Pathfinders: Sunday Best explores local histories, public engagement, and portraiture, as modes of making and meaning. More than style, the Sunday best as a cultural phenomenon embodies memory, and the enduring power of being seen. This exhibition draws on what began as a church ritual and evolved into a cultural language - vibrant colours, tailored...
The objective of RBSA heritage exhibitions is to give the public access to the Society’s Permanent Collection of artworks. Themes for these shows are chosen to facilitate the display of a broad selection of pieces, aimed at giving visitors the opportunity to view as wide as possible a cross section of the works held. With...
Rhythmic brush strokes, vibrant tones, and a richness of light are central to Jan Gay's collection. What could be every day, becomes inspirational as she explores the energy of shape, colour, and form. Excitement builds from the seemingly insignificant. Whether painting plein air or in her studio, the initial thrill of starting the work creates...
As a charity, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists relies on the generosity of its visitors and supporters to help maintain the RBSA Gallery and continue its vital work. With no public funding from either the local authority or Arts Council, this 200 year-old Society supports itself through annual membership fees, artwork sales, exhibition entry...
Recasting the Shadow …female intuition & the Ancestral Knower Working through ideas related to the female psyche, Gabrielle Roberts-Dalton has explored menopause, ageing, persona, Hagitude/Cronedom female stories, and fairytales. In these works, she reassesses the importance of physically touching nature, down to the basic touch of grass and finding awe and enchantment in the life/death/life...
Summer Botanicals in Watercolour with Jeni Neale. Spend a summer’s day exploring how to paint those rich, velvety petals that make seasonal blooms so irresistible. With guidance from botanical artist Jeni Neale, you’ll learn textural watercolour techniques, gentle layering, and colour mixing to capture the softness and depth of midsummer flowers. By the end of...
Urban Sketching in the Jewellery Quarter with Ed Isaacs PRBSA. Urban sketching is a great way of getting to know your town - its architecture and townscape. It is also an immensely satisfying way of developing your drawing skills either individually, or as part of the wider urban sketching community. This one-day workshop will help...
Cut and Fold - Exploring Paper Workshop with Clare Pentlow ARBSA. A day exploring paper art and the many different possibilities it holds through cutting and folding. Initially we’ll be looking at geometric folding from simple pop ups to more complex designs. Later in the afternoon it’ll be paper cutting and gaining confidence with the...
Ghalamzani Metal Engraving Workshop with Hadi Ghahramanpouri. Participants will be able to get a taste of Ghalamzani metal engraving and will create a sample piece within the session. By using thin aluminium/copper sheets (0.1mm), the engraving can easily be done with a chisel. Ghalamzani metal engraving often uses processes such as moulding with bitumen, continuous...
Drawing Small Portraits on Paper Workshop with Bing Shi RBSA. Improve your understanding of the values and focal points used in portrait drawing. This workshop will show you how to produce small scale portrait drawings in a time efficient manner, which is great preparation for developing larger scale works. Age group and abilities to be...
Lino Reduction Printmaking Workshop with Jenny Mason-Gunning ARBSA. Participants will learn lino reduction plate making and printing, exploring multi-layer colour techniques using safe, professional methods suitable for home or studio practice. Learners will develop the ability to carve multiple layers from a single lino block, understanding how to plan and sequence colours, register each layer...
Leaded Panel Stained-Glass Workshop with Vix Brown. Participants will create a stained-glass panel using traditional leading techniques. The finished panel will be approximately 12cm x 34cm in dimension. THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ANYONE WHO IS PREGNANT, TRYING TO GET PREGNANT, OR BREASTFEEDING. Age group and abilities to be taught 18 years and above...
