Gallery
April – September 2013
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TS
ADMISSION TO GALLERIES AND ALL EXHIBITIONS IS FREE Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 10am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday: 11am – 5pm
How to Find us The Barber Institute is located in south-west Birmingham, approximately three miles from the city centre, at the East Gate of the University of Birmingham, off Edgbaston Park Road. By Train Local trains operated by London Midland run from Birmingham New Street to University station, a 10-minute walk from the Barber. Check train times and buy tickets at www.londonmidland.com.
find out more T: 0121 414 7333 W: www.barber.org.uk E: info@barber.org.uk
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The Barber Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of:
Exhibitions
By Bus The are frequent buses from the city centre past the bottom of Edgbaston Park Road (61 and 63 operated by National Express West Midlands).
Events
By Car South Car Park (off Edgbaston Park Road) is five minutes walk away. Charges apply Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm. FREE parking is available on campus around the Barber outside these times.
Workshops
For maps and more information about how to travel to the Barber visit: www.about.bham.ac.uk/maps
Lectures
www.barber.org.uk
Welcome Monet and Magritte; Renoir, Rubens, Rossetti and Rodin; Degas, Delacroix and Van Dyck — not to mention Botticelli, Poussin, Turner, Gainsborough, Gauguin,Van Gogh, Picasso, Hodgkin… You can see key works by all these – and many more – great artists at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. There’s also a stunning coin gallery and an exciting programme of exhibitions, concerts, lectures, gallery talks, workshops and family activities. The Barber was founded in 1932 by Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber in memory of her husband, Sir William Henry Barber ‘for the study and encouragement of art and music’. Housed in a Grade II* listed Art Deco building designed by Robert Atkinson, it was officially opened by Queen Mary in 1939. Featuring many of the greatest names in Western art, the Barber holds one of the most outstanding and internationally significant collections assembled during the 20th century.
As well as around 150 major paintings and some stunning pastels and watercolours, the Barber is also home to more than 1000 drawings and prints, a fine collection of sculpture, decorative art and portrait miniatures. The Barber also has one of the finest collections of Roman, Byzantine and medieval coins in the world. A haven of tranquillity in a bustling metropolis, the Barber Institute is a must for anyone visiting Birmingham and the West Midlands. No wonder it enjoys a reputation for being one of the finest small art galleries in Europe!
Our expanding programmes of family activities and Barber Concerts are now covered by separate leaflets. Look out for these (see left). APRIL – SEPTEMBER 2013
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director’s note Our 80th Anniversary year is in full swing, with a splendid array of exhibitions, displays and events in Birmingham – and London. Of course, I’m a newcomer to the city and to the Barber, having taken up the post of Director and moved down from Scotland earlier in the year. It is so exciting to be learning about the richness and confidence of the cultural scene in the West Midlands, within which the Barber and the University of Birmingham play such a distinctive part. There is manifestly nothing second-rate about the second city of the UK, just as the masterpieces that comprise the Barber collection are more than able to hold their own against comparable works in our national galleries – the celebratory theme that underpins this brochure’s programming. It seems Brummies, native and adopted, rather outshine the capital(s) of our nation in their ability to go straight to the quality and the essence of the matter. It’s all done with a matter-of-fact efficiency, even modesty – perhaps we need to shout out these achievements to the wider world with a louder voice. What an engaging place this is and, in its very uniqueness, how emblematic the Barber is of this region’s aspirations. I’m delighted to be here and I hope that you will enjoy sampling our offer over the coming months as much as I know I will.
Nicola Kalinsky Director
NEW FACES ENTER THE COLLECTION Visitors to the gallery this spring and summer will meet two engaging new faces in an exciting and important new acquisition for the Barber marking our anniversary year. Maria Marow Gideon (1767-1834) and her Brother, William (1775-1805) is a delightful, large, double portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted between 1786 and 1788, and allocated to the Barber under the Government’s AIL (Acceptance in Lieu of Inheritance Tax) scheme. The subjects are the children of Sir Samson Gideon, later Baron Eardley of Spalding. The picture, purchased by Sir Samson from the artist in 1787 for £300, was completed and displayed at the Royal Academy the following year. Reynolds’s late style at its best, it is as much about high fashion as personality, with the children sporting the very latest styles in everything from Maria’s beaver hat with ostrich feathers to William’s jockey boots. Reynolds seemingly even played down the detail in the painting’s landscape background to help emphasise the clothes’ rich patterns. While Maria, born in 1767, married an aristocrat and lived to the age of 66, William, born in 1775, rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army – but died, unmarried, and aged just 30, in 1805. He is buried at Berkswell, between Birmingham and Coventry. The painting is the first major work to have been acquired for the collection since 2009, and the second to have been allocated to the Barber under the AIL scheme. The work, currently on exhibition in the Beige Gallery, is due to leave the Barber for a short period for conservation, later this summer. If you plan to visit the gallery to see this work, please see the Barber website to check its availability!
