MAC goes surreal with a major Emmy Bridgwater exhibition this autumn

Expect the unexpected at Midlands Arts Centre this autumn. MAC's Surreal Season is in full swing, and its centrepiece, Emmy Bridgwater and Birmingham Surrealists, opens in the First Floor Gallery on Saturday 24 October 2026, running until 10 January 2027.

Bridgwater (1906 to 1999) was born in Birmingham and became a pivotal figure in British Surrealism and the Birmingham Surrealist Group. This major exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, collages and poetry spanning more than six decades of her life, shown alongside fellow Birmingham Surrealists including Conroy Maddox, John Melville, Oscar Mellor and Desmond Morris.

Contemporary artists Laura Footes and Paloma Proudfoot also feature, offering fresh perspectives on Bridgwater's legacy and on the role of women's voices in surrealism.

The season stretches across the building. Surreal Solihull, curated by art historian Ruth Millington, honours Bridgwater, who called Solihull home in her final years, with new work by West Midlands artists, while the free Surreal Creatures Trail invites children aged three and up to hunt for fantastical beings made by six regional artists.

Hands-on visitors are well served, with courses in surreal portraits, surreal filmmaking and a Surrealist Game Studio, a surreal collaging Culture Club, and Surrealism: A Day of Talks on Sunday 29 November. An Autumn Exhibitions Opening Party takes place on Friday 23 October.

It all fits MAC's mission to make art an important part of people's lives. Set in Cannon Hill Park, the independent charity has connected people with creativity for over 60 years, with a programme of theatre, cinema, exhibitions and courses. MAC describes itself as the number one visited free attraction in the West Midlands, welcoming over 850,000 visitors a year.

Its history is rich. The foundation stone was laid on 19 June 1962, director Mike Leigh worked there from 1965, and the centre reopened in 2010 after a major refurbishment. Postcode Lottery players have supported MAC with £5.6 million through Postcode Culture Trust.

Exhibitions are open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm, plus school and bank holidays. Full details are on the MAC Birmingham website.