Comments on: A £1m stepping stone http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/ Linking up Birmingham's Artistic and Creative Communities Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:51:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Boy Wonder http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/#comment-3155 Boy Wonder Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:52:57 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=1043#comment-3155 I agree with Pete. Curzon Street station should be a photographic gallery and home to the world class Birmingham photo archive; it is frankly a travesty that this is hidden away in basements and boxes. This should be the priority, lets build on what we have, our local distinctiveness, not solely on what we aspire to have. In fact I’m not convinced that we do need a contemporary art museum just because it is expected of us to have one. Our region has some very important galleries showing contemporary work with significant collections old and new. Walsall, Wolverhampton, Leamington, BMAG and the fantastic Compton Verney, add to this nationally significant collections of ceramics in Stoke and Glass in Dudley. Mr Watkins should perhaps look to increase the attendances at his own gallery before launching on expansion plans. Frankly the Ikons 117,000 attendances (6 of which over a year will be me) is pretty poor for a gallery in the UK’s second city when you consider New Art Gallery Walsall gets over 200,000 and Compton Verney gets 110,000 most paying £7. (Figures taken from some research, general enquiries and reliable sources) I agree with Pete. Curzon Street station should be a photographic gallery and home to the world class Birmingham photo archive; it is frankly a travesty that this is hidden away in basements and boxes. This should be the priority, lets build on what we have, our local distinctiveness, not solely on what we aspire to have. In fact I’m not convinced that we do need a contemporary art museum just because it is expected of us to have one. Our region has some very important galleries showing contemporary work with significant collections old and new. Walsall, Wolverhampton, Leamington, BMAG and the fantastic Compton Verney, add to this nationally significant collections of ceramics in Stoke and Glass in Dudley. Mr Watkins should perhaps look to increase the attendances at his own gallery before launching on expansion plans. Frankly the Ikons 117,000 attendances (6 of which over a year will be me) is pretty poor for a gallery in the UK’s second city when you consider New Art Gallery Walsall gets over 200,000 and Compton Verney gets 110,000 most paying £7. (Figures taken from some research, general enquiries and reliable sources)

]]> By: Pete Ashton http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/#comment-3148 Pete Ashton Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:44:48 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=1043#comment-3148 I'd also add that Curzon St Station isn't actually that big inside. Thanks to the columns it looks huge but it doesn't go that far back and is mainly a staircase. And I personally like the idea of it being a photography gallery - it's about the right size for that. <a href="http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=653" rel="nofollow">More info here</a>. I’d also add that Curzon St Station isn’t actually that big inside. Thanks to the columns it looks huge but it doesn’t go that far back and is mainly a staircase.

And I personally like the idea of it being a photography gallery - it’s about the right size for that. More info here.

]]> By: AGAIN http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/#comment-3143 AGAIN Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:42:06 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=1043#comment-3143 In my opinion Curzon Street is to far away from anything. To be realistic the major funded art institutions need to be close to each other. For two reason, In Vouge with the Pre Raphaelite Idea of keeping cultural buildings close. IE Margaret street school of art, Muesum and art gallery and the Central Library. Furthermore a big percentage of art vistors would come off the street and the Municipal Bank is prime location. Having this in place would create more artists coming/staying in Birmingham. Therefore more artist-run spaces would hopefully be creative in other less affluent areas in Birmingham.Such as the Digbeth,However the regeneration of Digbeth may send the costs of such projects un-achievable.However there are still places in the City these artist run spaces could work. In my opinion Curzon Street is to far away from anything. To be realistic the major funded art institutions need to be close to each other. For two reason, In Vouge with the Pre Raphaelite Idea of keeping cultural buildings close. IE Margaret street school of art, Muesum and art gallery and the Central Library.
Furthermore a big percentage of art vistors would come off the street and the Municipal Bank is prime location.

Having this in place would create more artists coming/staying in Birmingham. Therefore more artist-run spaces would hopefully be creative in other less affluent areas in Birmingham.Such as the Digbeth,However the regeneration of Digbeth may send the costs of such projects un-achievable.However there are still places in the City these artist run spaces could work.

]]> By: Nick Booth http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/#comment-3141 Nick Booth Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:39:59 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=1043#comment-3141 I wonder if Curzon Street could work for this and whether it has been considered. I wonder if Curzon Street could work for this and whether it has been considered.

]]> By: Stef Lewandowski http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/11/13/a-1m-stepping-stone/#comment-3139 Stef Lewandowski Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:01:48 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=1043#comment-3139 Fantastic - a stepping stone in the right direction perhaps? Fantastic - a stepping stone in the right direction perhaps?

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