If you are planning a stay in Birmingham, be sure to pay a visit to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Like other national museums, entry is free for the permanent exhibitions. There is plenty to see without paying extra, making this a top choice for a family day out. Here is a quick whistle-stop tour of the top must-sees.
Art Galleries
Exhibitions include:
– Pre-Raphaelites. This is the most significant collection in the world with over 3,000 paintings, drawings, prints and examples of decorative art.
-Birmingham School of Art. This is the work of turn-of-the-19th-century artists including the tempura artist Joseph Southall, and women artists including Georgie Gaskie and Kate Bunce.
-Baroque Art. From the 17th century, this was a period of much radical turmoil politically and religiously.
Museum Collections
These include the Staffordshire hoard, the most significant of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered, the Ancient Egypt collection and a gallery of the history of Birmingham’s people from its mediaeval beginnings. It includes exhibits from the two world wars. If you are visiting with young children, don’t miss the mini museum designed for under 5s, which is interactive and includes stories, games and opportunities for dressing up.
Special Events at the Museum and Gallery
If you have young children, there is still time to catch Dippy on Tour. The Natural History Museum’s famous Diplodocus is visiting the museum in Birmingham, with the last summer date set for 9th September. If your children are inspired by this event, you may have to pay a visit to the London museum to find out more about the dinosaur collection. See http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dinosaurs.html.
For something completely different and inspirational for the modern museum visitor, it is worth exploring “Within and Without: Body Image and the Self”, which runs until 1st February 2019.
If you are on a business trip and are going to take the opportunity to visit the museum and gallery, you will need accommodation that is central and high in quality. Look no further than Birmingham Serviced Apartments, just a few minutes’ walk from the museum. Check out
http://birminghamservicedapartments.co.uk/view-our-birmingham-serviced-apartments/
Finally, “The Everyday and the Extraordinary”, which is running until 9th September, looks at everyday objects in a new light. Found objects are used in humorous ways in Surrealism, while Pop Art takes many ordinary objects and transforms them.