Midland Arts Club
Foundation date: 1883
Dissolution date: 1976 (Probable)
Active: 1883 - 1976
Function: Art society
Policy: The object of the Club according to the 'Rules' of January 1890 were to 'promote the interests of Art in all its branches by affording to Artists and lovers of Art opportunities for social intercourse, for inspecting Works of Art, for Reading Papers, and generally for the Practical Study and Enjoyment of the Arts.'
The Club exhibited the works of its members and of member's private collections of art works at annual and social meetings. The type of objects exhibited are rarely specified, and there are no references to the display of sculptures in the reports. However, leaflet from 1900 ['Midland Arts Club, 1900'] stated that 'it is desirable that members should bring to the meeting small Pictures, Sketches, Engravings [...] Art Metal Work, Jewellery, Medals, Coins, Artistic or Rare buttons, Bronzes, Sculptures, Plastic Work, China [...]'
The Club was largely composed of painters and its activities (gallery visits, lectures etc.) were primarily directed towards the study and appreciation of two-dimensional art. However, it did hold lectures on subjects related to Art and Crafts and Architecture, and Benjamin Creswick offered demonstrations of modelling to its members from 1890.
The first elected women Associate Members were admitted in January 1949, numbering 19. [see the 'Sixty Sixth Report of the Committee', 1949] 'Ladies meetings', however, were held by the Club from its inception, and women were invited to selected 'ordinary meetings' from c. 1885. Both elected members and invited friends were permitted to attend social meetings and events.
Rules: Committee members and ordinary members were elected by nomination and ballot and were required to pay an annual subscription. ['Rules' Jan. 1890] Ordinary meetings were normally held approximately eight times a year, two of which were 'Ladies Nights' [Annual Report 1911], Annual meetings were held once a year. Woman could attend selected meetings.
Meeting schedule: variable
History or description: The Club did not have its own premises; meetings and exhibitions were held at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham.
The war forced closure in August 1939, but the club revived its activities in January 1940. There were no activities from October 1940 to April 1941, and there are no reports from 1941-2 and 1943-4.
Activities: classes in modeling, criticism of works, discussions, discussions on art, exhibitions (members only), lectures, lectures on art, meetings, musical entertainments, social events, social meetings, soirees
Publications: annual reports
Benefits: criticism of work by fellow members, eligible for exhibition, free entry to exhibitions
Composition: amateur artists, men and women members, professional musicians, professional painters, professional sculptors
Funding types: annual subscription
Employees, Students & Members
Numbers: 221
Period Start: 1885
Period End: 1886
Numbers: 163
Period Start: 1889
Period End: 1890
Numbers: 156
Period Start: 1895
Period End: 1896
Numbers: 186
Period Start: 1909
Period End: 1910
Numbers: 165
Period Start: 1914
Period End: 1915
Numbers: 169
Period Start: 1919
Period End: 1920
Numbers: 145
Period Start: 1924
Period End: 1925
Numbers: 142
Period Start: 1925
Period End: 1926
Numbers: 130
Period Start: 1930
Period End: 1931
Numbers: 111
Period Start: 1943
Period End: 1944
Numbers: 126
Period Start: 1948
Period End: 1949
Percentage Male/Female: 100/0
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited due to a lack of evidence about the state, medium or edition shown.
Acquired Mary Anderson
1891 (Presumed) - 1930 (Presumed)
Gave Mary Anderson
1930 (Presumed)
Club given the bust by artist (date unknown); gave the bust to the 'Shakespear Library, in Radcliff Place' in 1930.
Locations
Meeting room at The Grand Hotel Colmore Row Birmingham | View on map
January 1886 - February 1940
Meetings normally held in the 'Grosvenor Room'.
Meetings ceased to be held here regularly from 1916. However, ocassional dinners for members were held from 1920. An exceptional annual meeting was also held in January to February 1940.
Exhibitions, Courses, Meetings and other Events
Organized Exhibition of Sculptures (Midland Arts Club), 1907
19 March 1907
Organized Modelling Demonstrations (Midlands Art Club), 1890-1926
1890 - 1926
Institutional and Business Connections
Associated with Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1892 - 1951
Arts Club used rooms at the RBSA from 1892.'Social gatherings', 'ladies meetings' and 'annual meetings' were held in 1892, 1894 to 1913, 1917 to 1951. All of the members meetings took place in the Gallery from 1917 onwards (except in the autumn of 1939), this was found to be cheaper than renting rooms at the Grand Hotel for meetings. Members were able to participate in RBSA exhibitions from c. 1917. In 1928 an exhibition of members' works was hung on the walls of the RBSA Gallery for a day; from this date onwards the Club frequently included an exhibition of works at meetings that were held at the RBSA; however, there is no record of the display of works of sculpture at the gallery [summary].
Collaborated with Birmingham Architectural Association
January 1889 - January 1890
Members of the Art Club were invited to attend a lecture at the Birmingham Architectural Association by J. A. Gotch, F.R.I.B.A.
Collaborated with Birmingham Art Circle
January 1903 - December 1945
The Midland Arts Club organized visits to the Art Circle's exhibitions.
