The Hidden Lives of Plants: Botanical Illustrations from the V&A 22 June – 10 November 2024 There are almost 1,000 botanical illustrations in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection – ranging from scientific diagrams documenting medicinal plants to merchandising images that adorn seed packets. Many of these illustrations also exist as objects of beauty in their own … Read more
Scent and the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites 11 October 2024 – 26 January 2025 Scent is a key motif in paintings by the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic movements. Fragrance is visually suggested in images of daydreaming figures smelling flowers or burning incense, enhancing the sensory aura of ‘art for art’s sake’. Scent was … Read more
Claudette Johnson: Darker Than Blue 22 June – 15 September 2024 Claudette Johnson – recently shortlisted for the 2024 Turner Prize – is one of the most exciting and prominent artists working in the UK today. New and recent work features here in her first solo exhibition in the West Midlands. Johnson is best known … Read more
Women in Power: Coins from the Barber Collection 22 June 2024 – 26 January 2025 Spanning nearly 2,000 years and more than 5,000 miles, the Barber’s forthcoming coin exhibition explores historical women who have appeared on coins. From London to Beijing, and from representations of gender-fluid deities from the 3rd century BC to Elizabeth II … Read more