A sweeping celebration of Birmingham-born Surrealist Emmy Bridgwater (1906–1999) takes over Midlands Arts Centre. The major exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, collages and poetry spanning over six decades of her life. A pivotal figure in British Surrealism and the Birmingham Surrealist Group, Bridgwater’s work is presented alongside works by fellow Birmingham Surrealists, including Conroy Maddox, John Melville, Oscar Mellor and Desmond Morris.

nook gallery in Kings Heath hosts a diverse celebration of abstract art, showcasing an impressive breadth of local creative talent, including Paul Lemmon, Emma Woolley, Tara Harris, John Hall, Sarah Bagshaw and Sam Weeks, who has curated the exhibition.

In total, 32 artists have contributed to Unfixed, ranging from award-winning names to up-and-coming talents.

Centrala presents a group exhibition of film, photography, sculpture, and print by seven LGBTQI+ artists from Central and Eastern Europe now living in the United Kingdom, curated by the Polish artist and curator, Zula Rabikowska.

The works are drawn from long-term personal archives and collaborative projects, including analogue and pinhole photography processes, an installation informed by Romanian and Moldovan folklore, self-portraiture, and documentary film addressing forced migration and LGBTQI+ life on the margins of Central Asia.

A new exhibition that celebrates Digbeth’s status as one of the UK’s most distinctive creative quarters will open this month.

Launching on Fri 20 Nov, A Celebration of Digbeth: The Making of Birmingham’s Creative Quarter will explore the area’s rich industrial heritage, its regeneration through the Custard Factory and Zellig, and the artists, entrepreneurs, businesses and communities that have shaped its creative identity.

Artist Christopher Samuel explores themes of stigma, belonging and agency in a new exhibition about stories missing from history at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

Through nine newly recorded interviews for the city of Birmingham’s collection, Watch Us Lead highlights the experiences of disabled people of colour in Birmingham, particularly Black individuals, combining these stories with stained glass and drawings by Christopher that reflect significant moments in the lives of the individuals featured.

The Bothy is a permanent outdoor installation set in the Minerva Apothecary Garden on the Grand Union Canalside, and is part of Whittle’s long-term artist project with Grand Union titled Congregation: Creating Dangerously.

Created by British-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle, along with Birmingham-based women’s organisations and MJM Bespoke, the structure is modelled on a traditional Scottish both, which provides temporary, free shelter for anyone to use, and is intended as a place for people to rest and take in views of the sky and surrounding land.

Founded in 1880, The Lapworth Museum of Geology is one of the oldest geological museums in the UK.

Housed in the Edwardian Grade II listed Aston Webb Building at the University of Birmingham, the institution houses collections dedicated to everything from dinosaurs and volcanoes to diamonds and fossils, offering a fascinating insight into how life began and changed through time.

This free-to-view mixed-media exhibition showcases how tutors and participants at the Midlands Arts Centre create work with and inspired by the human body. It also takes the opportunity to champion the commitment of MAC’s team of Life Models.

Unlocking the Vaults brings together the outcomes of a National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project exploring the Birmingham Municipal Bank and its impact on the city.

Drawing on archives, objects and oral histories, the exhibition will feature memories shared by former employees, customers and community participants, original objects, photographs and archival material, new contemporary photography and more.

Whether you’re a calligraphy fanatic or more of a fairweather fan, the Pen Museum is a somewhat unlikely but fun afternoon out for all ages.

During the Victorian era, making steel pen nibs was a major industry, with 129 companies employing 8,000 workers across Birmingham. Throughout the museum, you’ll find a wide variety of objects that tell the story of the city’s pen trade, with a range of interactive activities along the way, including writing with quills and ink, using graphology to analyse your handwriting and even the opportunity to make your own nib.

A stunning, large-scale illuminated sculpture of the sun by acclaimed British artist Luke Jerram will go on display at The Exchange in Birmingham this spring.

The University of Birmingham announced that it had permanently acquired Helios, and that it would be displayed for free from March to November 2026.

Using high-resolution (72dpi) photographic solar imagery, the sculpture reveals the astonishing details of the Sun’s surface, from swirling sunspots to dramatic solar flares, all illuminated from within to cast a golden glow across the Banking Hall.

EVERY THING MUST GO is the first major solo art exhibition by comedian Joe Lycett. The collection is rooted in nostalgia, grief and loss, centred on the ‘things that are no longer with us’, which could include anything from extinct animals and celebrities to discontinued chocolate bars and destroyed buildings.

A new showcase celebrating the creativity, culture, and communities of Birmingham’s Southside has launched at the National Trust Birmingham Back to Backs.

Free to the public and running for an entire year, From Around Here: Creative Responses to the Culture and Community of Birmingham’s Southside presents original work by students from the Department of Fashion and Jewellery at Birmingham City University (BCU).

Housed in the Library of Birmingham, Discovering Lisel Haas features archive material and new artwork inspired by the life, legacy and work of the photographer.

After being forced to flee Germany in 1938, leaving behind a successful photographic career, Haas settled in Birmingham, where she reestablished herself as a photographer in the city. The exhibition includes selected material from the Haas archive alongside newly commissioned responses from five contemporary artists: Anu Gamanagari, Gibson Kochanek Studio, George Eksts, Laura Chen and Rebecca Orleans.

This September, Ikon presents Lines of Flight, the first major survey exhibition of British–Indian artist Balraj Khanna (1939–2024).

Bringing together more than 40 paintings made over six decades, Lines of Flight offers the most comprehensive overview to date of Khanna’s remarkable career as a painter, writer and curator. The exhibition traces the evolution of his distinctive vision of abstraction, shaped by his youth in the Punjab region of India, his life in post-war Britain, and an enduring fascination with the natural world.

The ‘UK’s most important touring exhibition of contemporary art’ is coming to the West Midlands this October.

The British Art Show, which is now in its landmark tenth edition, will launch across several Coventry venues before embarking on a tour across the UK.

Held every five years, the British Art Show has introduced millions to artists who go on to shape the national and international art scene. Past editions have featured David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, and Sonia Boyce.

The major presentation in Coventry will be held across Mead Gallery at Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and Coventry University, before touring to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle Gateshead.