The coin collection includes a rare gold solidus of the Roman emperor Constans II.
The building features an original 1930s Art Deco interior, including a notable circular concert hall.
The gallery was specifically founded to provide an aesthetic education for the students of Birmingham University.
The institute holds one of the most important collections of Byzantine coins in the world.
It is one of the few UK galleries to have been designed specifically as an art institution rather than repurposed from an existing building.
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art Deco gallery located within the University of Birmingham campus. It houses a significant collection of European fine art, spanning from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Notable painters represented include Bellini, Rubens, Gainsborough, Turner, Monet, and Picasso. The institute is globally recognized for its extensive numismatic collection, featuring over 15,000 coins, medals, and seals from the ancient to the modern world. The building itself is a Grade I listed structure, designed by architect Robert Atkinson and opened by Queen Mary in 1939. It functions as both a public museum and a research center for the university. The gallery maintains a rotating program of temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection.
The main entrance foyer with its grand, symmetrical Art Deco staircase and clean geometric lines.
Check the website for current temporary exhibitions, as they often feature items from private collections.
The institute hosts regular lunchtime concerts in the concert hall, which are a cultural highlight.
Combine your visit with a walk through the surrounding university campus, which has historic architecture.
Do not assume the galleries are open on weekends without checking, as academic institutions sometimes restrict access.
Closed on Mondays and some public holidays.
Quiet conversation is expected; no photography of certain temporary exhibitions may be permitted.