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CITYSCAPES
CLOSE TO THE HEART
Panoramic Views on European Coins and Medals
17th- to 19th-century British Miniatures from UK Private Collections Until 5 May 2013 Print Bay, Beige Gallery
Until 6 October 2013 Coin Gallery
Small masterpieces of British portraiture from two celebrated UK private collections – including a tiny portrait mounted on a finger-ring, of 18th-century British actor and impresario David Garrick – are displayed in this exhibition, some for the first time ever. The exhibits range in date from 1600 to 1850 and include exquisite examples by such leading names in the field as Peter Oliver, George Engleheart, Richard Cosway, John Smart and Sir William Ross. Together they provide one of the finest displays of miniatures to be seen anywhere in the UK.
London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Barcelona, Venice and Budapest: this absorbing exhibition explores the landscapes of all these European cities and more. Celebrating the built and cultural heritage of early modern urban centres through the most circulated art medium – coins and medals – it focuses on the 16th to the 18th century, when many of the great cities of Europe applied the artistic tradition of the city view to their currency, reflecting urban pride and civic power. Above: Silver Medal of Amsterdam, 1633, (detail). Coins and Medals, the British Museum.
Exhibition Tours
Sundays 21 April, 19 May, 16 June, 21 July, 15 Sept, 2.30pm
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Gallery Talks
Tuesdays 16 & 30 April, 1.15pm. See Page 16 for details
Bonhams Valuation Day
Supported by
Monday 22 April, 10am-4pm See Page 14 for details
‘THE MOST PERFECt EXAMPLE OF HIS WORK’’
MICHELE WHITE
Until 5 May 2013 Print Bay, Green Gallery
The windswept trees in the foreground of Monet’s wonderful painting The Church at Varengeville were the inspiration for Michele White’s new work. Hand-crafted in silver, White’s work fuses the ancient craft of jewellery-making with the fine art of painting, striving to capture an emotional response through the careful selection of precious metals and gemstones.
Robert Atkinson and the Building of the Barber Institute
The Barber Institute’s building is widely regarded as an Art Deco masterpiece. The story of its architecture – from gradually evolving concept through construction, overseen by the Barber’s first Director, Thomas Bodkin, and its designer, Robert Atkinson, up to its opening in July 1939 – is told in this display. It includes architectural plans, blueprints, drawings and photographs as well as memorabilia relating to the official opening of the building by Queen Mary, just six weeks before the outbreak of World War II. The display also looks at later developments and offers a tantalizing glimpse into how the building may evolve further in the future, alongside testimonies from those who knew the building and its collections in the early days.
Monet’s View
Until 5 May 2013 Case Display, Blue Gallery
Lunchtime Lecture Wednesday 1 May, 1.10pm See Page 16 for details
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FIRST THOUGHTS
NEW ART WEST MIDLANDS
Early Acquisitions of Drawings for the Barber Collection 17 May – 1 September 2013 Print Bay, Green Gallery
Until 19 May 2013 Lady Barber Gallery and throughout main galleries
From a bicycle wrapped in wool, through poignant photography, to a witty and entertaining animation: the best, critically-engaged work by recent graduates from the West Midlands’ university art schools is showcased at the Barber in this exciting, contemporary art exhibition, as well as at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (until 19 May) and originally also showing at Grand Union, Birmingham. This award exhibition aims to help provide a crucial bridge for young artists between training and the first steps in a professional career. For more information about this exhibition: www.newartwestmidlands.org Above: ©Rafal Zar, Altar 17, HUJ, When you love him you pray for him, when you hate him you curse him, 2012 (detail).
Gallery Talk
Tuesday 7 May, 1.15pm See Page 16 for details
Lunchtime Lectures
Wednesdays 24 April & 8 May, 1.10pm. See Page 16 for details
Adult Workshop
Saturdays 13, 20 & 27 April, 11am-4pm. See Page 12 for details
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The first works acquired for the Barber in July 1936 were drawings, their very subtlety appealing to the Barber’s first Director, Thomas Bodkin, who wrote: ‘Drawings evoke rather than compel emotion; they whisper rather than call to the spectator.’ Those early purchases comprised important examples by Fra Bartolommeo, Francesco Guardi, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Rubens and Claude. They were closely followed by splendid sketches by Degas, Tiepolo, Veronese, and Van Goyen. These works were greatly admired by Queen Mary when she opened the Barber in July 1939. A selection of these early drawings, first on view 74 years ago for Her Majesty’s pleasure, are reunited for this display.
