Digbeth Arts Market Exhibtion 2017

Digbeth Arts Market launched their first ever exhibition on Nov 17th at the Zellig building in Digbeth and it showcased a stunning range of talent, art and design. Founder Kay Fisher curated the 30 artists on show including illustrators, portrait artists, interior designers, vintage card specialists and some tremendously gifted craft specialists. It runs until Saturday 16th December.

Photo by MnM Lamps

Above is the amazing MnM Lamps with some brilliant original designs and below is Famous When Dead's striking cheese lady.

Famous When Dead

The astonishing range of inventions by Mostly Curious Games was so impressive.

Rose Fraser's portraits had so much personality and character. This one is of Jimmy a Big Issue seller in Lancashire.

The Periscope King artist Amrit Singh created a special bespoke piece of art for the show which attracted bids from New York no less.

The range of vintage cards from the 1950s and more by Mrs Flower's Fabulous Card Company was glorious and sweet.

That Bloke Wilson is an illustration legend for good reason.

I am huge fan of ROOTS 0121 and her work. Prints to make your walls very cool indeed.

Koo Arts do an incredible range of decorated skulls and have an exciting exhibition lined up in London early next year.

Left Luggage do gorgeous furniture such as these wonderful pieces.

Finally 

Here's a few highlights of the launch.

Digbeth Arts Market Twitter 

Words by Paul Clarke

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Birmingham August and September Highlights

Willard Wigan

The Tailor of Gloucester

You have until the 28th October to see the fantastic In The Eye of The Needle exhibition at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter.

Willard Wigan

Willard Wigan's art really is so small you need to look through a microscope to see the wonderful creations inside the eye of a needle. He even uses an eyelash to paint these miniature beauties.

Willard began doing miniature work as a child when he disturbed some ants in the ground and decided to make some furniture for them. If you are reading this on your phone zoom in on the photos below to get a better look.

Check out the Ascent of Man and remember that apes did not start this war but apes will finish it.

Christ The Redeemer.

Hummingbird 

Mammy from Gone With The Wind

The Pieta. Brought back a nice memory from the one in St Peter's in Rome.

What big teeth you have Granny!

To See or Not To See.

Willard spends 18 hours a day on his art and holds his breath whilst working to get the absolute stillness needed to work on the art. He is even visiting Oxford University who want to study his hand control whilst manipulating stem cells.

BMAG Thresholds

Busting makes me feel good

I headed to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery for their VR photography exhibition Thresholds as part of the Developed in Birmingham season. It featured VR replicas of some photo prints from 1839 originally displayed at King Edward's School.

You looked into the cabinets and then used your hands to magnify and move the photos. It was really kwl and I loved it. You could look out the windows to see a Chartist protest, there was a mouse running around on the floor and moths buzzing around the lights.

School of Code at Google Digital Garage

School of Code ran a beginners guide to coding inside Google's Digital Garage on New Street. School of Code has just started a coding boot camp that lasts for 16 weeks and is absolutely free to the lucky 20 participants who will go from beginners to fully-fledged programmers.

You should check out all the free classes being offered by the Digital Garage as they cover everything from social media to spreadsheets.
Below School of Code explained the difference between HTML, CSS and Javascipt by getting you to design and animate a little character. This was my Batgirl attempt.

Birmingham Social Media Cafe July 

Birmingham Social Media Cafe headed over to the classy Opus restaurant on Cornwall Street. It was great to catch up with social media whizzes such as My Jewellery Quarter Twitter account which does an amazing job, Gleeson Recruitment and Biddle and Webb Auctions who use Periscope to market forthcoming events.

Birmingham Social Media Cafe August

A lively meet-up at Tilt included LinkedIn guru Ian J Preston (below 2nd left) who runs the Coffee and Natter networking club giving everyone a pep talk on nailing marketing of yourself on LinkedIn. David Glenwright of JC Social Media was also nearby hosting a free social media clinic for small businesses. He is full of wonderful advice and expertise.

Brum Bloggers Co-working

Thanks to The Ting Thing and Laura Creaven  Brum Bloggers arranged a co-working evening at the AC Hotel to get everyone to stop procrastinating and catch up with their social media activities. Interesting bloggers included One Tech Traveller who is off to Hong Kong and the Far East for 6 months amazing travel blogging and Galina Thomas who has an incredible 19,000 Instagram followers.

Birmingham Heritage Week Lazarica

Finally I was one of the many people that swarmed over to the Lazarica Church on Griffin's Brook Lane for its Birmingham Heritage open day. The church is breathtaking and truly a hidden gem. The first purpose built Sebian Orthodox Church in the UK dedicated to the Holy Prince Lazar.

