Joseph Norman pays a visit to the Royal Society of Birmingham Artists on the eve of their annual Friends exhibition.
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) kicks off its autumn season with another of its popular ‘Friends of the RBSA’ exhibitions.
It features a wide variety of work from artists who subscribe to the society and runs until September 11 at their St. Paul’s Square Gallery.
As well as the Friends exhibition the season also includes shows by the Birmingham Watercolour Society, Robert Perry and an exhibition of contemporary print work. The RBSA’s Craft Gallery, meanwhile, will be showcasing jewellery, ceramics and textiles.
The RBSA dates back to 1819 when the Birmingham Academy of Arts was founded. This in turn led to the formation of the Birmingham Society of Artists who, as well as holding exhibitions, pioneered art education in the city.
The society’s work was recognised by Queen Victoria in 1868 when it was granted Royal status.
Today the RBSA hosts a variety of exhibitions by visiting artists as well as highlighting the work of its members. It also retains the society’s original commitment to provide training and education, as the society’s curator Paul Hipkiss explains. “We place a lot of value on educational activities, talks and demonstrations."
“These range from activity days with schools and colleges to professional development days that give artists advice on making ends meet and how to get their work exhibited.”
Paul Hipkiss believes that one of the RBSA’s most important roles is providing exhibition opportunities for artists. “We put on four ‘open’ exhibitions a year that anyone can submit work to, as well two Friends exhibitions, and anyone can become a Friend of the society for £22 a year.
“What we can do is provide artists with a leg up into getting their work exhibited,” he explained. “I don’t think there’s another gallery that offers as many opportunities to Midlands-based artists as we do.”
One of the Friends whose work is on display is Kate Duncanson; she explains the process of getting work accepted. “You bring your work in and it’s viewed by the members, who will view it anonymously, they only reveal the artist’s name - afterwards, they vote on it and if they like it, it gets included in the show."
“It’s a nerve-racking experience, the first time I bought work in it was rejected and I was absolutely devastated. I managed to pluck up enough courage to submit some work a year later and thankfully it got accepted.”
The RBSA’s Friends exhibition has helped Kate Duncanson to develop her work. “You get feedback on your work, which is very useful. The members of the society are very encouraging; they will talk to you about your work and give you advice.
“It’s really helped me improve as an artist; you get to see what other artists are doing and this has helped to make me much more discerning about my own work. I can now see why my initial paintings were rejected.”
The current exhibition features a variety of paintings; still life, landscapes, abstracts and portraits using many different media as well as sculptures, woodcarvings and ceramics.
Curator Paul Hipkiss believes Friends of The RBSA has a broad appeal. “A variety of artists responding to a variety of stimuli. It’s not themed, the only criteria is quality. There’s something for everyone, certainly you could bring children along, as it’s very accessible, not challenging. Even the abstracts are accessible.”
The Friends of the RBSA runs until September 11 at the RBSA Gallery, St. Paul’s Square, Birmingham.
