT DRAWING
17 MAY - 1 SEPT Including major paintings by Rembrandt, Goya and Cézanne, and miniatures and drawings by Hilliard and Van Dyck, this fascinating display features loans from the National Gallery, London, the Royal Collection Trust and the Courtauld Gallery.
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7 JUN - 26 AUG From formal commissions to intimate sketches of loved ones, these drawings from the National Portrait Gallery London feature luminaries including Henry Moore, Ted Hughes and Stephen Hawking by artists including Silvia Plath, Oskar Kokoshka and Tom Phillips.
www.barber.org.uk
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TS Tel: 0121 414 7333 ADMISSION TO ALL COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS IS FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm Sat & Sun: 11am - 5pm
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is one of the most important centres for art and history in the UK. It’s outstanding collections span seven centuries. The Museum’s unique breadth brings together Saxon gold, Egyptian mummies, Arts & Crafts masterpieces, Birmingham industry and contemporary installation. Paintings by Botticelli and Bellini rub shoulders with the world’s largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art. Expanding contemporary and modern collections include works by Fiona Rae and Sean Scully; while award-winning displays in new galleries celebrate Birmingham’s cultural and artistic identity.
PORTRAITS: SPACES AND SURROUNDINGS
Tel. 0121 303 1966
18 MAY - 1 SEPT
ADMISSION FREE
This new display of portraits explores the relationship between sitters and their environment. It presents prints, paintings and photographs from Birmingham Museums’own collections, and also features William Orpen’s famous portrait of his fellow artist Augustus John (1901), on loan from the National Portrait Gallery.
Some exhibitions and events may charge.
OPENING TIMES: Mon - Thu: 10am - 5pm Fri: 10.30am - 5pm Sat: 10am - 5pm Sun: 12.30pm - 5pm
GEORGE CATLIN: AMERICAN INDIAN PORTRAITS 12 JUL - 13 OCT George Catlin was a 19th century American artist who documented Native American peoples. His portraits, loaned from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, represent one of the most important records of indigenous peoples ever made. Developed in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
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Images: (top R) Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, (bottom L) Joseph Southall, New Lamps for Old (detail) Reproduced with permission of the Barrow Family, (bottom R) George Catlin, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs Joseph Harrison, Jr
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Chamberlain Square Birmingham B3 3DH
COMPTON VERNEY Visitors of all ages are warmly welcomed to this award-winning art gallery. Explore art in the unique setting of a Georgian mansion surrounded by 120 acres of “Capability” Brown parkland. Discover a collection of internationally significant art displayed alongside a changing programme of exhibitions and events.
Images: (bottom L) Detail from Titian, Head of a Man c.1508-10 © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection, (bottom R): John Constable, Brightwell Church and Village, oil on wood, 1815 © Tate, London 2012
Visitors can also enjoy free tours, children’s trails and activities and the waitress service café.
Compton Verney Warwickshire CV35 9HZ
BELLINI, BOTTICELLI, TITIAN… 500 YEARS OF ITALIAN ART 23 MAR - 23 JUN A rare opportunity to see some of the finest Italian paintings in the UK on loan from the City of Glasgow’s collection. It includes works of striking quality and originality dating from 1400 to 1900 by artists including Giovanni Bellini, Sandro Botticelli, Titian, Salvator Rosa and Francesco Guardi.
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TURNER AND CONSTABLE: SKETCHING FROM NATURE. WORKS FROM THE TATE COLLECTION
13 JUL - 22 SEPT An outstanding exhibition of oil sketches by John Constable, JMW Turner and their contemporaries exploring the nature of sketching in the late 18th and 19th century.
www.comptonverney.org.uk
Tel: 01926 645500 ADMISSION PRICES: Children £2.50 Collections & Grounds from £5 Exhibitions, Collections & Grounds from £11 OPENING TIMES: Tues - Sun & Bank Hol Mon: 11am - 5pm
EASTSIDE PROJECTS As a free public gallery that is being imagined and organised by artists, Eastside Projects is an exhibition space with many differences. We opened our doors in 2008 and since then have developed a reputation for producing innovative and ambitious contemporary art exhibitions, events and performances, showing international artists alongside the best emerging talent from the West Midlands.