The stunning murals are all the work of one man completed over a 5 year period.

The middle doors of the altar are reserved for the priest and royal family only.

It is a glorious sight.

Words and photos by Paul Clarke

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Birmingham Summer Highlights

Do you recognise this tunnel of crime? If you do you are either a police officer or a criminal because it links Steelhouse Lane police station with the courts on Corporation Street. Fred West himself has been taken down this corridor. So too were the Peaky Blinders.

Steelhouse Lane Police Station

In July we got to do a tour of the police station as part of the Hidden Spaces and West Midlands Police summer collaboration. The Victorian station which closed in January, is still full of character and a foreboding atmosphere.

These cell doors still automatically lock if you are silly enough to close one. They are very stark and I think that they would really rub in the sorry state of affairs you must be in to find yourself locked up in one.

Crime is no laughing matter my dear.

This photo is of Birmingham's first female police officers. Front centre is Evelyn Miles Brum's first ever police officer who joined in 1917.

Criminals were better dressed in the past I'd say. Although I think the bottom line of his profile states that he was a pimp.

The shackles on the centre of the table are horrible things to hold. They reminded me of the Green Mile. "Dog tired boss, dog tired". There was no sign of Mr Jangles though.

The evolution of police hats and radios. Torches in the centre.

Badego Creative Cafe 
Katy Tromans and LOWLFE

Katy Tromans wowed everyone with her storytelling jewellery ranges that include How To Train Your Dragon, James and the Giant Peach and Rapunzel.

Katy is a CAD designer and it was amazing to hear that the designs will be transformed into wax prototypes by computer rather than by hand. It can take around 37 hours to print so do beat her to the printer queue.

Toothless looking spectacular.

How To Train Your Dragon ring

I really liked how she thought of a creative way to store jewellery rather than shoving it in a box or tray.

Rapunzel ring holder

Beautiful.

Next up was Tam Bernard and Key Powell of LOWLFE. They are humble and self-deprecating but seriously talented.

They use small figures in an extremely clever way to get you to think about important issues such as homelessness, the environment, political figures and overuse and reliance on technology.

Part of their inspiration is fun movies such as Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

The Venus flytrap acting in self-defence against human encroachment.

Punk attitude to combat the Trump.

Bees are so important to the ecosystem. We must solve this question.

Pop into Bar Opus to see the free exhibition.

Igers Birmingham Summer Social

Beth Astington and Fraser McGee

Its been a fantastic year already for Birmingham's Instagramers aka Igers Birmingham. The summer social at the Edwardian Tea Rooms at Birmingham Museum heralded the announcement of the Best in Birmingham exhibition.

The exhibition, to be held in the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter will feature the best 25 Instagram photos of Birmingham using the hashtag #igb_comp_bestofbirmingham

You have until the 20th August to enter images that celebrate Brum's heritage, people and landscape.

The Big Sleuth

Peabody Bear in St Paul's Square

These beautiful bears raising money for Birmingham Children's Hospital are only around until the 17th September so you better cherish them whilst they are here. One of my favourites is Peabody Bear. Wonderfully designed and surrounded by lavender in St Paul's Square.

Cool dude Harley bear is by the church too.

Dr Bear Brawn is super sweet by the Children's Hospital.

Remember Florence Nighting Owl from the Big Hoot?

Quite the drop off point.

The Guardian of St Martin church by the Bullring.

Bearmingam Bear features Birmingham's coat of arms in his design.

He says a little prayer for you.

Ewok Bear by Thinktank.

Busting makes me feel good in John Bright Street.

William Shakesbear is by the Apple shop on New Street.

Such a deep-thinking bear.

It would be illogical to leave out Spock in Chamber Square.

Don't forget BMAG's Little Bears guarding Lucifer in the Round Room.

Little cuties.

Some cool stuff in the gift shop.

Bluebearies!

Birmingham Cathedral

How many people cut through pigeon park on Colmore row without realising the beauty inside Birmingham Cathedral?

It's a spiritual baroque masterpiece.

At 300 years old it's one of the oldest buildings in Birmingham.

It's deservedly famous for the stunning stained-glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones.

Stunning colours.

They have a summer film festival. Great choices.

Finally

We found a few gems in the RBSA gallery by St Paul's Square. Check this orangutan's lovely lashes!

Glenn Ibbitson's Emerald Archer and Horus the Magician retail at £3,400 if your walls need a talking point.

Ah huh you know what it is. 

Everything y'all you know I do it big. 

Green and yellow, green and yellow.

Words and photos by Paul Clarke

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