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The Public was about the power of art and community
To you from Super me - Friction Arts
The annual Summer Exhibition - 250 local amateur and young artists
showed their work.
The Public mixed local artists with national and international artists.
Richard Billingham - Ray's a laugh, about his father.
Tracey Emin comes to West Bromwich!
Walk straight into the gallery. 80% of building visitors saw the
galleries. About 5,500 people a week.
Martin Parr - Black Country Stories
Commissioned by Multistory - a tenant company at The Public
The Public Knitting Group - meet every week to sew and chat.
"It's my favourite building".
Emerging artists brought to West Bromwich - Tsai and Yoshikawa
See a Turner Prize winner when you are out with the baby.
Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane's Folk Archive.
Self Portraits from the Public's public photo studio
Traces - Electronic art by James Aliban commissioned by The Public
Make a stop motion film and then play it on the big screen
Story Park - part of an exhibition about local author Allan Ahlberg
Full Volume - made by Will Alsop and 40 architecture students
"Fantastic and wonderful WOW!"
Interactive Drawing by Josh Nimoy - commissioned by The Public
Touring photography shows from The Victoria & Albert Museum
Sound canvas by Zoe Partington - award winning sensory sculpture commissioned by The Public.
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The Public was special in the way it deliberately mixed exhibitions by local, often amateur artists with work by national and international artists.
It was also hugely important that the gallery was a central part of the town. Visitors would come in as a break from shopping. This was very successful at attracting new visitors to the arts.
Commissions
More from the exhibition programme
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The Public commissioned digital artworks
The Public was built around permanent electronic artworks
Flypad by Blast Theory
Flypad in style!
Flypad - by Blast Theory
Virtual flying game after a look round the shops!
Telepresent Embace - By Paul Sermon.
Be in two places at once!
Wonderfall - a digital waterfall - controlled by you.
Wonderfall - a digital waterfall - controlled by you.
Animo by Utani
Visitors make an instant comic strip.
Sound canvas by Zoe Partington
An award winning sensory sculpture.
Collide o scope by Naren Wilks
Dance with yourself - electronically!
Traces - by James Aliban
Your movements are like fireworks.
Cyclomation - by Steve Chamberlain
Cycle through an animation.
Withdrawl by Josh Nimoy
Interactive electronic drawing!
Noisy Table by Will Nash
Ping pong with electronic sound effects!
Bandwidth by Josh Nimoy
A multi screen music game. Commissioned by The Public.
Art by Andy Willett - one of three illuminated signs that captivated audiences.
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The Public was special in the way it contained a series of ground breaking electronic artworks, most were specially commissioned as a part of the building. They were created to encourage the ethos of collaboration and participation that underwrote the artistic programme.
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Exhibition programme highlights
The Public commissioned digital artworks
Story Park - part of an exhibition about Allan Ahlberg
The world famous children's author from Oldbury in Sandwell.
Malcolm X - by Steve Page
A film by local film maker about Malcolm X's visit to Sandwell.
Video mapping residency by Joannie Lemercier.
Teaching local artists how to work in this spectacular video format.
Hearing Unheard Voices - An exhibition of campaigning artworks by
young people, Travellers, a young man in a hospice, gay rights.
Arts On - A resident group at The Public.
For the love of it by Geoff Broadway
An exhibition about local clubs and societies.
Mnemosyne by John Akomfrah
A new film by acclaimed local film maker - premiered at The Public.
Local artists were always welcomed.
Black Queen by Huw Locke.
The mystery of AJW.
Exhibition about a mysterious Black Country artist.
The Golden Mile by Kim Abeles commissioned by The Public.
2 20m images of West Brom High Street, now touring the world.
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The Public showed work by 700 artists. It was important that there was a wide range of work from local people as well as stimulating and sometimes challenging work by national and international artists.
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In loving memory of The Public