Tel: 0121 771 1778 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Wed - Sat: 12pm - 5pm
PARALLELAREAL VARIABLE
CAO FEI SOLO EXHIBITION
7 JUN - 3 AUG
21 SEPT - 16 NOV
In her first UK solo exhibition for a decade Swedish artist Gunilla Klingberg’s installation makes visible the unseen energy grid of ‘curry lines’ that run through the gallery. Large structures, made from ball-chain curtains, create seductive, semi transparent walk-through ‘walls’ and ‘rooms’ throughout the space.
Beijing based Cao Fei is one of the key figures in a new generation of artists emerging from mainland China. This exhibition of new and existing film, sculptural and virtual works reflects on the rapid and chaotic changes occurring in Chinese society today.
www.eastsideprojects.org
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Images: (top L) photo: Stuart Whipps, (bottom L) Gunilla Klingberg, photo: Peter Geschwind, (bottom R) Cao Fei
Eastside Projects 86 Heath Mill Lane Birmingham B9 4AR
HERBERT ART GALLERY & MUSEUM, COVENTRY Located in the heart of Coventry, this award-winning art gallery and museum has nine interactive galleries and an extensive visual art collection of approximately 5,200 items including works by Lowry, George Shaw, Barbara Hepworth and John Piper.
Images: ©Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, (bottom L) ©Quentin Blake, (bottom R) ©Birmingham Museums Trust
The Herbert has a broad programme of temporary exhibitions delivered in collaboration with national galleries including the V&A, British Museum and Natural History Museum.
QUENTIN BLAKE: AS LARGE AS LIFE 27 JUL - 3 NOV Blake is best known as an illustrator of children’s books, however over the past ten years he has produced as large as life designs for public spaces. This exhibition features his illustrations for the reception of a children’s hospital in London. This exhibition is free of charge.
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EXPOSED:
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum Jordan Well Coventry CV1 5QP
500 YEARS OF THE BODY IN ART, FROM ALBRECHT DÜRER TO LUCIAN FREUD
Tel: 024 7683 2386
22 NOV - 21 APR 14
ADMISSION FREE
An exhibition of work selected from the fine art collections at Birmingham Museums supplemented with works from the Herbert’s own collection. It explores a range of artistic responses to the human body, with Burne-Jones’s Pygmalion series (1878) at its heart. A small admission charge applies.
OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 10am - 4pm Sun: 12pm - 4pm
www.theherbert.org
IKON GALLERY Ikon is an internationally acclaimed contemporary art gallery located in central Birmingham. Housed in the neo-gothic Oozells Street School, it shows work by artists from around the world using a range of media including sound, film, photography, painting, sculpture and installation. Visitors can also enjoy events such as talks, tours and workshops and browse Ikon’s independent bookshop.
FRANÇOIS MORELLET / TAPA: BARKCLOTH
Tel: 0121 248 0708
PAINTINGS FROM THE PACIFIC
ADMISSION FREE
1 MAY - 14 JUL
OPENING TIMES: Tues - Sun: 11am - 6pm Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays.
Ikon simultaneously shows the abstract paintings of acclaimed French artist François Morellet and a collection of tapa, traditional cloths from the Pacific Islands dating from the 18th century until the present day.
www.ikon-gallery.co.uk
SHIMABUKU: SOMETHING THAT FLOATS/ SOMETHING THAT SINKS
24 JUL - 15 SEPT This exhibition is the first survey of work by Japanese artist Shimabuku who uses installation, video, photography, drawings and sculptural pieces to convey his intense fascination with the natural world.
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Images: (top R) photo: Stuart Whipps, (bottom L) François Morellet, (bottom R) Shimabuku
Ikon Gallery 1 Oozells Square Brindleyplace Birmingham B1 2HS
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUMS An informative, inspiring and fun day is ensured at the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums in Shropshire. Whether you are interested in fine china, decorative tiles, giant interactives or a Victorian recreated town, it’s all to be found in this stunning World Heritage Site.
Images: (bottom R) Anton Want
A highlight to any visit is the Museum’s temporary exhibition programme housed in the Coalbrookdale Gallery, adjacent to the Museum of Iron.
THE QUAKER TAPESTRY
PIT PROFILES, RE-PROFILED
The Coalbrookdale Gallery
The Coalbrookdale Gallery
22 MAY - 5 JUN
21 JUN - 31 DEC
A masterpiece of storytelling and a celebration of life, people and events across the centuries; the modern bright textile panels give a fascinating insight into key events of the last 350 years from a Quaker perspective. This exhibition is free of charge.