Gallery Talk
Tuesday 4 June, 1.15pm See Page 17 for details
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Exhibitions: 80th ANNIVERSARY
Exhibitions: 80th ANNIVERSARY
Gallery Talks
Tuesdays 18 June; 16 & 30 July; 6 August, 1.15pm See Pages 17 & 18 for details
Adult Workshop
Saturdays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 June, 11am–4pm See Page 12 for details
SPECIAL EVENTS
Thursdays 13 June & 4 July, 6-9.30pm. See Pages 14 & 15 for details
Lunchtime Lectures Wednesdays 12 & 19 June; 3, 10 & 31 July, 1.10pm See Pages 17 & 18 for details
ABOUT FACE
DEFINING FACES
17 May – 1 September 2013 Throughout main galleries
7 June – 26 August 2013 Lady Barber Gallery
20th-century Portrait Drawing
European Old Master Portraits from National Collections
For the first time in the history of the Barber Institute, major paintings by Rembrandt, Goya, Lucas van Leyden and Cézanne will hang in its galleries in this fascinating interspersed display. Lady Barber stipulated that the collection to be acquired for the Barber should be ‘...of that standard of quality required by the National Gallery or the Wallace Collection’. These paintings, lent by the National Gallery, are one of three sets of loans from prestigious national collections, which form the centrepiece of the Barber’s 80th anniversary celebrations. They are complemented by a stunning selection of works lent by HM The Queen from the Royal Collections Trust, including miniatures by Hilliard and Isaac Oliver, among others, and works on paper by Van Dyck and Charles Le Brun, predominantly featuring figures from the English and French courts. Also visiting the Barber will be Sir Peter Lely’s highly enigmatic and magnificent painting The Concert. The loans will be hung throughout the galleries and alongside similar works from the Barber Collection, inviting comparisons and making links as this intriguing display examines the development of portraiture as a genre over 400 years from The Renaissance to the turn of the 20th century. Placing the Barber’s work against the lent works will also enable visitors to judge whether the acquisitions by the Barber Institute’s six Directors meet its benefactress’s lofty aspirations. Top left: detail from Paul Cézanne, Self Portrait, c.1880-81. ©The National Gallery, London. Top right: detail from Rembrandt van Rijn, Hendrickje Stoffels, 1654-56. ©The National Gallery, London.
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From formal commissions to intimate sketches of friends and lovers, Defining Faces focuses on portraiture in a century that witnessed radical changes in artistic style.
Gallery Talks
Tuesdays 21 & 28 May; 11 June; 2 July, 1.15pm See Pages 16 &17 for details
Adult Workshop
Saturdays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 June, 11am–4pm See Page 12 for details
Lunchtime Lectures
Wednesdays 26 June & 17 July, 1.10pm See Pages 16 &17 for details
The exhibition – the second in a prestigious collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, London – examines the function of, and the variety of approaches to, the genre. Focusing on celebrated 20th-century personalities, it features emotionally charged and elegant likenesses of sitters including Henry Moore, Ted Hughes and Stephen Hawking, by artists such as Sylvia Plath, Percy Wyndham-Lewis and Oskar Kokoschka. The drawings are complemented by original related letters and books from the University’s Cadbury Research Library, with many items never before on public display. The exhibition, co-curated with postgraduate History of Art students, celebrates sensitivity and brilliance in the depiction of subjects who themselves helped define an epoch. Above: Tom Phillips (1937-), Richard Edward Morphet, c.1972/3. ©DACS/Tom Phillips.
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BIRTH OF A COLLECTION Masterpieces from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts 22 May – 1 September 2013 Room 1,The National Gallery, London The first masterpiece to enter the Barber Institute’s collection was Nicolas Lancret’s sumptuous Rococo painting, Lovers in a Landscape. Purchased in January 1937, it marked the beginning of a truly remarkable record of acquisitions by Professor Thomas Bodkin, the Barber Institute’s first Director, following his appointment in 1935. However, the Barber Institute’s galleries were still under construction and unready to receive works of art until 1939 - by which time 12 major paintings had been acquired. As an interim measure, nine out of this group of paintings were lent to, and displayed or stored at, the National Gallery, thanks to the support and friendship of the Gallery’s brilliant young director, Kenneth Clark. For the first time in more than 70 years, this exhibition reunites this group of exceptional paintings in London, together with the two further works that were shown at the Tate Gallery and one that remained with the dealer until coming to the Barber. Old Masters in the loan include works by Simone Martini, Cima da Conegliano, Frans Hals and Poussin. From the 19th century are celebrated works by JMW Turner, Monet and Manet.