The Club held meetings at the RBSA Gallery that coincided with Birmingham Art Circle exhibitions also being held ocassionally from 1903 onwards [summary].
Collaborated with Birmingham and Five Counties Architectural Association
1943 - 1944
Lectures given by members of the Architectural Association to members of the Art Club.
Associated People
Chaired by Charles Morgan
December 1912 - December 1913
Lecturers included William Henry Bidlake
February 1912
Gave a lecture on 'Town Planning-Birmingham as it might be.'
Lecturers included Ivan Shortt
1950 - 1951
On 'Silver Plate'
Members included Joseph Moore Snr
January 1883 - 1892
Members included W.J. Wainwright
1885 - 1931
Members included William Henry Bidlake
1889 - 1890
Members included T.E. Davis
1889 - 1890
Members included Joseph Gibbs
1889 - 1890
Members included C.J. Hart
January 1889 - January 1890
Gave an address to members entitled 'Artistic Ironwork' in April 1889.
Members included Edward Richard Taylor
January 1889 (Presumed) - December 1910
Members included Charles Morgan
1908 - 1910
Members included Albert Bruce Joy
December 1910 - 1924
Honorary member.
Members included Harry Rembrandt Fowler
January 1911 - 1938
Officers included Walter J. Morgan
1890 - 1924
Committee member 1911-12 and 1914 onwards.
Officers included Edward Richard Taylor
1895 - 1898
Committee member.
Officers included Thomas Patrick Spall
1895 - 1898
Committee member.
Officers included W.J. Wainwright
December 1911 - December 1926
Committee member.
Presidents included Joseph Moore Snr
January 1883 - January 1884
Presidents included Edward Richard Taylor
January 1889 - January 1890
Presidents included Albert Bruce Joy
1891 - 1892
Presidents included W.J. Wainwright
1894 - 1895
See list of past president inserted into p. 1 of vol. 1910-25 'Midland Arts Club Reports'.
Presidents included Walter J. Morgan
December 1895 - December 1896
See list of past presidents in front of volume 1910-1925, 'Midland Arts Club Reports'.
Presidents included W.J. Wainwright
December 1917 - December 1918
Tutors included Benjamin Creswick
1891 - 1926
Gave modelling demonstrations to members.
Tutors included William Midgley
October 1928
Lectured at the Club on the subject of 'Some Notes on a Century of the Royal Society of Artists.'
Tutors included Harold Henry Holden
October 1929 - March 1944
Gave lectures to members on the subject of 'Art and Life' in 1929, and on 'Art in Relation to Life' in 1944.
Tutors included John Burgess Surman
October 1938
Gave a lecture on 'Some thoughts on Modern Architecture'.
Tutors included A Young
1943 (Presumed) - 1944 (Presumed)
Gave a lecture on 'the description of the plans prepared by the Association for the Post War treatment of the City' [summary].
Tutors included William T. Blackband
1944 - 1945
Delivered a lecture on 'Craftmanship in Modern Jewellery' to Art Club members.
Tutors included William James Bloye
November 1945 - 6 November 1945
Gave a lecture on the 'Relationship of Sculpture to Post-War Architecture.'
Tutors included H.R. Hartland
1950 - 1951
Gave a lecture on 'English Porcelain'.
Vice-presidents included Walter J. Morgan
December 1912 - December 1914
Vice-presidents included W.J. Wainwright
December 1913 - December 1914
Vice-presidents included W.J. Wainwright
December 1918 - December 1919
Sources
Annual Report and Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, to June 1941
18 May 1941
Annual Report, presented Dec. 29th, 1900 Birmingham Art Circle
29 December 1900
Birmingham Newspaper Cuttings, Art, 1918-present
See numerous cuttings in bound volumes 1918-present.
Midland Arts Club. 1898 Midland Arts Club. Reports and Treasurer's Statements
1898
Midland Arts Club. Annual Report 1950 Midland Arts Club. Reports
1950
Midland Arts Club. Annual Report, 1944 Midland Arts Club. Reports
27 February 1944
Midland Arts Club. The Second Annual Report of the Committee, 1886 Midland Arts Club Reports and Treasurer's Statements
26 January 1886
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1911 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1911
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1912 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1912
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1913 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1913
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1914 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1914
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1915 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1915
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1916 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1916
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1917 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1917
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1918 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1918
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1919 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1919
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1922 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1922
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1923 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1923
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1924 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1924
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1925 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1925
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1926 Midland Arts Club Reports
January 1927
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1927 Midland Arts Club Reports
January 1928
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1928 Midland Arts Club Reports
January 1929
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1929 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1930
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1931 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1932
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1932 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1933
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1935 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1936
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1936 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1937
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1937 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1938
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1938 Midland Arts Club Reports
February 1939
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Reports 1920 and 1921 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1920
The Midland Arts Club, 1945 Midland Arts Club. Reports
29 January 1945
The Midland Arts Club, Annual Report 1910 Midland Arts Club Reports
1910
Citing this record
'Midland Arts Club', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib4_1207572469, accessed 21 Mar 2023]
