We're delighted to announce the launch of The Open Page Gallery, a new exhibition space in Stirchley Library dedicated to showcasing the work of artists from our creative community.
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The gallery officially opened on 2 July 2026 with its inaugural exhibition, Wonder Women, a series of five gel plate collages by Stirchley-based artist Editoriat.

The Open Page Gallery represents an exciting new chapter for Stirchley Art Room, but it also reflects something that has always been at the heart of how we work. Over the years we've seen participants grow in confidence, develop new creative interests and begin asking what's next. Some have wanted to sell work, others to exhibit, keep sketchbooks or explore new techniques. Rather than setting out a fixed programme, we've listened and responded as those aspirations have emerged.

The idea for a gallery developed in exactly that way. After taking part in one of our community exhibitions, Editoriat approached us to ask whether she could create her own exhibition using our display space in Stirchley Library. That conversation prompted us to think differently about the space. Could it become somewhere that regularly supported artists taking the next step in their creative practice? Could we offer opportunities not only to exhibit work, but also to learn about curating, presenting and sharing artwork with the public?

The Open Page Gallery is our response.

We're also delighted that the gallery gives Stirchley another much-needed exhibition space. Following delays to the Stirchley Cooperative Development project, a planned exhibition elsewhere was no longer possible, highlighting the need for dedicated community gallery space in south Birmingham. We're pleased that this new programme of exhibitions will also encourage more people to visit and enjoy Stirchley Library.

Here's some more fantastic work from our People's Postcode Trust funded postal art club. These are responses to the theme 'A Close Up View'. Aren't they amazing!
Thanks to Alison, Jo and Chris, and also to Sally for the stunning photographic submissions!

We're really enjoying seeing all of the Quarantine Art Club pieces arrive through the post - it's such a joy seeing the results of your creative endeavours... thanks to our artists Bethany, Ruth & Leah for these treasures. 

Getting these fabulous little artworks back through the post is such a treat!
Huge thanks to our artists Joanne, Noelle, Cheryl, Chris, & Ruth for this selection of loveliness. 

Hello Quarantine Art Clubbers (QACCERS? quackers?!)
We've seen some lovely examples of artwork already, responding to the theme of 'Here Comes the Sun'. The second theme we have asked you to explore is 'Layer it' - so here are some more images and ideas to get you thinking... 

...and below you can see some of the first artworks to come back to us! - thanks to Ruth and Alison for these. 
The first theme we have asked participants to think about is 'Here Comes the Sun', which up until today has been quite apt! The packages we sent out - full of interesting paper bits and other materials for collage - were a little delayed in the post but got there eventually (please do let us know if you haven't had yours ASAP). 
Don't forget postal people - we would like you to send 2 A5 artworks for each theme... they will all be hand bound into very special one-off zine / artists books for participants to keep. We are also scanning them so we have digital copies of everything produced.
We can't wait to see more!
​Thanks again to the wonderful Postocde Community Trust for allowing us to change the way we are using our funding in these unusual times. 

A lot of the organisations who fund our various initiatives have been working hard to support projects like ours at the moment, including the Postcode Lottery Trust, who have said that we can re-direct the funding we received for the Friday Art Club to something more 'deliverable' in these challenging times.
We are currently planning a postal art club that will take the place of the art club at the library. It will involve us sending out a monthly pack of materials and prompts to the people who sign up. Participants will produce a piece of artwork on a postcard sized piece of paper, and send those back to us every fortnight. At the end of the project, postcards from all participants will be bound into a set of very special limited edition zines, which will be given back to project participants!
​Interested? Please email us at [email protected] ... and we'll keep you posted! ​