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(Mon to Fri only) Contemporary photographs of colliery workers by Anton Want and drawings by H Andrew Freeth. The exhibition is the result of a project jointly funded by the National Coal Mining Museum for England and Arts Council England. This exhibition is free of charge.
www.ironbridge.org.uk
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coach Road Coalbrookdale Telford TF8 7DQ Tel: 01952 433424 ADMISSION PRICES: Adult £24 / 60 Plus £19 Child £15.25 Annual Passport Ticket to all ten museums. Admission to the Coalbrookdale Gallery exhibitions is free of charge.
OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sun: 10am - 5pm Call for winter opening hours.
LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM The Library of Birmingham will open in Centenary Square on 3 September 2013. It will provide a showcase for the city’s internationally important collections of archives, photography and rare books. It will also be home to a state-of-the-art gallery space, a BFI Mediatheque, a new flexible studio theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre and a range of exhibition and performance spaces.
ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: The new Library of Birmingham opens on 3 September 2013.
Mon - Fri: 8am - 8pm Sat: 9am - 5pm Sun: 11am - 4pm
DISCOVERY SEASON
REFERENCE WORKS
3 SEPT - 29 DEC
3 SEPT - 29 DEC
The Discovery Season celebrating the opening of the Library of Birmingham will bring to life the new library, its dynamic architecture, modern facilities, archives and special collections. The vibrant programme of events, exhibitions, installations and activities will offer something for the whole community.
Reference Works is a major exhibition featuring new work by Michael Collins, Brian Griffin, Andrew Lacon and Stuart Whipps. The four leading artist photographers were commissioned to make visual responses to the new Library of Birmingham and the previous Central Library. www.reference-works.com
www.libraryofbirmingham.com
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Images: Library of Birmingham, (bottom L) Serena Korda, (bottom R) Brian Griffin
The Library of Birmingham Centenary Square Birmingham
MAC BIRMINGHAM Celebrating its 50th year mac birmingham is a contemporary arts centre which provides arts for all, every age and background. With over 850,000 visitors per year art is in the fabric of the building.
Images: (bottom L) Jony Easterby, (bottom R) Vered Lahav
mac birmingham offers free exhibitions year round and a wide range of workshops and courses for artists with all levels of experience.
SOUNDING THE RIVER
VERED LAHAV: THE GARDEN
3 OCT - 6 OCT
21 SEPT - 17 NOV
This spectacular night time adventure brings to a close a year celebrating 50 years of mac birmingham. ‘Sounding the River’ is a unique exploration of light, sound and nature, winding along the River Rea and throughout the moonlit Cannon Hill Park.
With its affinity to western mythology - a place of vision, of rebirth and death, a land of innocence and forbidden ways - ‘The Garden’ is an idyllic place. Through sculpture, video, drawing and photography, artist Vered Lahav plays upon the notion of ‘The Garden’ to explore conflicting issues around gender, identity, relationships and migration.
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www.macarts.co.uk
mac birmingham Cannon Hill Park Birmingham B12 9QH Tel: 0121 446 3232 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sun: 9am - Late First Floor Gallery - Opening times are variable.
MEAD GALLERY WARWICK ARTS CENTRE The Mead Gallery is one of the largest, most beautiful purpose-built art galleries in the UK, presenting an ambitious programme of international contemporary art. Situated within Warwick Arts Centre on the University of Warwick campus in Coventry, the Gallery presents exhibitions during term-time only and has close links with the University’s Art Collection, which is on open display across campus.
Tel: 024 7652 4524 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 9pm The Mead Gallery is closed from Sun 23 Jun – Fri 4 Oct.
ARTISTS’ PLANS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
JOSEPH BEUYS, CAROLE COLLET, N55, NILS NORMAN, LUCY + JORGE ORTA, MARJETICA POTRC
5 OCT - 7 DEC
& KATIE PATERSON, IN ANOTHER TIME 2 MAY - 22 JUN Two exhibitions which together explore both the majesty and vulnerability of the universe we inhabit.
www.meadgallery.co.uk
By reframing conceptual art from the 1930s to the present day within the language of slapstick and as seen through the work of over twenty international artists, ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ presents a ground-breaking examination of the legacy of Buster Keaton’s unsettling comedy on the development of conceptual art, sculpture and installation.
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Images: (top R) Gary Webb Installation © Mead Gallery, 2008, (bottom L) Katie Paterson © MJC, 2010, (bottom R) Simon Faithfull © The Artist
Mead Gallery Warwick Arts Centre University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL
MUSEUM OF THE JEWELLERY QUARTER The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is built around a perfectly preserved jewellery workshop offering a unique glimpse of working life in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter. The museum tells the story of the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham’s renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage. Explore this extraordinary industrial time capsule on a lively guided tour, and see demonstrations of traditional jewellery-making skills.
