Touchwood opens doors to fine art gallery

Touchwood Solihull has announced the opening of prestigious art gallery Aura Fine Art.

Aura Fine Art, which recently opened its doors to the public, is an exciting addition to Touchwood, bringing together a diverse collection of original artwork and highly collectible limited editions.

Aura Fine Art owner Elizabeth Parnham (pictured) worked for the largest art publisher in Europe before realising her dream of starting her own business. She and her team of consultants believe that art should be available to all and aims to guide prospective buyers on works in which to invest.

Some of the most notable artists sourced by the group include Banksy, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol.

The gallery occupies a light and airy space, spanning two floors within Touchwood, and is Aura 's third branch in the Midlands, following locations in Nottingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The opening of Aura Fine Art has created three new jobs so far. Gallery manager Bastien Da Silva, who has a background in luxury retailing said: “We 're very excited to reintroduce an art gallery back into Touchwood and be able to bring to Solihull a touch of local, as well as renowned artists to discover. ”

Among the artists at the gallery is Nigel Cooke, who has used the streets of Solihull as inspiration for some of his work, Birmingham-born artist Gary Benfield and Dale Bowen from Staffordshire, who is well known for his harbour scenes.

Touchwood general manager Tony Elvin, who was named Shopping Centre Manager of the Year in 2022, said: “We 're really excited to welcome Aura Fine Art, further enhancing our diverse offering at Touchwood. The centre is at 96 per cent occupancy, which is higher than pre-pandemic.

“Solihull has proved to be more of a recession-proof location and we are always seeking to bring in new businesses.

Touchwood is home to blue chip companies such as John Lewis and Apple and has also recently seen the opening of the fashion store Mango and tea company Bubble Ci-Tea.

Mr Elvin continued: “Touchwood had a successful year last year. As well as the bigger companies we have made sure that half of our dining offer is made up of independents. We 've noticed that the change to more working from home means people want to support their local businesses. ”

To find out more about the opening of Aura Fine Art, visit: https://touchwoodsolihull.co.uk/whats-new/aura-fine-art.