The High Sheriff of the West Midlands has officially opened what is thought to be one of the longest art galleries in a UK hospital.
The People’s Gallery, based at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, in Smethwick, measures 288-feet-long and features artwork by local photographers and community organisations. It’s funded by Your City and Metropolitan Hospitals Charity.
Douglas Wright, MBE DL, performed the ribbon cutting ceremony for the gallery in the Winter Gardens on Level 5 of the new hospital run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and spoke about his joy at seeing the creative space open.
The gallery space currently features artwork from community arts organisation MotherShip, created with embroidered illustrations, and photography from Tom Hicks, the artist behind the Black Country Type photography project.
His exhibition also includes photographs from members of the public, as well as staff and volunteers at the Trust, who have attended photography walks at Sandwell and City Health Campuses when they were previously hospital sites.
Speaking at the launch of the gallery, Tom said: “What’s really nice today is seeing not only my work on display, but other people enjoying the images.
“It’s also important to have a space that patients and visitors can take a break in. Spending five minutes looking at artwork and taking your mind off things can be really beneficial.”
Earlier The Commons, a garden and nature installation, was opened by Steve Allen, chair and trustee of Your City and Metropolitan Hospitals Charity, the registered charity for the NHS Trust.
He was joined by Kate DeRight and Hayley Guest from the creative team at arts organisation Spectra, who co-created and co-designed the space with community partners.
The community garden features creations from local people including mosaics, flags and painted stones, with places for the public to sit and rest at the Midland Met which was opened in October last year by the Trust.
Both The Commons and the People’s Gallery have also received grants from the Arts Council England and The National Lottery Community Fund.
Johnny Shah, Director of Your City and Metropolitan Hospitals Charity, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to our partners and funders for supporting us to make The Commons and the People’s Gallery a reality.
“Particular thanks go to Spectra Arts, Eastside Projects, Plane Structure, Arts Council England, and of course our wonderful community of local artists that have contributed to these two fantastic projects.
“We hope to continue our work to help improve life chances in our communities with the ongoing help and support of the public and our donors.”