BEAST 13 September – 10 November 2013 Lady Barber Gallery
FUNCTION IV Portraiture
6 September – 24 November 2013 Thoughout main galleries Talented photography students from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Birmingham City University, compete in the fourth of our annual selective exhibition collaborations. This year the subject is portraiture, the central theme of the Barber’s 80th anniversary programme, with students responding in their own way to portraits in the collection or to the subject more widely. Above: ©Charlotte Frost – from Function II. (detail)
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Three specially commissioned pieces of music – inspired by works in the Barber’s permanent collection – form the basis of this exciting exhibition. The Lady Barber Gallery will be transformed by surround sound and promises to engage the senses! BEAST is Birmingham Electroacoustic Sound Theatre, the University of Birmingham’s world-leading electroacoustic music group.
The two national collections cited by Lady Barber as models for the standard of the GALLERY’s acquisitions programme are collaborating with the Barber to produce two must-see displays in London this summer…
‘OF EXCEPTIONAL AND OUTSTANDING MERIT’ Treasures from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts 22 May – 1 September 2013 Porphyry Court,The Wallace Collection, London To mark Lady Barber’s reference to the Wallace Collection in London as a benchmark of quality for the Barber’s own collections, key items of sculpture and decorative arts from the Barber are displayed there. Objects will include an ancient Greek helmet and a precious bloodstone bowl . The display will complement the Birth of a Collection exhibition at the National Gallery and explore links between the Barber and the Wallace.
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BARBER YOUTH Aged 14-18 and into art? Join Barber Youth! Learn new drawing, painting, printing and sculpture skills – and more besides! Visit museums and art galleries, meet artists, and learn about careers in the arts – and create art to display in your own exhibitions at the Barber! Evening Sessions: Tuesdays 23 April; 7 & 21 May; 4 & 18 June; 2 & 16 July; 3 & 17 September, 4.30-6.30pm Half-term Sessions: Tuesday 9 April - Day trip to BM&AG to see New Art West Midlands exhibition (10.30am-2.30pm) Tuesday 28 May - Day trip to New Art Gallery Walsall (10.30am-2.30pm) Summer Sessions: Wednesday 31 July - Eastside Projects and Grand Union (10.30am-2.30pm) Thursday 1 August - artist-led workshop at the Barber (10.30am-2.30pm) £5 per session, booking essential.*
ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ART Saturday 13 April: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Saturday 20 April: Grand Union, Birmingham Saturday 27 April: Barber Institute 11am – 4pm Inspired by the exhibition New Art West Midlands, this exciting three-week Saturday course will introduce you to the ideas and theories behind contemporary art. Sessions will involve talks, discussions and practical workshops led by contemporary artists at each gallery. Materials provided. For further information, download the course outline from our website: www.barber.org.uk/aboutcontemporary-art £120; £100 Friends/Over 60s/ University Staff; £75 Students/ Unemployed. Booking essential.*
THROUGH THE LENS OF REALISM Saturday 4, 11, 18 & 25 May 11am – 4pm
Document the seemingly ordinary scenes around you using a digital camera inspired by gritty photographic works on display in New Art West Midlands. Experienced photographer and tutor Tom Flathers will guide you in capturing the extraordinary within the everyday world, in this four-week Saturday course. Bring your own digital camera. Above: ©Dean O’Brien (from New Art West Midlands) £150; £125 University Staff/ Friends/Over 60s; £100 Students Booking essential.*
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THE POWER OF PORTRAITURE
Saturday 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 June 11am – 4pm Learn why portraits have been so engaging for the patron, artist and audience throughout history in this five-week Saturday course with artist Adrian Clamp. Gain insight into the fascinating genre of portraiture through practical drawing and painting, demonstrations and group discussion. Materials provided. www.clampart.webs.com www.adrianclamp.webs.com £225; £190 Friends/Over 60s/ University Staff; £150 Students Booking essential.*
UNDERSTANDING ART PART II; REPRESENTATION AND NON REPRESENTATION Thursday 13 June: Barber Institute Thursday 20 June: Ikon Gallery, Birmingham Thursday 27 June: New Art Gallery Walsall 2 – 3pm In week one, explore the changing nature of realistic representation in portraiture at the Barber in works
by Rembrandt and Cézanne. In the second week at Ikon, discuss the non-representational work of contemporary artist François Morellet, who developed innovative forms of geometric abstraction in the 1950s. In week three, at New Art Gallery Walsall, explore work by artist Patricia Piccinini, who creates an imaginative world of charming but unsettling sculptures that are part human and part beast. See websites for further details: www.barber.org.uk www.ikon-gallery.co.uk www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
create a portrait relief in clay from a life model, make a plaster mould and finally cast in cement fondue. Then, have a go at modelling a figure from life using an armature and plaster of Paris. Materials provided. See www.barber.org.uk for further information. £150; £125 Friends/Over 60s/ University Staff; £100 Students. Booking essential.*
BARBER BOOK CLUB Every second Tuesday of the month, 3.30 – 4.30pm (Please note there will not be a book club session in August) Join us for a stimulating Tuesday afternoon discussion for book enthusiasts. Each book links to themes in the Barber’s magnificent collection and exhibition programme. We also welcome ideas from participants for future book club sessions for October onwards. Tuesday 16 April Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
£15 for all 3 sessions.To book go to https://bookwhen.com/ ikongallery or contact Ikon Bookshop on 0121 248 0708
Tuesday 14 May Headlong by Michael Frayn Tuesday 11 June Trilby by George Du Maurier
CREATIVE TEXTILES Saturday 6 & 13 July (2-day course) 11am – 4pm
Tuesday 9 July Man with a Blue Scarf by Martin Gayford
Create a portrait inspired by the great masters on display at the Barber in our exciting exhibition About Face, using a variety of textile media, with textile artist Lisa Broughton. Materials provided.
