A series of exciting free exhibitions and other events are currently taking place at the contemporary Ikon art gallery on Westside throughout April.
The events, which take place at Ikon’s premises in Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, include the finale of the innovative Start the Press! exhibition, which involves printmakers producing artwork on a real antique printing press.
Start the Press!, which began on 9 February and continues until 21 April, is a key feature of Ikon’s 60th anniversary year.
Before the finale of the exhibition, there will be a related DASH on the Press event on 13 April between 11am and 4pm.
Visitors are invited to join artist Heather Peak, chief executive and artistic director of DASH, a disabled led visual arts charity, which creates opportunities for disabled artists to develop their work.
Heather and other artists who identify as disabled will be using the printing press as a catalyst to create printed stationery for the new and evolving DASH library.
This event is followed by the Ikon Print Fair on 14 April which celebrates the art of printmaking from across the West Midlands.
The fair, which runs from 11am to 4pm, is free for visitors and is set across Ikon Gallery, including within the Start the Press! exhibition.
It is a chance for visitors to meet local printmakers and find out more about their artistic practice, as well as supporting them by building your own art collection or finding a special gift.
18 April sees the finale of Start the Press! when Ikon stays open late and invites visitors between 5pm and 7pm to celebrate the culmination of eight printmaking residencies by West Midlands artists.
The printmakers established a functioning studio in the gallery as part of the exhibition, working with the flatbed printing press from Wolverhampton School of Art to produce original prints which filled the gallery walls. This event is a chance to view the collection of new work and meet the printmakers.
Ikon Youth Programme also showcase their work with the printing press.
Finally, on 20 April, Ikon plays host to curators Orphée Kashala and Candice Nembhard (pictured below) from 6pm until 7pm.
Visitors are invited to join them for an open and critical conversation about curating exhibitions and other creative projects. The event offers insight into their individual approaches to curatorship, with reflections on recent projects in Birmingham and elsewhere.
Orphée Kashala is curator of Ikon’s exhibition by artist Exodus Crooks, Epiphany (Temporaire).
The event, which is organised in partnership with International Curators Forum, is free but booking is essential.
ENDS
