Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery- Collab Piece
Birmingham
Museum & Art Gallery
As a
nervous Fresher on her first weekend in Birmingham, a trip to a museum was just
what I needed to calm my nerves and embrace my new city. So when I noticed the
Birmingham & Museum Art Gallery proudly standing within Victoria Square,
without even knowing what it was, I wandered in. Flash forward two years and
I'm now a volunteer for the Birmingham Museums Trust, and regular attender of
their beautiful Edwardian Tearooms.
The
Museum is just one of 9 heritage sites that form the Birmingham Museums Trust, with
locations including the Jewellery Quarter and Aston.[1] As their primary site and
headquarters, the Museum offers three floors with artefacts ranging from
Egyptian, to Anglo-Saxon, with a plethora of information on the cultural
history of Birmingham, as well as a range of temporary exhibitions. Before the
lockdown, visitors could enjoy 'Dressed to the Nines', a free exhibition
exploring ‘dressing up and going out from around 1850 to the present day.’[2] A highlight of this
collection for me had to be a pair of calf-length, purple velvet Doc Martens,
that inspired much envy.
Another
attraction of BMAG is its extensive Pre-Raphaelite collection, with an entire
room dedicated to paintings and sculptures of the movement, in addition to the
many items currently on tour. I reviewed this collection for the Volunteer's
Blog here[3], which is just one of the
ways I have been able to get involved, in addition to assisting with tours and
object handling sessions. The Museum and Art Gallery is a friendly, welcoming
environment that has introduced me to the world of heritage and provided a
beautiful place to unwind. It's so important that this venue, and the Trust in
general, is able to survive beyond the lockdown, as it provides vital arts
education and celebration for the city. You can donate to their fundraiser here[4] and I for one will most
definitely be racing through its doors once the Museum re-opens.
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