BMag-2012 - University of Birmingham

26 The Birmingham Magazine
CELEBRATING
80 years of art
Barber Institute anniversary sparks a host of activities and
launches fundraising campaign for major redevelopment project.
One of the University’s gems is planning
to mark its milestone 80th birthday with a
year-long series of exhibitions and events.
Acknowledged as being one of Europe’s
finest small art galleries, the Barber Institute
of Fine Arts will begin its celebrations on
13 December, the 80th anniversary of the
foundation of the Barber (the building itself
wasn’t officially opened until 26 July 1939),
with the exhibition ‘Portrait of a Lady’, featuring
some of the 23 portrait paintings, and
drawings of Dame Martha Constance Hattie
Barber who founded the Institute, alongside
a selection of important, rarely seen large
tapestries and lace that she owned,
photographs, letters and other historical
documents relating to the foundation of
the Institute.
Robert Wenley, the Barber’s Acting Director,
says: ‘Our 80th anniversary is a chance
to celebrate this amazing institution –
Lady Barber’s legacy – as well as raise the
Barber’s profile as we look to the future. We
will also be using it as a platform to launch
the funding campaign for our planned
major redevelopment.’
The work will see the building of a new
extension, as well as the refurbishment
of much of the existing building, to provide
a new suite of dedicated exhibition galleries,
a restaurant, level access, a new suite of
learning rooms, a larger print study room,
better facilities for the care of the collections,
improved facilities for artists performing in the
Barber concert hall, improved meeting rooms
for use by museum staff and for teaching,
as well as better office accommodation.
Robert continues: ‘The Barber has grown into
what is now a thriving public art gallery and
concert hall, as well as “an institute for the
study and encouragement of Art and Music”
– as Lady Barber herself stipulated – and this
dual role means that more is demanded of the
building. Visitors expect to have access to
certain facilities and we need more space in
which to do our work and do justice to this
world-class collection.’
A major part of the celebrations will be an
exhibition of the first 12 paintings bought
by the Institute, including works by Monet,
Manet and Turner, at the National Gallery
in May 2013.
Before the anniversary year begins,
however, The Barber will be opening its
major exhibition of the 2012–13 season:
In front of nature: the European landscapes
of Thomas Fearnley, on 19 October.
This groundbreaking show of beautiful,
dramatic and varied paintings by the
under-appreciated Norwegian 18th-century
artist will certainly also be worth a visit.
If you would like to become a Patron of
the Barber Institute, make a donation or
leave a legacy to the Institute, contact
andrewdavies@barber.org.uk. To find out
more about its work and exhibitions, visit
www.barber.org.uk.