Ben Uri Gallery & Museum facts for kids

Ben Uri Gallery & Museum

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Established	1915 (1915)
Location	Boundary Road London, NW8
Public transit access	Kilburn High Road

The Ben Uri Gallery & Museum is a special art museum and charity located in St John's Wood, London, England. It focuses on showing the amazing art and life stories of artists who moved to London from other countries. The museum calls itself "The Art Museum for Everyone," welcoming visitors of all backgrounds.

You can explore the museum's collection on its website. It features art by Jewish and immigrant artists who have contributed to British art since the year 1900. The website also has a list of all their exhibitions since 1925, a digital archive, and a catalog of their art library. Plus, you can find online exhibitions, podcasts, and audio stories there.

The Story of Ben Uri Gallery

How the Museum Started

The Ben Uri Art Society began in 1915 in the East End of London. It was founded by Lazar Berson, an artist who had moved from Russia. His goal was to create a place where Jewish immigrant artists and craftspeople could show their work. At that time, it was often hard for new immigrants to join regular art groups.

The Ben Uri Society was inspired by the Bezalel School, an art school started in Jerusalem in 1906. The name "Ben Uri" comes from Bezalel Ben Uri, a skilled craftsman mentioned in the Bible. He was known for designing and building the Ark of the Covenant. From 1926 to 1933, a Polish painter named Leopold Pilichowski was the president of the Ben Uri Art Society.

A New Beginning for Ben Uri

In October 2000, a new group of leaders took charge of the charity. They were led by David Glasser. In 2001, the charity was relaunched with a new name: Ben Uri Gallery and Museum. For many years, the museum was located in Soho. Then, in June 2002, it moved to its current gallery in St. John's Wood, North London.

Art Collection at Ben Uri

What You Can See in the Collection

The Ben Uri Gallery & Museum has a large permanent collection of about 1,300 artworks. A "permanent collection" means these are artworks the museum owns and keeps. The museum is looking for a bigger space in central London to display all these amazing pieces. Their current location is mainly used for temporary exhibitions.

Past Exhibitions to Explore

The museum often hosts special temporary exhibitions. These are shows that are only on display for a limited time. Some past exhibitions included:

• A series about the Whitechapel Boys, a group of artists.
• Cross Purposes, which looked at how the Crucifixion was shown in art during the 20th century.
• In June 2012, an exhibition called Dodo rediscovered an artist from Berlin who was active in the 1920s and 1930s.
• In October 2012, there was a show celebrating 40 years of work by the American artist Judy Chicago.
• In June 2017, the museum opened Art Out of the Bloodlands: A Century of Polish Artists in Britain. This exhibition highlighted the work of Polish artists who came to Britain over 100 years.