Midlands galleries giving virtual access online
A new website has launched making thousands of rare and unique “zoomable” artworks from galleries across the West Midlands freely accessible to schools, creative businesses and the general public.
Inspiration Bank - www.inspirationbank.com - is an easy-to-use site containing over 5,000 zoomable images, including artworks by Van Gogh, Lowry and Epstein, glazed ceramics from Staffordshire and locally-made objects from the time of the Industrial Revolution.
“Users can explore rare collections from The New Art Gallery Walsall, Wolverhampton Museum & Art Gallery, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and Birmingham Central Library to spark their own imagination,” said Inspiration Bank project manager David Allen.
“Use of the site is completely free, while registration allows users to collect their favourite zoomable images in an online album.”
The site originated as a collaborative digitalisation project between Birmingham Central Library and Birmingham City University, with the primary aims of improving public awareness and access to Birmingham Central Library’s archive of rare illustrative material as well as creating a digital library and an intuitive suite of search tools for the specific needs of a creative audience.
Supported by the European Regional Development Fund as part of Birmingham City University’s ‘“Creating Content” project, Inspiration Bank follows the project’s wider agenda to nurture and support the regions’ creative industries and promote innovation in screen-based media.
