A registered charity and museum, we’re the only specialist art museum in Europe addressing universal and ever-more central issues of identity and migration through the visual arts.
Emerging from and representing the Jewish community, our collection principally reflects the work, lives and contribution of British and European artists of Jewish descent, interpreted within the wider context of twentieth and twenty-first century art history, politics and society.
From our inception as an art society in Whitechapel in 1915, to our current status as an accredited museum with an international reach, the collection has grown to more than 1300 works across 30 different mediums. Made up of both historical and contemporary works, the Ben Uri collection spans 120 years and includes 380 artists from 35 countries, of which 67% are émigrés and 27% women.
From our temporary exhibition space in St. John’s Wood, London, we have an exciting and varied exhibition programme, exploring and incorporating works from our own collection. We have an extensive learning programme for teachers, schools and families, including free visits, workshops, art classes and projects with local schools. We also have an art and wellbeing programme and work in collaboration with three community partners.
Our purpose is to engage the largest possible audience, drawn from the widest possible communities, in our exploration of Ben Uri’s artists – and to encourage others to explore their own identity and creativity.
Volunteers are vital to our organisation in promoting art and migration by engaging with current audiences and helping to develop wider interest the in Ben Uri by working with Gallery staff to assist in providing invigorating and fresh exhibition and learning tools.