Tuesday 10 September The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks £5 per person, booking essential.* Refreshments provided. For further details about these books and about the Barber Book Club, see our website.
£70; £55 Friends/Over 60s/ University Staff; £45 Students. Booking essential.*
MATERIALS AND METHODS OF SCULPTURE
Saturday 7, 14, 21, & 28 September Try out a range of new materials and sculptors’ methods in this four-week Saturday course led by experienced sculptor and art tutor Paul Brown RBSA. Learn how to
BOOKING *Booking essential. To book a place contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk. For more information, visit www.barber.org.uk
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FINE ART VALUATION DAY
Monday 22 April 10am – 4pm Timed to coincide with the exhibition Close to the Heart, come and meet the Bonhams portrait miniatures expert, who will be available for valuations of your own miniatures. Raising funds for St Mary’s Hospice, specialists from Bonhams in painting, sculpture, ceramics and general art and antiques will also be on hand to advise you on the current auction market and offer valuation for a suggested donation of £3 per item. Drop-in.
MADE IN BIRMINGHAM: REGGAE, PUNK, BHANGRA
Film Event Sunday 12 May 2 – 4.30pm Some of the most wide-spread musical movements began right here in Birmingham. Join us for a special screening of Made in Birmingham: Reggae, Punk, Bhangra followed by a discussion with the film’s producer, Professor Roger Shannon. Famous names from influential Birmingham bands, such as UB40, Musical Youth, and many more, talk about their distinctive musical styles in this fascinating documentary. £5, booking essential.*
BOOKING *Booking essential. To book a place contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk. For more information, visit www.barber.org.uk
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Jones. Tom will also be on hand to guide you as you make your own sketches. Materials provided. £5; £3 Students. Booking essential.*
GALLERIES NIGHT
DORA CARRINGTON: A PLATONIC AFFAIR
Thursday 16 May 5 – 9pm The Barber Institute, BMAG, Ikon, RBSA, Eastside Projects and mac birmingham... Galleries Night returns this summer, providing gallery-lovers with another brilliant evening out! Enjoy the delights of the collections and exhibitions at six of Birmingham’s top galleries, with the free Art Bus between venues and guided tours available at each. This year, to minimise transport times between most galleries, two separate, but connected bus routes will operate. Timetables will be available at participating galleries, tourist information centres and public libraries, and in downloadable form from the Barber website, from early April. Free event.
LADY B’S BIG BIRTHDAY BASH
Saturday 18 May 11am – 4pm Meet Lady Barber, her husband Sir Henry and her cute little terrier. Enjoy a day of storytelling in the galleries and exciting craft activities for kids, as well as gallery talks by Director Nicola Kalinsky throughout the day for adults. Round the party off by joining in an orchestra of kazoos! There is guaranteed fun for everyone on this special day to celebrate the birthday of our founder! Free, drop-in.
COMMUNITY DAY
Sunday 9 June 11am – 4pm Come along to the Barber on the University’s Community Day for a fun day of art activities: Meet professional artist Ruth Radcliffe, who will be on hand to sketch your portrait, make your own mini Plasticine portrait and have a go at making portrait-themed badges. You can also enjoy a cross-campus storywalk: starting at the ‘Old Joe’ clock tower and moving through the Bramall Music Building, the Lapworth Museum of Geology, the Law Department to see the Paolozzi prints, the Danford Collection of West African Art and the IAA’s collection of Egyptian art, you will finish in the Barber to discover A Woman Looking for Fleas by Giuseppe Maria Crespi! Free, drop-in.