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter 75-80 Vyse Street Hockley, Birmingham B18 6HA Tel: 0121 554 3598
Images: (bottom) ‘Cutlery’, Cathy Miles
REGENERATED: RAJESH GOGNA, CATHY MILES & MIRANDA SHARPE
20 APR - 11 JAN 14 Site Admission includes tour of Smith and Pepper factory and further displays as part of ‘Regenerated’.
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‘Regenerated’ creates a dialogue between making in the Jewellery Quarter today, and over the past 200 years. Cathy Miles creates delicate, highly detailed illustrations in metal. Silversmith Rajesh Gogna presents architectural and sculptural vessels. Miranda Sharpe creates jewellery inspired by the natural world.
ADMISSION PRICES: Adult £5 / Conc £4 Child Free (under 16) ‘Regenerated’ exhibition included in ticket price.
OPENING TIMES: Tues - Sat: 10.30am - 5pm Open Bank Holidays.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
THE NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL The New Art Gallery Walsall presents historic, modern and contemporary art in innovative and challenging ways and runs a full event and education programme supporting this. The Garman Ryan Collection galleries chart the long, productive and often controversial career of Jacob Epstein, and serve as a memorial to the Epstein’s extraordinary circle of family and friends. The changing exhibition programme on the 3rd and 4th floors focuses on the contemporary visual arts. Damien Hirst, Away from the Flock, 1994 Edition 3 of 3 Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2013
Tel: 01922 654400 Textphone: 01922 654000 ADMISSION FREE
THE NATURE OF THE BEAST
ARTIST ROOMS: DAMIEN HIRST
MAT COLLISHAW, MARK FAIRNINGTON, TESSA FARMER, POLLY MORGAN, OLLY & SUZI, PATRICIA PICCININI
UNTIL 27 OCT
26 APR - 30 JUN
OPENING TIMES: Tues - Sat: 10am - 5pm Sun: 12pm - 4pm Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays.
The exhibition will bring together a diverse range of contemporary artists, who through their work, confront and challenge our attitudes towards the natural world, and in particular, the animal kingdom.
The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to view key works by Hirst and to consider some of the themes of his work, such as life, death, faith and belief, in connection with a wide range of works from the gallery’s Garman Ryan Collection.
www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
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Images: (top L) photo: Craig Holmes, (bottom L) Polly Mason, (bottom R) Damien Hirst
The New Art Gallery Walsall Gallery Square Walsall WS2 8LG
THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery is located in Hanley, one of the six towns which form the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The museum has outstanding collections of fine art, ceramics, local and natural history, and the Staffordshire Hoard.
Images: (bottom L) Joel Chester Fildes , (bottom R) photo: Annegret Gossens, Museum Kurhaus Kleve
There is also a lively programme of exhibitions and events, ranging from contemporary art shows to children’s activities.
BRITISH CERAMICS BIENNIAL: AWARD 28 SEPT - 10 NOV AWARD is the Biennial’s major survey exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the UK. Focusing on innovation and achievement, the exhibition brings together the leading edge of creative ceramic practice, design and manufacture.
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ARTIST ROOMS: ON TOUR WITH THE ART FUND
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery Bethesda Street Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire ST1 3DW
30 NOV - 16 MAR 14
Tel: 01782 232323
RICHARD LONG
Richard Long is one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists. Working directly in the landscape, Long records his walks and the sculptures that he makes along the way in photographs, maps and text based works.
www.stoke.gov.uk/museum
ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm Sun: 2pm - 5pm
THE PUBLIC The Public is a world-class building located in the heart of West Bromwich. A series of dynamic and inspiring open spaces combine with two galleries and a sweeping ramp bringing together permanent interactive work, stunning visual arts from leading national and international names showcased alongside local and emerging talent. The Public is a place to delight and excite visitors of all ages.
The Public New Street West Bromwich B70 7PG Tel: 0121 533 7161 ADMISSION TO THE GALLERY IS FREE OPENING TIMES: Wed - Sat: 10am - 5pm Sun: 11am - 3pm
ORDINARY / EXTRA / ORDINARY 15 MAY - 29 SEPT Curated by David Thorp. Contemporary artists taking inspiration from grass roots culture and their own experiences including Jeremy Deller & Alan Kane, Tracey Emin, Hew Locke, Vivan Sundaram, David Shrigley, Doug Fishbone, Lucy McLauchlan and Martin Creed.
www.thepublic.com
SENSES 26 OCT - 31 JAN 14 How do we explore the world and experience arts through our individual senses? See, Hear, Smell, Touch, and Taste your way around the exhibitions.
