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Birmingham museum and art gallery.

I remember my visits to the museum in my youth , I had one phobia about the museum the steps with an appearance of a marble like stone , when I looked beneath the steps as I descended I noticed there was no visible sign of a support underneath . Needless to say I was in great fear as I ascended these steps of marble that there would be a lrge crack and Iwould end up spiralling down in free air to the great unknown
 
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The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery web-site confirms, "We plan to reopen the museum sometime in 2024 – the exact date is to be confirmed."

Their site (link bellow) includes a list of frequently asked questions, related to the lengthy closure:

www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

FAQs | Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | Birmingham Museums

We are delighted that Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will start to reopen on Thursday 24 October 2024. Find out more about the reopening. Here is som
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
 
John L said:
The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery web-site confirms, "We plan to reopen the museum sometime in 2024 – the exact date is to be confirmed."

Their site (link bellow) includes a list of frequently asked questions, related to the lengthy closure:

www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

FAQs | Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | Birmingham Museums

We are delighted that Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will start to reopen on Thursday 24 October 2024. Find out more about the reopening. Here is som
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
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Thank you for that information. I still don’t understand why the entire place should be shut down. Usually on refurbs like that there are staggered closures, that is a portion of the museum would remain open for visitors.
 
Richard Dye said:
Thank you for that information. I still don’t understand why the entire place should be shut down. Usually on refurbs like that there are staggered closures, that is a portion of the museum would remain open for visitors.
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The link posted by John also explains there will be a rehang of the collection after all the building work has been done.

"This year’s partial reopening of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery [in 2022] was the first chance to see the journey Birmingham Museums Trust is embarking on to make the museum and the organisation more representative of the people of the city with a new approach to galleries and displays, all created in partnership with the people of the city.

When the museum reopens again, many of the most popular objects and artworks will be on display.

The displays will be different to before. Throughout 2023 we be working with people and partners across the city to develop these new displays, so that they tell the stories and display the objects that people most want to see when the museum reopens."
 
More on the rehang here: https://advisor.museumsandheritage....zers-sara-wajid-and-zak-mensah-as-joint-ceos/
I'd expect the new displays to critically examine the place of Birmingham in the British Empire, and reflect the experiences of the people and their cultural backgrounds who now make Birmingham their home.

This can be a sensitive issue, so I hope members will post responsibly. Birmingham and its people have changed, BMAG needs to change too.
 
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Stokkie said:
The link posted by John also explains there will be a rehang of the collection after all the building work has been done.

"This year’s partial reopening of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery [in 2022] was the first chance to see the journey Birmingham Museums Trust is embarking on to make the museum and the organisation more representative of the people of the city with a new approach to galleries and displays, all created in partnership with the people of the city.

When the museum reopens again, many of the most popular objects and artworks will be on display.

The displays will be different to before. Throughout 2023 we be working with people and partners across the city to develop these new displays, so that they tell the stories and display the objects that people most want to see when the museum reopens."
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In fairness, I am not there. However who are the “people” that are deciding what is more “representative of the people”? I hope it’s not the same old crowd, I have seen that here and it did not work.
I still do not understand why the whole place had to be shut down. I know what they said, but why. We have a wonderful museum in Nashville that is privately owned that went through a refurb about 6 or so years ago, section by section were closed but the museum continued to operate.
 
I just hope that those responsible do not let outside concerns which are nothing to do with Birmingham but just pushed by influential factions allow the place to be ruined as happened with the Science Museum and its virtually completely rubbish reincarnation.
 
mikejee said:
I just hope that those responsible do not let outside concerns which are nothing to do with Birmingham but just pushed by influential factions allow the place to be ruined as happened with the Science Museum and its virtually completely rubbish reincarnation.
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I can certainly agree that Think Tank is not a success when compared to the Science Museum of my childhood and youth. I hope that the collection eventually finds a more suitable home in the city.
 
BBC iPlayer has Britain's Lost Masterpieces which has an episode devoted to Birmingham. It must have been in the can before BMAG was closed as we see the Round Room and the picture store. A thoughtful and interesting programme.
Screenshot 2024-04-15 at 21.22.28.jpeg
 
Stokkie said:
BBC iPlayer has Britain's Lost Masterpieces which has an episode devoted to Birmingham. It must have been in the can before BMAG was closed as we see the Round Room and the picture store. A thoughtful and interesting programme.
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I think the date was 2019 from he Roman numerals but could be wrong.