UNDEFINED FACES Drawing and Poetry Party Thursday 13 June 6 – 9.30pm Celebrate our exhibition Defining Faces with this fabulous evening of drawing and poetry. Relax with a glass of wine as you hear more about the exhibition from the curators, listen to poetry inspired by the show and have yourself sketched by artist Tom
Thursday 4 July 6 – 9.30pm Join us for a special screening of the art-house classic, Carrington, exploring the extraordinary relationships of Bloomsbury Group member Dora Carrington. Also, enjoy a guided tour of the galleries, including the related exhibition Defining Faces, which features a portrait by Carrington herself. £7; £5 Students. Over 18s only. Booking essential.*
CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL
Thursday 19 September 2013 6.30 – 9pm Celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival at the Barber with exciting live performances of Chinese music and dance, delicious moon cakes, plum wine, themed gallery tours, and more – see www.barber.org.uk for more information. £5 per person, booking essential.*
Sunday Gallery Tours Second and fourth Sundays of the month, 2.30pm; FREE Find out about our collections and exhibitions in this hour-long tour. Meet in the foyer. Cityscapes tours are the third Sunday of the month.
Tuesday Tours & Talks Tuesdays, 1.15pm; FREE These weekly tours focus on exhibitions and displays, as well as introductory and themed mini-tours of the collection. Gallery talks last 20 minutes, and taster tours 30 minutes.
Lunchtime Lectures Wednesdays 1.10pm, Barber Lecture Theatre; FREE Our popular, public, illustrated 50-minute lectures complement our collection and exhibitions, given by experts in the field.
Picture of the Month Fridays, once a month, 12.30pm; FREE Discover our chosen picture (POM) or object of a month (OOM) with a special Friday lunchtime talk. These last approximately 20 minutes and take place in front of the works themselves.
Audio-descriptive Gallery Tours for Blind and Partially Sighted Visitors
Audio-descriptive Gallery Tours for blind and partially sighted visitors can be arranged for groups of 8 or more with our trained guides. Guided tours cost £4 per person.* Hand-held magnifiers, as recommended by the RNIB, are also available from reception. Ask our gallery staff for more information BSL GALLERY TOUR FOR DEAF VISITORS Sunday 9 June, 2.30pm Join us for an introductory gallery tour with a BSL interpretor. FREE, but booking essential.*
For individual titles, subjects and dates for regular events, please consult the events calendar (pages 16 - 18) For information on concerts and family events, pick up our Families First or Music brochures or download from www.barber.org.uk
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APRIL Tuesday 9,10.30 – 2.30pm Barber Youth*/** Trip to BM&AG
Wednesday 24, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture New Art West Midlands: The Artists in Context Lisa Beauchamp, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, BM&AG
Tuesday 9, 1.15pm Taster Tour Images of Christ Pam Turton, Gallery Guide
Saturday 27, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** About Contemporary Art At the Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Friday 12, 12.30pm Gallery Talk (POM) Odilon Redon: The Crucifixion Pam Turton, Gallery Guide
Sunday 28, 2.30pm Gallery Tour
Saturday 13, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** About Contemporary Art At BM&AG Sunday 14, 2.30pm Gallery Tour Tuesday 16, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Stuart Miniatures Robert Wenley, Deputy Director
Tuesday 30, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Regency Miniatures Tamsin Foulkes, Collections Assistant MAY Wednesday 1, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Converting Monet into Jewellery Michele White, silversmith
Saturday 11, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** Through the Lens of Realism Sunday 12, 2 – 4.30pm Special Event*/** Made in Birmingham: Reggae, Punk, Bhangra Tuesday 14, 1.15pm Taster Tour Going Dutch Jennifer Young, Gallery Guide Tuesday 14, 3.30 – 4.30pm Barber Book Club*/** Thursday 16, 5 – 9pm Special Event Galleries Night Saturday 18, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** Through the Lens of Realism Saturday 18, 11am – 4pm Special Event Lady B’s Big Birthday Bash
Tuesday 28, 1.15pm Taster Tour About Face: Lucas van Leyden and Rembrandt Barbara Fogarty, Gallery Guide JUNE Saturday 1, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** The Power of Portraiture Tuesday 4, 1.15pm Gallery Talk First Thoughts (introduction to the display) Sophie Bostock, Assistant Curator Tuesday 4, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Wednesday 5, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Royal Collection Miniatures on Loan to the Barber Vanessa Remington, Assistant Curator of Paintings, The Royal Collection
Saturday 4, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** Through the Lens of Realism
Sunday 19, 2.30pm CITYSCAPES TOUR
Saturday 20, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** About Contemporary Art At Grand Union, Birmingham
