The BrainCell Collective is an eclectic group of over one-hundred and fifty artists – most of whom live somewhere in the Midlands – who create a range of work, from paintings and sculptures to jewellery and textiles.
 | | Picture by Tim Thomson |
The Collective was started up in the beginning of 2004 by me and my wife, when we were looking for a way of promoting our paintings. We realised there wasn't an outlet for members of the public to easily view works of art that were affordable and that would allow them to meet the artists behind the work. We set up the BrainCell Collective with the idea of bringing together artists; who have some kind of link with the Midlands; and giving them the opportunities to promote themselves and their work through a series of art fairs and exhibitions. Due to an increase in the demand from people outside the Midlands asking how to join the group, we decided to grow our wings and spread our member base. We now have artists from London, Wales, Newcastle, New York and Portland, Oregon!
 | | Picture by Tim Seaward |
During the summers of 2004 and 2005 we were holding an Art Fair in Brindleyplace, once a month, and also during events like ArtsFest and Mad About Music. Unfortunately, we were relying heavily on good weather to bless the days, as people were not coming out when the weather turned, so we decided to rethink our plans. In 2006 we've allowed Brindleyplace to dictate when we hold our Art Fair – these have coincided with their other activities. This has lead to our two most successful days in BrainCell history – during mad About Music and the Dragonboat Day. Raising money for Mind
 | | The BrainCell Collective art market |
As campaigners for the de-stigmatisation of people with Mental Health problems, we wanted to raise money for the charity Mind in Birmingham, so for the first two years we decided to donate 10% from any sales of artists’ work to this important and often overlooked cause. In total we raised nearly £700, with the pot still growing from other donations. ArtsFest Our next Fair will take place on the 9th and 10th September, as part of the ArtsFest weekend. We'll be holding an out-door Art Fair in Brindleyplace, with a wide range of artists, including potters, jewellers, ceramicists and printmakers, alongside a huge range of paintings in many different styles and mediums. Competition
 | | Picture by Sandra Dingley |
In 2005 we held an exhibition in the Cityspace Gallery above Jacob’s Photography Shop on Corporation Street. The public voted for Judith de Freitas to win the title of Artist of the Year 2005. This year we're holding the competition online, so we can reach a much wider audience. In the week running up to ArtsFest, and up until November 30th, we are holding an online exhibition of selected members’ work. We are asking the public to log on to www.BrainCellCollective.com and vote for their favourite piece of work – the artist with the most votes will win the title "BrainCell Artist of the Year, 2006". The exhibition will feature work by members of the Collective who do not exhibit at the Brindleyplace Art Market, so regular market-goers will have some nice surprises. Voting will also enter you into a free prize draw, with a chance of winning Gift Vouchers for art materials. The winner will be drawn out of a hat and announced on December 1st. A bright future
 | | Picture by Aimee Thomson |
We plan to hold the competition on an annual basis, during the ArtsFest weekend. We're also planning to tour around the Midlands with selected pieces of work, with temporary exhibitions popping up all over. There are very few avenues for artists to promote their work in the Midlands, so hopefully we can help to a small degree. The Collective is continually growing and although we like to veto the artists’ work to encourage a certain quality, we are very open with our ideas as to ‘what is art’. The first step for artists to join is to contact us via the website and send us examples of their work.
 | | Art market |
There are artists from all kinds of backgrounds, races, creeds, religions and wealth. All of the artists, including ourselves, have an equal amount of input and organisational ability within the framework of the collective. Using this strength we hope to grow into one of the country’s biggest and most widely known arts organisations. We look forward to seeing you at ArtsFest!
Find out more by visiting the BrainCell Artists Colletive
BrainCell Collective >
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