They talked about a pair of children's boots that were a type given out to poorer children. I have a book about South Wales in the 1920s and 1930s with sections written by women who lived through that period. One section tells that the Quakers had a man who went around schools in a motorcycle and sidecar, repairing children's boots. They were very important because the school meal might be the only proper meal that the children got all day so it was known for fathers to carry their child to school in Winter if they did not have a pair of boots, to ensure they got a meal.
 
I spent a lot of time in both museums in the 60s my Nan worked in the coffee shop in the BMAG
The mummies/Stuffed animals/Giant Spider Crab and the giant Irish elk who was called Paddy by the staff
Best of all was the Science Museum the Spit the Hurri the nose of Beufighter and a engine of Me 262
and of course the smell.
 
Donbogen said:
I spent a lot of time in both museums in the 60s my Nan worked in the coffee shop in the BMAG
The mummies/Stuffed animals/Giant Spider Crab and the giant Irish elk who was called Paddy by the staff
Best of all was the Science Museum the Spit the Hurri the nose of Beufighter and a engine of Me 262
and of course the smell.
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And John Cobbs car as you first walked in!
 
Stokkie said:
Victorian Radicals: from the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts and Crafts Movement - exhibition at The Gas Hall opens 10th Feb Wed - Sun, 10am - 5pm. Price and tickets via link. Well, a chance to see some familiar art and perhaps some that's unfamiliar from the BMAG collection. https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/exhibitions/victorian-radicals?utm_
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Visited the exhibition yesterday. It was wonderful to see the collection back home. I was a regular visitor and have really missed the Art gallery. It used to be free entry but is now £11 with no senior concessions but was worth it, especially if it stops any of the collection being sold off to pay off Brum's debts.
Carolann
 
cba said:
Visited the exhibition yesterday. It was wonderful to see the collection back home. I was a regular visitor and have really missed the Art gallery. It used to be free entry but is now £11 with no senior concessions but was worth it, especially if it stops any of the collection being sold off to pay off Brum's debts.
Carolann
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Hi good to know, I spent many many hours at the museum, when at school and well after, then taking my own children. I well remember the pre - Raphaelite section, good to know we still have our art. I agree its worth paying to see, glad you enjoyed seeing them again. Good memories.
 
Country Road said:
Hi good to know, I spent many many hours at the museum, when at school and well after, then taking my own children. I well remember the pre - Raphaelite section, good to know we still have our art. I agree its worth paying to see, glad you enjoyed seeing them again. Good memories.
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The Gas Hall exhibition runs until the end of October except Mon & Tues. I look forward to seeing it. I have childhood memories going there with Mom. Then with students and my own children. So many paintings are very familiar. For people able to travel, Liverpool and Manchester have good Pre- Raphaelite collections besides the Tate in London.
 
My wife and a friend who had heard it had re-opened, found the main art gallery was still closed yesterday (they really should have checked first). Nice to see something is starting to be put back on display at long last, but £11 with no senior concessions, does seem a bit steep and it will likely impact on the number of visitors who are able to attend.
 
Well, I am quite disenchanted with the museums a the moment. Last year we bought a membership to all the sites and couldn't visit many of them as they were closed or only open for limited times. I complained and had the membership renewed but so far I've tried Soho House which is closed, Aston Hall - closed to general public and the same with Blakesley Hall. They are 'preparing for summer'! Well fat chance of a visit if they're waiting for that.
 
Lady Penelope said:
Well, I am quite disenchanted with the museums a the moment. Last year we bought a membership to all the sites and couldn't visit many of them as they were closed or only open for limited times. I complained and had the membership renewed but so far I've tried Soho House which is closed, Aston Hall - closed to general public and the same with Blakesley Hall. They are 'preparing for summer'! Well fat chance of a visit if they're waiting for that.
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For what it's worth there's a site that lists events at the various museums and galleries at https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/
I don't know if your membership gets you in to paid events but it should show what's open somewhere if it's got that bad.
 
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