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RBSA GALLERY The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) is an artist-led charity which promotes engagement with the visual arts through exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations. The RBSA Gallery has a changing programme of exhibitions featuring work by Members and Associates of the Society alongside exhibitors from across the UK.
Images: (top R) RBSA Gallery, (bottom L) Simon Davis painting the President, (bottom R) Mandana Oskoui
The RBSA’s Craft Gallery is a leading outlet for innovative contemporary craft.
PORTRAIT PRIZE
GALACTIC
17 JUL - 24 AUG
22 JUL - 19 OCT
An exhibition open to all portrait artists with a first prize of £1000. Selected by Members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. Why not commission a portrait from an artist whose work you like?
Blast off into a galaxy far away with ‘Galactic’, a craft exhibition exploring outer space. From jewellery inspired by meteorites through to space-age ceramics and ethereal glass, this exhibition offers an opportunity for stargazing in the heart of Brum!
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www.rbsa.org.uk
RBSA Gallery 4 Brook Street St Paul’s Birmingham B3 1SA Tel: 0121 236 4353 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Fri: 10.30am - 5.30pm Sat: 10.30am - 5pm Sun: 1pm - 5pm
SHAKESPEARE BIRTHPLACE TRUST Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and stand where genius was born. Explore the family home and glove making business, enjoy live theatre every day with costumed actors performing excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays and view treasures on show for the first time in our Treasures Exhibition. Complete the Shakespeare story with a visit to all five Shakespeare Houses and Shakespeare’s grave.
Tel: 01789 204016
60TH STRATFORD UPON AVON POETRY FESTIVAL
ADMISSION PRICES:
30 JUN - 5 AUG
Adult prices range from £9 for Anne Hathaway’s Cottage to £22.50 for all Five Houses plus Shakespeare’s Grave. Family tickets available (includes up to 4 children). Tickets are valid for 12 months. See prices online and save 10%.
OPENING TIMES: Shakespeare’s Houses & Gardens are open daily. See website for more details.
Join us for an exciting programme of artists, recitals and special events to celebrate our Diamond Anniversary. Including Carol-Ann Duffy, Sam West, Vanessa Redgrave and Wendy Cope. Plus Young People’s Poetry evening, People’s Poetry Sunday and the Poetry Mass.
www.shakespeare.org.uk
SHAKESPEARE’S TREASURES 18 MAR - 31 DEC Visit a fascinating new exhibition at the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon that portrays the world of Shakespeare through centuries-old artefacts from our priceless Collections - many not seen by the public before. Supported by the DCMS/ Wolfson Fund.
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Images: (top L & bottom R) photo: Amy Murrell, (bottom L) photo: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Shakespeare’s Birthplace Henley Street Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire CV37 6QW
THE SHIRE HALL GALLERY The Shire Hall Gallery is housed in the Grade II* listed building which is situated in the heart of Stafford’s town centre. The Gallery is located in the Great Hall and consists of a large, temporary exhibition space, a Crafts Council selected Craft Shop and an historic Courtroom. The Gallery stages an annual programme of self-generated and bought-in exhibitions featuring the work of local, regional and national artists and makers.
Images: (bottom L) David Gleeson, (bottom R) Amanda Bollini
STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN ART
RPS 156 20 JUL - 8 SEP
18 MAY - 14 JUL The Staffordshire Open Art Exhibition features paintings, drawings, prints, photography, film & animation and sculpture. Most of the work is for sale and there is always something to suit all tastes. Don’t forget that during the show you can vote for your favourite piece of work for our Visitors Choice Prize!
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The Royal Photographic Society invites professional, student and amateur photographers worldwide to submit their work for consideration. The exhibition showcases a wide range of genres and styles of photography, with cutting-edge prints being shown alongside traditional work - from the artistic to documentary, from portraiture to natural history.
Shire Hall Gallery Market Square Stafford ST16 2LD Tel: 01785 278345 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 9.30am - 5pm Tues: 10am - 5pm Sun: 1pm - 4pm
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/arts
SOHO HOUSE Soho House was the elegant home of the industrialist and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton from 1766 to 1809. Beautifully restored, the house reflects the fashions and tastes of the late Georgian period. Soho House was a favorite meeting place of the Lunar Society, a leading Enlightenment group. Erasmus Darwin, James Watt and Joseph Priestly met here to feast, conduct experiments and discuss philosophical matters of the day.