Tuesday 7, 1.15pm Gallery Talk New Art West Midlands: From the Artist’s Perspective Exhibiting artists
Tuesday 21, 1.15pm Gallery Talk About Face (introduction to the displays) Robert Wenley, Deputy Director
Sunday 21, 2.30pm CITYSCAPES TOUR
Tuesday 7, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/**
Tuesday 21, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/**
Sunday 9, 11am – 4pm Special Event Community Day Sunday 9, 2.30pm Special Event* BSL gallery tour for deaf visitors
Monday 22, 10am – 4pm Special Event Bonhams Fine Art Valuation Day
Wednesday 8, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Birmingham Artists in the 20th Century Brendan Flynn, Research Curator for the RBSA Bicentenary Exhibition
Wednesday 22, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Lady Barber Nicola Kalinsky, Director
Tuesday 11, 1.15pm Taster Tour About Face: Goya and Cézanne Jill Ambler, Gallery Guide
Saturday 25, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** Through the Lens of Realism
Tuesday 11, 3.30 – 4.30pm Barber Book Club*/**
Tuesday 16, 3.30 – 4.30pm Barber Book Club*/**
Tuesday 23, 1.15pm Taster TouR Domestic Interiors of Renaissance Italy Barbara Fogarty, Lead Guide Tuesday 23, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/**
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Friday 10, 12.30pm Gallery Talk (PoM) James Jebusa Shannon: Portrait of Lady Barber. Sophie Morris, Collections and Exhibitions Intern
Tuesday 28, 10.30 – 2.30pm Barber Youth*/** Trip to New Art Gallery, Walsall
Saturday 8, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** The Power of Portraiture
* Booking essential. For more information or to book a place contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk ** Charges apply.
Wednesday 12, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Defining Faces: Works from the Cadbury Research Library Martin Killeen, Rare Books Librarian,Cadbury Research Library Thursday 13, 2 – 3pm Adult Workshop*/** Understanding Art Part II At the Barber Institute Thursday 13, 6 – 9.30pm Special event*/** Undefined Faces Friday 14, 12.30pm Gallery Talk (POM) Etienne Aubry: Paternal Love Tamsin Foulkes, Collections Assistant Saturday 15, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** The Power of Portraiture Sunday 16, 2.30pm CITYSCAPES TOUR Tuesday 18, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Defining Faces (introduction to the exhibition) Louise Hatton, Jas Lally and Shelley Longford, MA students Tuesday 18, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Wednesday 19, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Defining Faces: The University’s Collection of Portrait Drawings Clare Mullett: Deputy University Curator Thursday 20, 2 – 3pm Workshop for Adults*/** Understanding Art Part II At Ikon Gallery
Wednesday 26, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Portraiture in European Art Nicola Kalinsky, Director Thursday 27, 2 – 3pm Workshop for Adults*/** Understanding Art Part II At New Art Gallery, Walsall Saturday 29, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** The Power of Portraiture JULY Tuesday 2, 1.15pm Gallery Talk About Face: 17th-century Miniatures and Drawings from the Royal Collection Nicola Kalinsky, Director Tuesday 2, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Wednesday 3, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture The Life and Works of Dora Carrington and Vita Sackville-West Deborah Longworth, Professor of English Literature Thursday 4, 6 – 9.30pm Special Event*/** Dora Carrington: A Platonic Affair Saturday 6, 11am – 4 pm Workshop for Adults*/** Creative Textiles Tuesday 9, 1.15pm Taster Tour The Art of Work in Works of Art Pam Turton, Gallery Guide Tuesday 9, 3.30 – 4.30pm Barber Book Club*/**
Saturday 22, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** The Power of Portraiture
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EVENTS Wednesday 10, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture The Life and Works of Ezra Pound Steve Ellis, Professor of English Literature Friday 12, 12.30pm Gallery Talk (POM) Rita-I-Abbasi (Persian School): A Seated Dervish Kadian Pow, Community Engagement Assistant Saturday 13, 11am – 4pm Workshop for Adults*/** Creative Textiles Tuesday 16, 1.15pm Gallery Talk What Makes a Portrait?: Defining the Categories (Defining Faces) Nikolay Bogantsev, MA student Tuesday 16, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Wednesday 17, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Peter Lely’s The Concert David Taylor, Curator of Pictures and Sculpture, National Trust Sunday 21, 2.30pm CITYSCAPES TOUR Tuesday 23, 1.15pm Taster Tour And One for the Pot!: The Gold Teapot, the Cloissoné Vessel and the Murillo John Southall, Gallery Guide Tuesday 30, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Shades of Grey: Ink, Charcoal and Pastel (Defining Faces) Shenjia Xu and Stephen Lloyd, MA students Wednesday 31, 10.30am – 2.30pm Barber Youth*/** At Eastside Projects and Grand Union
