Wednesday 28 September saw an event much anticipated at the RBSA Gallery; the relaunch event of the building following a complete refurbishment in the spring of 2022. Members, Associates and Friends of the RBSA joined Gallery staff, corporate members, members of the press and, Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street for a celebratory reception.
Following seven years of hard work, and thanks to incredibly generous donations, tireless fundraising, amazing sponsorship, and the dedication of everyone involved, the Gallery is now a beautifully modern, sleek space.
Stepping through the new front doors, visitors are greeted by one of the Front of House team from behind a crisp new desk, and the Gallery Shop, now a far cry from its previous incarnation, allows the craft items on sale to shine and visitors to browse in a fresh and spacious environment. The two gallery spaces, on the first and second floors, are bright and contemporary, with fantastic new lighting which really shows off every piece of work on display.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, himself no stranger to the RBSA Gallery, officially reopened the building and commented on the “absolute gem” that is the RBSA Gallery:
“It’s a great pleasure to be invited to this Autumn relaunch of the RBSA Gallery. We’re blessed here in Birmingham to have a thriving arts scene and the RBSA is a stalwart of that scene – a much valued attraction with tremendous prestige as one of the oldest Societies of Artists in the UK.”
“As a frequent visitor and customer myself, I can recommend the RBSA first-hand and encourage locals and tourists alike to pop by. I wish the RBSA Gallery continued success in the weeks, months and years ahead as it grows its reputation as a leading arts hub.”
President of the RBSA, Viv Astling PRBSA, thanked everyone who had put in so much time and effort to the project and also mentioned Rob Neil PPRBSA in particular as having steered the project with much needed attention to detail and unflagging commitment. Later in the evening, the Mayor presented Rob with a drawing of the updated building by the RBSA’s very own Ed Isaacs RBSA.
The Gallery continues to go from strength to strength and offers visitors a unique experience just a few minutes walk from Birmingham City Centre. From 18 – 29 October, our autumn workshops will be taking place, giving participants the chance to learn new skills from professional artists, and later in the year we have more exciting exhibitions lined up and will, of course, be launching a range of Christmas stock in the Gallery Shop.
We really look forward to welcoming visitors both old and new to our wonderful gallery and, once again, would like to thank everyone for their support throughout the refurbishment project.
