RBSA gallery - about the RBSA

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'Birmingham's leading venue for contemporary craft'
Terry Grimley, Birmingham Post, 9 June 2008

Firmly established as the region's leading outlet for contemporary craft, the RBSA Craft Gallery celebrates a longstanding relationship with craft designer makers with a programme of themed craft exhibitions, showcasing inspirational and collectable work.

Striving to promote the talents of Britain's foremost designer makers,
the RBSA's exhibitions showcasing versatile and affordable handmade craft continue to inspire our visitors.

You can buy a wonderful array of innovative craftwork including designer made jewellery, ceramics, glassware, silverware and textiles, as well as hand-made cards.

The attractive walk-in ground floor offers a warm welcome and deserves to become the first port of call for people hunting distinctive Christmas or birthday presents

Noted for its exciting craft exhibitions, the gallery has been hailed as the leading venue for craft exhibitors in the West Midlands. Past exhibitors have included Jack Doherty, a highly influential potter and Chair of the Craft Potters Association. Doherty's distinctive porcelain cups, jugs and bowls are both decorative and functional; the celadon glaze is an indicator of his love of Japanese ceramics. Jo Connell spent many years teaching and is regular exhibitor at the RBSA. Jo is inspired by the effect the sea has on rocks and the land, in much of her latest work pebble forms become highly decorative objects. Surface pattern and decoration play a major part in Jo's work, with pots created in vertical shapes with tactile textured pastels. Other exhibtiors include, Virginia Graham, Rachel Wibberley and Helen Johannessen to name but a few.

Jewellery is always a prominent feature in the craft gallery, based in the heart of the jewellery quarter the RBSA exhibits work by many of the designer/makers who work in this vibrant area, as well as exhibitors from all over Great Britain. Past exhibitors include Kaz Robertson, Donna Barry, Kathie Murphy, Kayo Saito, Yoko Izawa, Betty Pepper, Wendy Sarah Pacey and many more.

Interested in exhibiting in the Craft Gallery?

All craft designer/makers can exhibit their work in the craft gallery, once work has been approved, there is an opportunity to have work featured on publicity, and have a prominent 'new exhibitor showcase' complete with detailed artists' profile for first two weeks of showing. Work is exhibited in stunning 7' x 3' secure glass display cases, which are re-arranged regularly to keep the gallery fresh and exciting. Information about the artist is displayed next to the work with a copy available to every customer. Artists are occasionally invited to participate in demonstration days in the gallery.

Artists' Showcase (back wall)

The ground floor and cafe galleries also have a regular Artist featured each month, where you can choose from a selection of work. Many artists choose to exhibit here as they can exhibit their own choice of work in an informal manner. The ground floor exhibitions are an opportunity to see small solo shows of work by individual Members and Associates such as John Davenport and Mary Griffin.