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Wednesday 31, 1.10Pm – Lunchtime Lecture Drawing as Document: The Life and Lives of Portraits on Paper Inga Fraser, Assistant Curator at the National Portrait Gallery August Thursday 1, 10.30am – 2.30pm Barber Youth*/** Artist-led workshop at the Barber Tuesday 6, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Scandal! Famous Faces and Their Secret Lives (Defining Faces) Jas Lally and Katie Wilson, MA students SEPTEMBER
Tuesday 3, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Saturday 7, TIME TBC Workshops for Adults*/** Materials and Methods of Sculpture Tuesday 10 September, 1.15pm Taster Tour Introduction to the Barber’s Prints and Drawings Sophie Bostock, Assistant Curator Tuesday 10 September, 3.30 – 4.30pm Barber Book Club*/** Friday 13, 12.30pm Gallery Talk (POM) René Magritte: The Flavour of Tears Naomi Rees, Marketing Assistant Saturday 14, TIME TBC Workshop for Adults*/** Materials and Methods of Sculpture
Sunday 15, 2.30pm CITYSCAPES TOUR Tuesday 17, 1.15pm Gallery Talk Édouard Manet: Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus. Robert Wenley, Deputy Director Tuesday 17, 4.30 – 6.30pm Barber Youth*/** Wednesday 18, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture Art Treasures of Glasgow Robert Wenley, Deputy Director Thursday 19, 6.30 – 9pm Special Event*/** Chinese Moon Festival Saturday 21, TIME TBC Workshop for Adults*/** Materials and Methods of Sculpture Tuesday 24, 1.15pm Taster Tour Landscape Drawings and Watercolours in the Collection Pam Turton, Gallery Guide Wednesday 25, 1.10pm Lunchtime Lecture 700 Years of Drawings at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts Sophie Bostock, Assistant Curator Saturday 28, TIME TBC Workshop for Adults*/** Materials and Methods of Sculpture
* Booking essential. For more information or to book a place contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk ** Charges apply.
OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm; Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm
ADMISSION TO GALLERIES AND ALL EXHIBITIONS IS FREE ACCESS Facilities for disabled visitors include designated parking, level access, wheelchair, lift and WC. Call in advance to make your visit easier. Baby changing facilities are available and the Barber is a breastfeedingfriendly venue throughout. SHOP Our shop sells a wide variety of items – from pocket-money souvenirs for children to highquality designer leather goods. We also offer a range of collection - and exhibition-related books, postcards, greetings cards and gifts suitable for all pockets. REFRESHMENTS Hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes and confectionery, including a fantastic range of Fairtrade items, are available.
WINTERBOURNE HOUSE AND GARDEN Why not make a day of it and visit nearby Winterbourne House and Garden? This delightful, lovingly restored Edwardian family home, with a remarkable Arts & Craftsstyle botanic garden, also has a terrace café serving hot and cold meals and snacks. (Entrance charges apply.)
GROUP VISITS Group visits are welcome, but if you plan to visit with a group, please call to let us know. Guided tours and refreshments can also be arranged in advance for a small charge. Tours of the collection for visually impaired groups are also available. Contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk EDUCATION VISITS Education workshops can be provided for school (supporting KS1-5 and beyond) college or university groups. Contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk FRIENDS OF THE BARBER Let your passion for art and music help support and promote the Barber. A Friend’s subscription entitles you to a range of exciting benefits and events. Please pick up a ‘Let’s Be Friends’ leaflet in the foyer or contact friends@barber.org.uk PATRONS OF THE BARBER Our Patrons support the Barber Institute’s work financially in many areas, while also enjoying exclusive private views, visits and events. Subscription levels are: Benefactors - £200 per year; Director’s Circle £500 per year; 1932 Club - £1,000 a year. If you are interested in becoming a Patron, please contact 0121 414 2946 or marketing@barber.org.uk
launches and other functions. The hire can include an exclusive private view and introductory talk from a staff member. We offer a wide range of wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks and nibbles, and can also arrange buffet catering. For more details visit: www.barber.org.uk or contact our Events Officer for enquiries or to make a booking on 0121 414 6985 or events@barber.org.uk.
CULTURE ON CAMPUS Discover some of the other museums, galleries and collections that the University of Birmingham has to offer... Winterbourne House & Garden www.winterbourne.org.uk Cadbury Research Library www.special-coll.bham.ac.uk The Lapworth Museum of Geology www.lapworth.bham.ac.uk Research and Cultural Collections www.rcc.bham.ac.uk
HIRE THE BARBER INSTITUTE The Barber’s stunning galleries, foyer, concert hall and lecture theatre are all available for hire for receptions,
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