Birmingham is a fascinating city in the English county of the West Midlands, it is a really popular destination for short city breaks. The city has a great number of excellent visitor attractions including a great many churches which have Grade I status and other important buildings as well as many museums and galleries, including Birmingham\’s Ikon Gallery.
The Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England, is an art gallery focusing on contemporary art which is situated in the building which was previously the Oozells Street Board School, Brindleyplace, but it had not always has such a prestigious local.
The Ikon was founded in the year nineteen sixty four by 4 artists and Angus Skene. The four artists were; David Prentice, Robert Groves, Sylvani Merilion and Robert Groves. Angus had purchased and the two of them discussed the great many problems faced by local artists, which included the terrible lack of venues and support. The discussion formed the basic ideas for Ikon which was to be a \”gallery without walls\”.
Angus provided the initial funds for the project, which consisted of exhibitions in such varied locations as post offices and cinemas in a motorcycle sidecar, the concept was to make the public more aware of art. In order to to keep the expense minimal staffing duties was by the founding artists, friends and family who did not take wages. In nineteen sixty five the Ikon Gallery obtained a glass kiosk in the Bull Ring shopping centre.
Over the next couple of decades the Ikon Gallery moved from place to place until 1997 when it purchased, with aid from the National Lottery, the current premises, the former Oozells Street Board School. recently the Ikon Gallery has put on a selection of exhibitions and its continual ability to produce the superb has led it to become incredibly popular, to such a degree that in 2006 it opened a second gallery, the Ikon Eastside in Digbeth.
If you are thinking about a Birmingham vacation we hope that you actually spend some time in the Ikon Gallery. Also it is important to know that although there are many Birmingham hotels finding bed and breakfast in Birmingham can at times be very difficult. It is therefore vitally important to book your accommodation at the earliest opportunity. You should know that the closest airport is roughly 8 miles east of the center of the city (just off the A45 and near the M42, Junction 6. You will find there is a number of guest houses and hotels nearby the airport.
If you are planning to stay in Birmingham bed and breakfast accommodation you may be interested in our listings of accommodation near the Ikon Gallery