Birmingham City University is opening the doors of its new £62m city centre Parkside Building to the public with an invitation to visit the new ‘Reference Works’ photography exhibition, featuring creative pictures and film by its students and graduates.

The free event is open to the public in the Parkside Building’s main atrium and runs through October until 1 November 2013, from 8am-8pm daily (closed at weekends). The exhibition compliments The Library of Birmingham’s own Reference Works, which features pictures by Michael Collins, Brian Griffin, Andrew Lacon and Stuart Whipps who have collectively helped produce one of the largest photography commissions ever seen in Birmingham.

‘Reference Works offers a unique and creative perspective on the closure of the old Central Library, and its journey to become the new Library of Birmingham’

Birmingham City University’s own Reference Works offers a unique and creative perspective on the closure of the old Central Library, and its journey to become the new Library of Birmingham. Chris O’Neil, executive dean of the University’s Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), explains:

Reference Works is the first public exhibition at the new £62m Parkside Building

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Library of Birmingham to show our students and graduate achievements. This is the first public exhibition to be held at our new Parkside Building, and we hope it gives visitors a small sense of our huge potential for talent and creativity.” The Birmingham City University Reference Works exhibition features photography and film by: Reference Works at Birmingham City University:

Looking at the rules of behaviour governing libraries

• BCU graduate Mihaela Calin, who focuses on the Library’s Conservation Department, expressing their passion for archives and the detailed work undertaken to preserve historical material to the highest quality
• BCU MA student Andre de Jong’s work maps a range of intimate, curious and personalised images, exhibited on repurposed lighting units reclaimed from the old library
• BCU graduate Anne Pawlak looks at the rules of behaviour governing libraries, and what happened as the Library of Birmingham prepared for change with a filmed performance
• Nathan Spencer, who graduated with a first class degree in Photography and has used his skills to capture the abstract architectural characteristics and patterns of the new Library of Birmingham

Open now until 1st November 2013 8am – 8pm (closed at weekends) Birmingham City University The Parkside Building Curzon Street Birmingham, B4 7XG