Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is (partially) open again - the visit of 7th May 2022
It has been closed for a long time. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery partially reopened (five galleries) on the 28th April 2022. It closed during the pandemic, briefly reopened October 2020, then again (lockdowns etc). Then re-wiring works. The Round Room has We Are Birmingham, Industrial Gallery has Black history and nightclub history. Also one room on local cinema history.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery reopened on the 28th April 2022. I didn't visit over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend, but instead popped in a weekend later on Saturday 7th May 2022 (coming back from Cineworld and the Library of Birmingham).
The approach from Centenary Way into Chamberlain Square, at Paradise Birmingham (103 Colmore Row behind). Entrance of course to BM & AG from Chamberlain Square.
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We Are Open. Heading to the double doors of BM & AG, the Chamberlain Square entrance.
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The ground floor entrance room is empty, but has 'Welcome to Museum & Art Gallery Birmingham' signs on panels around it. Seen here from the stairs heading down to the Chamberlain Square exit.
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The stairs leads up to Level 2. There is a new Directory of what is open now, and what will be in Gas Hall (when it reopens on the 14th May 2022).
Round Room - Don't Settle: We Are Birmingham
1. Shop
2. Industrial Gallery - Birmingham Music Archive: In The Que
Fierce: SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea
Kalaboration Arts: Blacklash: Racism and the Struggle for Self-Defence
3. Gallery
Flatpack Projects: Wonderland
4. Edwardian Tearooms
8. Bridge Gallery - Collection Stories
10. Gallery
Unprecedented Times
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Round Room - Don't Settle: We Are Birmingham
Sir Jacob Epstein's Lucifer statue is the only original piece to return to the Round Room. The walls have been painted a cream colour, and their is an exhibition on called We Are Birmingham.
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We Are Birmingham: Our Journeys - The Past is Now.
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An image of Selfridges on the right.
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We Are Birmingham: Our City. As well as Cold War Steve's Birmingham collage, their is black & white photos on the wall of Indian families.
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We Are Birmingham: Our Joy. Indian related objects and a bicycle.
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Heading back into the Round Room from the Bridge Gallery.
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1. Shop
From the Round Room to the Industrial Gallery. Plenty of gifts to buy here.
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The walkway above the Industrial Gallery was open, and found this view through a grill to the shop below (and Round Room beyond that).
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2. Industrial Gallery: Birmingham Music Archive and Blacklash
There is several exhibitions located in the Industrial Gallery. Coming in from the Round Room, on the left is: 'Birmingham Music Archive: In The Que'. On the right is: 'Fierce: SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea' and 'Kalaboration Arts: Blacklash: Racism and the Struggle for Self-Defence'.
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You can head up the stairs to the upper level, but there is no objects upstairs, but there is tables to sit down on, study etc. The African exhibits including Blacklash are on the left, while In The Que (nightclubs) is on the right. This view towards the Shop and Round Room.
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Some of the tables with benches that you can sit on. There used to be Ruskin pottery up here (or it used to be on the side near the stairs). I'm sure it will all be back one day in the future.
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This view towards Wonderland in Gallery 3. With In The Que (left) and Blacklash (right) below.
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Birmingham Music Archive: In The Que
The exhibit on the left hand side of the Industrial Gallery is currated by Birmingham Music Archive, and is called 'In the Que'. Que Club posters from the 1990s.
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Heading in, there is a display of magazine articles. Que Here - Lifestyle.
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QUE in big colourful letters, plus some black and white photos from the nighclub.
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Kalaboration Arts: Blacklash: Racism and the Struggle for Self-Defence
In the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement during 2020. A history of Black protests and marches. Some posters as you head into the Industrial Gallery.
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No Justice No Peace! The visit of Malcolm X to Smethwick in the 1960s. Black People Alliance. Also the Asian Youth Movement in the 1980s.
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African drums and spears. Some objects used at demonstrations. 'No Justice - Just Us!'
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There was more posters under the stairs.
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Fierce: SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea
The second Afro themed exhibition. This bit about the Empire Korero on May 25th 1918. Various costumes and something about Good Captain Cook Day.
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The entrance to the SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea seen from above.
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The stairs between the SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea and Blacklash exhibitions.
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A quick look at the SaVage K'Lub Va Tamatea exhibition on passing it by.
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Gallery 3: Flatpack Projects: Wonderland
Located in the gallery between the Industrial Gallery and the Edwardian Tearoom is a Birmingham Cinema's themed exhibit called Wonderland, run by Flatpack Projects.
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Wonderland is Birmingham's Cinema Stories. Sign seen from the Industrial Gallery.
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Cinemas closed for months during 2020, briefly reopened in the summer, then closed again, bookended by two lockdowns, and then the tiered restrictions. They only reopened without closing again during Spring 2021 last year.
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Cinema related objects in glass cases to the left, and near the Edwardian Tearoom entrance.
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Pictures on the wall of Birmingham cinema's including some that have closed a long time ago.
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This section below focuses on The Electric Cinema on Station Street.
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The Xmas Crackers sign. I remember seeing it on a visit to The Electric, early in 2020 (few months before the first lockdown).
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Three red cinema seats. Was only an hour or so after I'd left Cineworld on Broad Street before I go to this exhibition.
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4. Edwardian Tearooms
After well over two years, you can now pop into the Edwardian Tearooms again. Buy your food and drink, cash or card is accepted. Plenty of tables like before. Access through Gallery 3 (currently Wonderland) via the large doors on the left (or right).
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The galleries above are closed, with no objects on display.
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8. Bridge Gallery - Collection Stories
You can either head into the Industrial Gallery first, or into the Bridge Gallery. Where they have objects from the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre under the title 'Collection Stories'. Just past through under the 'ART GALLERY EXTENSION AND FEENEY GALLERIS A.D. 1912' sign, and the blue plaque (for Bertha Ryland, unveiled back in 2018 by the Birmingham Civic Society).
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Art on the walls of the Bridge Gallery, some objects in glass cases.
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No entry to the Birmingham History Galleries upstairs, as it's closed, and the objects are still in storage, as the re-wiring works hasn't finished yet.
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In front of the stairs, and near the small cafe, is Souvenir 9 (Queen Victoria). Was made in 2019 by Hew Locke, and acquired for the City by the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
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Gallery 10: Unprecedented Times
Since the Museum & Art Gallery had been closed from 2020, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, various local artists had painted or created the art on display here. Art in response to being on lockdown. During the two lost years of the museum being closed.
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This small gallery is just beyond the Bridge Gallery to the right, and nothing else beyond here is open at the moment.
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The red shutter at the end was closed, as BM & AG still has a lot of work to do to re-wire the whole building.
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The steps to the Gas Hall & Exit was closed also. But I suspect it will reopen on the 14th May 2022, when an exhibit at the Gas Hall called 'Found Cities, Lost Objects, Women in the City' opens.
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Photography by Elliott Brown