History
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists is one of the oldest Art Societies in the UK. As early as 1807, Samuel Lines opened an Academy on Newhall Street, offering tuition to local artisans and aspiring artists. Here he focused on teaching basic design skills such as drawing figures, landscapes and still life.
In 1812, other pioneers such as J.V. Barber came together to study from the living model, eventually exhibiting their work in 1814 under the patronage of such famous alumni as Benjamin West, J.M.W.Turner, John Flaxman, Joseph Heath and John Sloane.
In 1821, the Birmingham Society of Artists was formed, whose objective was to establish a museum for works of art, provide facilities for students, hold public exhibitions and extend art education in the city of Birmingham. From 1822 to 1912 the Society met in a beautiful corinthian style gallery, sadly now demolished. In 1868 Queen Victoria granted the Society royal status, and it has held annual exhibitions with minor interruptions during the war years ever since.
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists played an important part in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Sir John Everett Millais and Sir Edward Burne-Jones both served as presidents of the RBSA. Other well known presidents were Lord Leighton and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.
In April 2000, after being based at New Street in Birmingham since 1829, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists relocated to a new gallery just off St Paul’s Square. This space gave us a large and accessible gallery with improved facilities for running workshops as well as a ground floor exhibition space dedicated to the display of contemporary craft.