Soho House Soho Avenue off Soho Road Handsworth Birmingham B18 5LB Tel: 0121 554 9122 ADMISSION PRICES: Adult £4 / Conc £3 Child Free (under 16)
1 JUN - 3 NOV
‘Handsworth Culture Swap’ exhibition included in ticket price.
OPENING TIMES: Tues - Sun: 12pm - 4pm Open Bank Holidays.
Renowned photographer Vanley Burke creates a dialogue between community, museum and artist. He presents a fascinating photographic portrait of Handsworth. Local groups were asked ‘What represents your culture?’ The resulting series of intense portraits bears testament to the hugely diverse cultural identities of the area.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
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Images: (bottom) ‘Mother Day’, Vanley Burke
HANDSWORTH CULTURE SWAP: WITH VANLEY BURKE
THINKTANK, PLANETARIUM 360 science, art, music and experimental film in the West Midland’s only digital planetarium. Using fulldome 360 technology the UK’s first purpose-built digital planetarium at Thinktank puts you right in the centre of the action. With a vibrant programme of shows and activities the planetarium at Thinktank will take you on an inspiring exploration of science, art, music and experimental film.
Images: (bottom L) Rocco Helmchen, (bottom R) D J Food
Regular daytime astronomy shows are free with museum entry. The evening art shows below are part of the Dome Club programme and require a separate ticket.
CHAOS & ORDER
THE SEARCH ENGINE
A MATHEMATIC SYMPHONY
4 APR - 5 DEC
9 MAY - 12 DEC
A 360 music film exploring how big or small we are and where we are going. Repeated changes of scale transform us from giants to insects - yet are we sitting or floating, is the room moving or are we?
If mathematics is the language of the Universe, does it have a sound? How does it feel? Experience the connection between reality and mathematics as science and art are fused together in this 360 celebration of the one true universal language.
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(Part of the Dome Club Programme - evening event only, separate ticket required)
Thinktank, Planetarium Millennium Point Birmingham B4 7XG Tel: 0121 202 2222 ADMISSION PRICES: Adult £4 / Conc £3 (Prices stated above are for evening events only, regular Thinktank admission prices applies throughout the day)
OPENING TIMES: Every Thu 6pm - 8pm
www.thinktank.ac/planetarium
WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY This purpose-built gallery, opened in 1884 and extended in 2007, provides interactive displays of Georgian and Victorian art alongside nationally important collections of Pop Art and art about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. New for 2013, Sensing Sculpture provides an immersive sensory experience enjoyed by our very young visitors and people with visual impairments. Wolverhampton Art Gallery is part of WAVE, the museums, galleries and archives of Wolverhampton.
Tel: 01902 552055 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm
JOHN HAMPTON 15 JUN - 13 JUL An exhibition of vibrant works by Wolverhampton artist John Hampton (1934 - 2012). This show focuses on his later works that were inspired by the garden, resulting in this colourful display of expressive and painterly compositions.
PAULINE BOTY: POP ARTIST AND WOMAN 1 JUN - 16 NOV The work of Pauline Boty (19381966), a key member of the British Pop Art movement, both celebrates and critiques mass cultural experience, exploring themes of female sexuality, gender, race and politics. This is the first exhibition in a public art gallery to showcase the work of this hitherto under-represented artist.
www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk
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Images: (top L) © Wolverhampton Art Gallery, (bottom L) ‘Untitled’ (detail), John Hampton © Artist’s Estate, (bottom R) © Artist’s Estate
Wolverhampton Art Gallery Lichfield Street Wolverhampton WV1 1DU
WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY The Art Gallery & Museum is housed in a beautiful Victorian building in the heart of Worcester. It hosts a changing programme of contemporary art exhibitions, as well as housing an historic picture collection and an intriguing selection of objects from a 19th century chemist’s shop to the wonderful Regimental Museum. The atmospheric Balcony Café and gift shop are accessible to all.
Images: (all) Museums Worcestershire, (bottom L) Joseph Beuys
ARTIST ROOMS: JOSEPH BEUYS
CRAFTED FOR YOU 9 NOV - 11 JAN 14
26 OCT - 1 FEB 14 Joseph Beuys was one of the most influential artists of the late 20th century. Beuys was a political activist, philosopher and held a fascination for the natural world. This exhibition is part of ARTIST ROOMS On Tour with Arts Council England and the Art Fund.
