England : West Midlands : Birmingham : Ikon Gallery

Town, Postcode, Attraction

The Ikon Gallery, formally the Oozells Street Board School, was designed by John Henry Chamberlain around 1877. It is well known as one of Europe's leading contemporary art galleries.

One of the main objectives of the gallery is to increase interest in contemporary art amongst the general public, which is most evident in there wonderful 'Education and Interpretation' scheme. Engaging, entertaining and educational, the scheme, promotes the work of various artists in various setting outwith the gallery itself. The scheme is off-site from the gallery building and is constantly changing. The chosen diverse exhibits range in both scale and duration, as well as location. By a careful choice of artwork and location the gallery aims to increase the availability of art to a wider audience. This modern approach to art is extended to within the gallery itself where displays employ a diverse range of media such as; sound, sculpture, photography and paintings.

If you are planning to spend some time at the Ikon Gallery it really is worthwhile taking a look at what is being exhibited at the moment. In order to both generate interest and give access to as varied a programme as possible the gallery tends to change exhibitions regularly. Your best option is to visit the official site at http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/

The Ikon Gallery - A Brief History

'The Ikon', as it was once known, was founded by Angus Skene and a group of four students (David Prentice, Sylvani Merilion, Jesse Brutton and Robert Groves) from the Birmingham School of Art. The concept, for the gallery, developed from a conversation between the artist/student David Prentice and Angus Skene, who had just purchased some of his paintings. During the subsequent discussion both identified a distinct lack of support for local contemporary artists. Initially the gallery was known as "A Gallery Without Walls" due to the fact that exhibitions were always held at unusual venues, for example such places as; cinemas, post offices and even in a motorcycle sidecar (creating a mobile gallery). Following years of exhibiting art in this fashion, the gallery allowed use of a small octagonal glass kiosk situated within Birmingham's Bull Ring shopping centre.

After about three years displaying art in this highly visible locataion the gallery moved elsewhere to further temporary accommodation. As popularity increased the need for a more substantial, and permanent, venue became increasingly important. Thanks to funds (mainly from the National Lottery Fund) the gallery eventually moved into the Oozells Street Board School building. The interior was totally refurbished and redesigned and even some reconstruction work (tower room) was required before it was up to the standards you see today.

The Ikon Gallery is a superb visitor attraction which is highly suitable for at least an hour's worth of quality family entertainment. Even if visiting an art gallery is not top of your list of "things to do in Birmingham", or you have little interest in art it is well worth keeping in mind that the Ikon Gallery also has a superb Café, the Café Ikon, and a small shop.

Contact Ikon Gallery

Birmingham Ikon Gallery
Oozells Square,
Brindleyplace,
Birmingham
B1 2HS

Tel: +44 (0)121 238 0708

Admission: Free entrance.

Opening Times:
Tuesday-Sunday 11am-6pm

Hotels And Accommodation Near To The Ikon Gallery

(Hotels closest to gallery first)

Name	Miles	Location	Star
Saco @ Livingbase Brindleyplace 3 Brunswick Square , Birmingham, B1 2HR Apartments From: £107	0	Birmingham	4*
Novotel Birmingham Centre 70 Broad Street , Birmingham, B1 2HT Rooms from: £89.00* Pet Friendly	0.1	Birmingham	4*
City Inn Birmingham 1 Brunswick Square , Birmingham, B1 2HW Rooms from: £225.00*	0.1	Birmingham	4*
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Jurys Inn Birmingham 245 Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HQ Rooms from: £72.00*	0.1	Birmingham	3*
Home Serviced Apartments Cutlass Court, Block B Granville Street, Birmingham, B1 2LJ Apartments from: £195.00*	0.1	Birmingham	4*
Hyatt Regency Birmingham 2 Bridge Street , Birmingham, B1 2JZ Rooms from: £119.00*	0.2	Birmingham	4*
City Nites Arena View Edward Street, Birmingham, B1 2RX Rooms from: £79.00*	0.2	Birmingham	4*
Nitenite 18 Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1TB Rooms from: £59.95*	0.3	Birmingham	2*
Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre Holliday Street , Birmingham, B1 1HH Rooms from: £115.00*	0.3	Birmingham	4*
Copthorne Hotel Birmingham Paradise Circus, Birmingham, B3 3H Rooms from: £69.32*	0.3	Birmingham	4*
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Macdonald Burlington Hotel 126 New Street, Birmingham, B2 4JQ Rooms from: £67.00*	0.6	Birmingham	4*
Etap Hotel Birmingham Centre 1 Great Colmore Street , Birmingham, B15 2AP Rooms from: £38.00*	0.7	Birmingham	B
Plough and Harrow Hotel 135 Hagley Road , Birmingham, B16 8LS Rooms from: £45.00*	0.7	Birmingham	3*
Saco Birmingham Edgbaston 78-84 Hagley Road , Birmingham, B16 8LU Rooms from: £120.00*	0.7	Birmingham	4*
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