Art gallery to open at shopping centre

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

Aura Fine Art owner Elizabeth Parnham worked for the largest art publisher in Europe before realising her dream of starting her own business.

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

The opening has created three jobs so far.

Gallery manager Bastien Da Silva 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 said: “We’re really excited to welcome Aura Fine Art, further enhancing our diverse offering at Touchwood. The centre is at 96% 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.”