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This annual exhibition showcases some of the best craft makers in the Midlands and offers the opportunity to purchase your own piece of contemporary craft.
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum Foregate Street Worcester WR1 1DT Tel: 01905 25371 ADMISSION FREE OPENING TIMES: Mon - Sat: 10.30am - 4.30pm
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk
ART IN THE HEART POETRY PROGRAMME
Poetry Workshops Birmingham based poet Philip Monks, is Art in the Heart’s official ‘poet in residence’. He will be running a number of exciting poetry workshops at Art in the Heart venues, writing his own poems in response to artworks on display and inspiring members of the public to have a go themselves.
Art in the Heart Book of Poems In partnership with Writing West Midlands. Art in the Heart has asked a number of other leading poets to write new poems inspired by their own personal favourite artworks from the programme. Selected poems from the poetry workshops, alongside works by Philip Monks and other leading poets will feature in a publication to be launched at the Birmingham Literature Festival in October. The book will also be available for sale at Art in the Heart partner venues from mid-October.
Art in the Heart Book of Poems Launch Ikon Gallery Tue 8 Oct 2013, 7pm - 8.30pm More details on Birmingham Literature Festival: birminghamliteraturefestival.org
“We hope that this will be the first of many collaborations between creative writers and other arts and cultural sectors.” Jonathan Davidson, Chief Executive, Writing West Midlands
If you would like to find out more about these half day workshops visit: www.artintheheart.org.uk
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Images: Philip Monks Poetry workshop at New Art Gallery Walsall, photo: Craig Holmes
Art in the Heart has commissioned a special poetry programme to run alongside its calendar of exhibitions and draw inspiration from the stunning artwork on display across the region.
CALENDAR OF EXHIBITIONS DATE
EXHIBITION
VENUE
PG
18 MAR - 31 DEC
Shakespeare’s Treasures
SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE
21
23 MAR - 23 JUN
Bellini, Botticelli, Titian… 500 years of Italian Art
COMPTON VERNEY
8
Until 27 OCT
Artist Rooms: Damien Hirst
NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL
17
4 APR - 5 DEC
The Search Engine
THINKTANK, PLANETARIUM
24
20 APR - 11 JAN 14
Regenerated: Rajesh Gogna, Cathy Miles & Miranda Sharpe
MUSEUM OF THE JEWELLERY QUARTER
16
26 APR - 30 JUN
The Nature of the Beast
NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL
17
1 MAY - 14 JUL
François Morellet / Tapa: Barkcloth paintings from the Pacific
IKON GALLERY
11
2 MAY - 22 JUN
Artists’ Plans for Sustainability / Katie Paterson, In Another Time
MEAD GALLERY, WARWICK ARTS CENTRE
15
9 MAY - 12 DEC
Chaos & Order A Mathematic Symphony
THINKTANK, PLANETARIUM
24
15 MAY - 29 SEPT
Ordinary / Extra / Ordinary
THE PUBLIC
19
17 MAY - 1 SEPT
About Face: Portrait Masterpieces from National Collections
THE BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS
6
18 MAY - 14 JUL
Staffordshire Open Art
SHIRE HALL GALLERY
22
18 MAY - 1 SEPT
Portraits: Spaces and Surroundings
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
7
22 MAY - 5 JUN
The Quaker Tapestry
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUMS
12
1 JUN - 3 NOV
Handsworth Culture Swap: with Vanley Burke
SOHO HOUSE
23
1 JUN - 16 NOV
Pauline Boty: Pop Artist and Woman
WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY
25
7 JUN - 3 AUG
Parallelareal Variable
EASTSIDE PROJECTS
9
7 JUN - 26 AUG
Defining Faces: 20th-Century Portrait Drawing
BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS
6
15 JUN - 13 JUL
John Hampton
WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY
25
21 JUN - 31 DEC
Pit Profiles, Re-Profiled
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUMS
12
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CALENDAR OF EXHIBITIONS DATE
EXHIBITION
VENUE
PG
30 JUN - 5 AUG
60th Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival
SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE
21
12 JUL - 13 OCT
George Catlin: American Indian Portraits
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
7
13 JUL - 22 SEPT
Turner and Constable: Sketching from Nature. Works from the Tate collection
COMPTON VERNEY
8
17 JUL - 24 AUG
Portrait Prize
RBSA GALLERY
20
20 JUL - 8 SEP
RPS 156
SHIRE HALL GALLERY
22
22 JUL - 19 OCT
Galactic
RBSA GALLERY
20
24 JUL - 15 SEPT
