10 of the best exhibitions to see in Birmingham and the West Midlands in spring 2025
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is currently closed for our major building improvement project (learn more about the exciting changes at Reimagining the Barber). So, we wanted to turn your attention to the other amazing arts and cultural venues in the region. There are so many to choose from, but here’s a selection of our favourite art shows in the West Midlands in April and May:
1. Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White, Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum
Where: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
When: 6 March – 1 June 2025
Why: A unique opportunity to discover a new side to the renowned artist. Rembrandt produced over 300 etchings in his lifetime. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he saw the printing method as a unique artform, not just a method of reproduction, and his skill and influence is clear to see in this show.
2. Mahtab Hussain: What Did You Want To See?
Where: Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
When: 20 March – 1 June 2025
Why: A thought-provoking exhibition from British artist Mahtab Hussain who sensitively interrogates the boundary between documentation and surveillance. This show reflects and responds to the city it’s in, and includes Hussain’s systematic documentation of 160 Birmingham mosques, portraits of Birmingham residents, a communal space for dialogue; and an installation simulating a space under surveillance.
3. Su Richardson: In Stitches
Where: Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham
When: 8 March – 1 June 2025
Why: Pioneering feminist artist Su Richardson returns to her hometown for her largest institutional retrospective yet celebrating her diverse 50-year career. Her use of mixed media, crochet and soft sculpture to address themes of motherhood, care and loss celebrates and subverts the traditionally ‘feminine’. This exhibition showcases Richardson’s trailblazing early work alongside brand new sculpture.
4. Suzanne Holtom: And Hills Bore Scars
Where: The New Art Gallery Walsall
When: 29 March – 29 June 2025
Why: Beautiful paintings with a deep sense of place, Suzanne Holtom mines the Black Country for inspiration. Holtom, who grew up in Streetly, maps key ‘geosites’ around Walsall and Dudley exploring their connections with time, history, experience and memory.
5. Hrair Sarkissian: Other Pains
Where: Wolverhampton Art Gallery
When: 29 March – 22 June 2025
Why: Quiet but scarred landscapes filled with ghostly presence. Syrian-Armenian photographer Hrair Sarkissian creates work exploring sites of past pain, trauma and melancholy – both personal and collective. His work is imbued with conflict, loss, memory and hope.
6. Alice Theobald: Perfection is a Lie (An Ode to your Potential)
Where: Eastside Projects, Birmingham
When: 8 March – 5 July 2025
Why: The battle between success and failure is one every person can relate to in their own way. In this immersive installation Birmingham-based artist Alice Theobald questions what ‘living your best life’ really means… Themes of aspiration, pressure, self-doubt and happiness are explored with absorbing creativity.
7. Coventry Open 2025
Where: Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
When: 28 March – 8 June 2025
Why: Support living artists across the West Midlands through this celebratory exhibition showcasing the quality and diversity of work being produced across the region. With a huge variety of mediums and styles represented there is something for everyone in this show.
8. Beyond the Canvas: A Celebration of British Sculpture from the Ingram Collection
Where: Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
When: 1 March – 7 June 2025
Why: Highlights from one of the most significant collections of modern British art in the UK, this exhibition presents a diverse selection of British sculpture from Barbara Hepworth to Lucy Gregory.
9. Mao Ishikawa
Where: Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre
When: 1 May – 22 June 2025
Why: The first institutional exhibition in the UK by Okinawan photographer Mao Ishikawa, this poignant show demonstrates the power of her images. Documenting the daily life of her home island, Ishikawa examines the complex colonial, racial and sexual dynamics of a place that has been under US control (until 1972) and occupation.
10. Towering Dreams: Extraordinary Architectural Drawings
19, SM 17/5/9, ©Sir John Soane’s Museum, London
Where: Compton Verney, Warwickshire
When: Until 31 August 2025
Why: This show will have you rethinking anything you thought you knew about architecture. Presenting a selection of drawings for both real and imagined buildings from the collection of Sir John Soane’s Museum, this exhibition demonstrates the weird and whimsical ideas of architects in the 18th and 19th centuries.
