Ikon Gallery and the Barber Institute: Birmingham’s Art Spaces

This guide is for people who have moved to Birmingham from abroad, with or without children, and want to know where to see serious art without a big outlay. By the end you will know how Ikon Gallery in Brindleyplace and the Barber Institute on the University of Birmingham campus work, what each one offers adults and families, and how to plan a visit.

• Ikon Gallery: contemporary art in Brindleyplace
• Planning an Ikon visit: hours, food and families
• The Barber Institute: a historic collection on campus
• The Barber during its closure period
• Tips for newcomers to Birmingham
• FAQ

Ikon Gallery: contemporary art in Brindleyplace

If you want to see what artists are making now, start with Ikon. According to its official visit page, the gallery is in a Grade II listed Victorian school building, with temporary exhibitions over two floors. It shows work by artists from around the world, across sound, film, mixed media, photography, painting, sculpture and installation. Because the exhibitions are temporary, the gallery changes from one visit to the next, so it is worth going back a few times a year.

Entry to Ikon is free. Donations are welcome, and Ikon is a registered charity, so anything you spend in the shop supports its exhibition and education programme. If you are still working out your budget in a new country, a free afternoon of good art makes a real difference.

The current exhibition is Balraj Khanna: Lines of Flight, which Ikon describes as the first major survey of the British–Indian artist, bringing together more than 40 paintings made over six decades. Ikon’s site lists the exhibition dates. For anyone who has made a life between two countries, a show by an artist who did the same may feel close to home.

You will find Ikon at 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS. Brindleyplace is close to the canals in the city centre, so a visit fits easily alongside a walk or a meal out.

Planning an Ikon visit: hours, food and families

Ikon’s published hours are simple:

• Gallery: Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 11am to 5pm
• Ikon Shop: Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am to 5pm
• Medicine Bakery: Sunday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 7pm
• Phone: 0121 248 0708 for both the gallery and the shop

Note that the gallery is closed on ordinary Mondays. If you are new to the UK, a “Bank Holiday” is a public holiday, and Ikon opens on those Mondays.

Ikon Shop describes itself as Birmingham’s only specialist art bookshop, selling books, cards, artists’ limited editions and gifts. It is a good place to find a present that is not mass-produced, and it also sells online. Medicine Bakery, an independent bakery, serves brunch, coffee and pastries, and has cocktails on the terrace, which makes it easy to turn a gallery visit into a relaxed morning or early evening.

For families: Ikon calls itself a family friendly gallery with a range of activities for families and young visitors. Ask at Reception for an Art Explorer guide, which helps children explore the exhibitions. The page does not give age limits for these activities, so ask staff if you are unsure what suits your child.

Accessibility and languages: Ikon says it is fully accessible, and its Information Assistants can answer questions. There is also a free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, with audio guides and films. If English is not your first language, having audio on your own phone means you can listen at your own pace and replay anything you missed.

The Barber Institute: a historic collection on campus

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts gives you something quite different. According to its official website, it has an art gallery and a concert hall in a Grade I listed building on the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus. The Barber describes its art collection as internationally significant, and it runs exhibitions, music and public programmes.

For adults who enjoy older paintings, this is the place to see the city’s historic art at its most focused. Pairing it with Ikon makes sense: one shows art being made now, the other shows the long tradition behind it.

The Barber also runs concerts, which suit adults looking for a quiet, cultured evening. Its current listings include a lunchtime lecture-recital called Sea Songs and an evening concert, In Echo with Horatio Clare. For parents of very young children there is Barber Baby, linked to the painting A Regatta on the Grand Canal, Venice. The current session is marked as fully booked, so if you want a place, check the listings often and book early.

The Barber during its closure period

Before you travel to Edgbaston, know this: the Barber is going through a major transformation. Its website says the work is underway after a £14.8 million fundraising success, and it has a page called “Reimagining the Barber” that explains what is happening during the closure period. The site does not give a reopening date, so check there before you plan a visit.

You can still enjoy the collection in the meantime:

• Virtual tour: the Barber offers an online virtual tour of its galleries, which is a good way to get to know the collection from home.
• Offsite exhibition: Modern Masterpieces: Paintings from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts is showing away from the building. The venue and dates are on the Barber’s own site.
• Online exhibition: Pocket-sized Power is available to view online.
• Collection and blog: the website has sections on the collection and a blog, both useful for reading up before the building reopens.

Opening hours and ticket prices for events are not shown on the homepage, so use the Barber’s own site for the current details.

Tips for newcomers to Birmingham

• Start with Ikon. It is open now, free, central and easy to fit into a weekend.
• Sign up for newsletters. Ikon has an email newsletter, which is the simplest way to hear about new exhibitions without checking the site.
• Book early at the Barber. Popular events such as Barber Baby can fill up, as the current fully booked listing shows.
• Use the apps and online tools. The Bloomberg Connects guide for Ikon and the Barber’s virtual tour both help if you prefer to prepare in your own time or language.
• Check before you go. Hours and programmes change, so look at each venue’s site on the day.

FAQ

Is Ikon Gallery free to visit?

Yes. Ikon’s official visit page says entry is free, with donations welcome. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday and on Bank Holiday Mondays, from 11am to 5pm.

Is Ikon suitable for children?

Ikon describes itself as family friendly, with activities for families and young visitors. Pick up an Art Explorer guide at Reception to help children explore the exhibitions. The page does not give age limits, so ask staff what suits your child.

Can I visit the Barber Institute right now?

The Barber is going through a major transformation and its website refers to a closure period. Check the “Reimagining the Barber” section of its site for current information. In the meantime you can take the virtual tour, view the online exhibition Pocket-sized Power, or look up the offsite exhibition Modern Masterpieces.

Where are Ikon and the Barber Institute?

Ikon is at 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS, in the city centre. The Barber Institute is on the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus, in a Grade I listed building that also contains a concert hall.

Official sources: ikon-gallery.org · barber.org.uk

Last checked: 15 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.