Shimabuku: Something that Floats / Something that Sinks
IKON GALLERY
11
27 JUL - 3 NOV
Quentin Blake: As Large as Life
HERBERT ART GALLERY & MUSEUM
10
3 SEPT - 29 DEC
Discovery Season
LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM
13
3 SEPT - 29 DEC
Reference Works
LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM
13
21 SEPT - 16 NOV
Cao Fei - Solo Exhibition
EASTSIDE PROJECTS
9
21 SEPT - 17 NOV
Vered Lahav: The Garden
MAC BIRMINGHAM
14
28 SEPT - 10 NOV
British Ceramics Biennial: Award
THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY
18
3 OCT - 6 OCT
Sounding the River
MAC BIRMINGHAM
14
5 OCT - 7 DEC
The World Turned Upside Down
MEAD GALLERY, WARWICK ARTS CENTRE
15
26 OCT - 31 JAN 14
Senses
THE PUBLIC
19
26 OCT - 1 FEB 14
Artist Rooms: Joseph Beuys
WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY
26
9 NOV - 11 JAN 14
Crafted for You
WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY
26
22 NOV - 21 APR 14
Exposed: 500 Years Of The Body In Art, From Albrecht Dürer To Lucian Freud
HERBERT ART GALLERY & MUSEUM
10
30 NOV - 16 MAR 14
Richard Long Artist Rooms: On Tour with The Art Fund
THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY
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MAP OF VENUES
Visit www.artintheheart.org.uk for more information 30
TRAVEL DIRECTIONS MAP KEY Birmingham
Black Country
Shropshire
1. Aston Hall, Birmingham, p5
12. The New Art Gallery Walsall, p17
19. Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Telford, p12
13. The Public, West Bromwich, p19
Staffordshire
14. Wolverhampton Art Gallery, p25
20. AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, p4
2. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, p6 3. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, p7 4. Eastside Projects, Birmingham, p9 5. Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, p11 6. Library of Birmingham, p13
Coventry & Warwickshire 15. Compton Verney, Warwickshire, p8
7. mac birmingham, p14
16. Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, p10
8. Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, p16
17. Mead Gallery, Coventry, p15
9. RBSA Gallery, Birmingham, p20
18. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, p21
21. The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, p18 22. The Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, p22 Worcestershire 23. Worcester City Art Gallery, p26
10. Soho House, Birmingham, p23 11. Thinktank, Planetarium, Birmingham, p24
BY CAR
BY BUS
The West Midlands is at the heart of the country and enjoys excellent road links from north, south, east and west. The major motorway network, including the M6, M5, M42, M50 and M54 passes through the region making all Art in the Heart venues accessible. Most venues are situated a short distance from car parks.
There are extensive bus services operating across the West Midlands, with frequent services serving the major conurbations and towns. Most Art in the Heart venues are on or near bus routes and there is a wide range of ticketing options available. To plan your journey by bus, visit www.networkwestmidlands.com or, alternatively, visit: www.travelwisewestmids.org.uk
BY TRAIN
BY FOOT
The West Midlands is the hub of the UK’s railway network, with stations in every major city and town. For details of rail stations near Art in the Heart venues and for ‘live’ timetable information, please visit www.networkwestmidlands.com. The Midland Metro tram links Wolverhampton venues to Birmingham venues and for more information, also visit: www.networkwestmidlands.com
Venues in the region’s major cities and towns are easily walkable. Birmingham especially has an innovative new ‘wayfinding’ system with public information totems throughout the city centre giving directions and distances to places of interest on foot. Information on getting to venues on foot can be found at the Travelwise West Midlands website: www.travelwisewestmids.org.uk
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ART IN THE HEART 2013 A C E L EBR ATIO N O F GR E AT ART A Birmingham Museums Trust project See work by amazing artists from Botticelli and Rembrandt to Damien Hirst and Quentin Blake in a variety of venues, from Jacobean and Georgian mansions to contemporary art galleries and even a Planetarium! For more information visit
www.artintheheart.org.uk TURNING POINT WEST MIDLANDS www.tpwestmidlands.org.uk Font: Lucida Sans unicode
The contents of this brochure were correct at the time of printing. This brochure is printed on paper from sustainable forests.