art in the public realm
108a Boundary Road, St Johns Wood, NW8 0RH
A pioneering virtual museum with a physical presence in London. We celebrate, research and record the richly diverse Jewish, refugee and wide migrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.
Tube stations: St Johns Wood, Swiss Cottage, Finchley Road, Maida Vale; Overground: West Hampstead, Kilburn High Road. Buses: 189, 139, 31
Ramp to facilitate wheelchairs to the ground floor gallery. No access for wheelchairs or or those with mobility issues to lower ground floor
10:00–17:00
Gallery open for viewing of the exhibition of Lancelot Ribeiro's Heads and an introduction to our Research Unit, Collection and Exhibitions
10:00–17:00
Gallery open for viewing of the exhibition of Lancelot Ribeiro's Heads and an introduction to our Research Unit, Collection and Exhibitions
12:00–13:15
Meet and hear Sarah MacDougall, Ben Uri's Director of Scholarship and curator of the exhibition 'Heads' by Lancelot Ribeiro.
14:30–15:45
Meet and hear Sarah MacDougall, Ben Uri's Director of Scholarship and curator of the exhibition 'Heads' by Lancelot Ribeiro.
10:00–17:00
Gallery open for viewing of the exhibition of Lancelot Ribeiro's Heads and an introduction to our Research Unit, Collection and Exhibitions
Originally an art venue for Jewish immigrant artists who were unable to gain access to mainstream art societies at that time, due to the social discrimination and obstacles faced by migrant communities. A registered charity as well as a museum, Ben Uri was the cornerstone of the Jewish community’s cultural activity until the late 1970s. Ben Uri Art Society, as it was then, lost its gallery in 1995 when the synagogue building, in which it was housed, was sold.
The charity/museum was relaunched in 2001 by the new Board, with a new name, Ben Uri Gallery and Museum. It rented its current gallery in St. John’s Wood in June 2002. It was seen as a ‘start up’ museum, piloting its way into the centre of Britain’s mainstream arena.
Since then, we have moved to a full scale virtual museum and research centre, while maintaining a small physical presence in the gallery for our own exhibitions as well as contributing loans from our collection to many other museums and exhibitions in the UK and elsewhere.
In September we are presenting an exhibition of "Heads" by the outstanding Indian émigré artist Lancelot Ribeiro.
Ben Uri surpasses ethnic, cultural and religious obstacles to engagement within the arts sector, addresses contemporary and historical issues of identity and migration, and celebrates, researches and records the richly diverse Jewish, refugee and immigrant contribution to British culture in the visual arts since 1900.
Presenting and sharing art differently, we have encouraged people to explore their own and their community's identity and creativity. We engage and deliver this outcome through our research unit, collection and exhibitions.
