Birmingham Art Galleries

(Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK)



Gallery photographBirmingham contains a large selection of art galleries, although most tend to operate on a commercial basis and regularly change their stock. Permanent collections of paintings and sculptures can be enjoyed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Chamberlain Square, which was founded as far back as 1885 and contains a myriad of pieces created between the 14th century and the 21st century.

The city's arts scene has certainly been influenced and enhanced by the local association of artists known as the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA). This important society resides within the Jewellery Quarter and dates from the 1820s. Other commendable gallery spaces in Birmingham include the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the university, the Ikon Eastside on Oozells Square, and the arts and media centre on Gibb Street simply named the Custard Factory, after its former life as the Bird's Custard factory.


Ikon Art Gallery / Ikon Eastside

Address: 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 248 0708
Located in the city centre and just off Broad Street, the Ikon Art Gallery has become one of Europe's leading venues for contemporary art. With a vast exhibition space, regular displays and events, the Ikon also features a bookshop and a highly regarded restaurant known for its tasty Spanish cuisine.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 11:00 to 19:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Picture showing the city's popular Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Address: Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DH, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 303 2834
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is situated in the heart of the city, on Chamberlain Square and next to the Paradise Circus Queensway, where it is filled with important, historic paintings, many by highly regarded artists such as John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough and Peter Paul Rubens. Other notable highlights include exhibitions of ceramics, historic local artefacts and sculptures, as well as a large collection of paintings by renowned British artists Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones.
Open hours: Monday to Thursday - 10:00 to 17:00, Friday and Saturday - 10:30 to 17:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: free, donations suggested

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)

Address: Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston Road, Birmingham, B12 9QH, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 440 3838
The Midlands Arts Centre is one of the city's leading arts centres and attracts more than 650,000 visitors each year. With many attractions, including regular exhibitions of art work, the Midlands Arts Centre is set in Cannon Hill Park, on the southern side of the city, next to the Nature Centre and the Edgbaston-Warwickshire County Cricket Ground.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 12:00 to 20:00
Admission: free

Broad Street Art Gallery

Address: Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 780 3333
Broad Art Street Gallery, in central Birmingham, is home to a large and impressive collection of photography. Situated in the Symphony Hall, many of the photographs in the Broad Art Street Gallery are pictures of leading classical musicians. Nearby attractions are in good supply and include the Town Hall, the Repertory Theatre, the Malt House, the International Convention Centre, the National Indoor Arena and the National Sea Life Centre.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Image of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

Address: Edgbaston, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TS, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7333
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts can be found in the Edgbaston area of the city, on the southern side of the university campus. This venue is home to a number of masterpieces by famous artists, such as Bellini, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh, as well as many contemporary paintings and sculptures.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 14:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Warwick Arts Centre

Address: University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, England
Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 4524
The Warwick Arts Centre is located to the east of the city, lying just over 32 km / 20 miles away and best reached by using the M6 motorway. This has become one of the largest arts venues in the area and is where you will discover the popular Mead Art Gallery, which is full of exhibitions of both paintings and photographs. The Warwick Arts Centre also hosts many art-related events throughout the year.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Custard Factory picture

The Custard Factory

Address: Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4AA, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 604 7777
The Custard Factory, named after the Bird's Custard Factory that was previously located on this site, has become a leading art venue in its own right. Home to regular art exhibitions, musical events, numerous studios and craft workshops, the Custard Factory is a particularly trendy complex in the Digbeth area of the city centre and is surrounded by industrial buildings from the Victorian period.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: free

Solihull Arts Complex

Address: Homer Road, Solihull, Birmingham, B91 3RA, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 705 6965
The Solihull Arts Complex, in the Solihull area and some 13 km / 8 miles to the south-east, is a large arts complex, with a gallery space featuring many interesting paintings. Located alongside the Touchwood Shopping Centre, other attractions at the Solihull Arts Complex include displays of local West Midlands artefacts, ceramics and sculptures, as well as a small theatre and a cafe bar.
Open hours: Monday to Wednesday - 09:30 to 17:30, Thursday and Friday - 09:30 to 20:00, Saturday - 09:30 to 17:00
Admission: free

Dudley Museum and Art Gallery

Address: 3 Priory Street, Dudley, DY1 1EJ, England
Tel: +44 (0)1384 815 575
Situated in nearby Dudley and just off St. James's Road, some 26 km / 16 miles to the west of central Birmingham, the Dudley Museum and Art Gallery stands close to the Churchill Shopping Centre, the Wren's Nest National Nature Reserve, Dudley Castle and the Dudley Zoological Gardens. Boasting a fine collection of art, the 19th-century oil paintings are especially notable, as are the detailed watercolours and historic prints.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Address: Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU, England
Tel: +44 (0)1902 552 055
The Wolverhampton Art Gallery is situated approximately 27 km / 17 miles to the north-west of the city centre, next to the Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, and is home to a large collection of work. With paintings including many historic pieces and more modern works by artists such as David Hockney and Andy Warhol, the Wolverhampton Gallery comes highly recommended and is well worth searching out.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free


Other notable galleries in Birmingham include the following selection:

Artifex Art Gallery

Address: The Mitchell Centre, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, B75 6NA, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 323 3776
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00

Department of Art

Address: Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 643 2514
Open hours: hours vary

The Drum

Address: 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4UU, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 333 2400
Open hours: Sunday to Wednesday - 12:00 to 18:00, Thursday and Friday - 12:00 to 23:00, Saturday - 12:00 to 18:00

Temple Art Gallery

Address: 5 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, B2 5HU, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 236 9080
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:30 to 17:30

Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery

Address: Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, Birmingham, West Midlands, WS10 7PA, England
Tel: +44 (0)121 556 0683
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:30 to 17:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00