My research examines the contribution of female artists to Birmingham’s creative culture between 1860 and 1920. Female artists were studying at the art schools, winning prizes, working professionally, exhibiting and selling their works locally, nationally and internationally. The experiences of these women as art students and professional artists form an important part of Birmingham’s artistic history that has hitherto been minimally explored. Current research focuses on how artistic culture and art institutions influenced these female artists. My thesis examines how these artists contributed to and affected the artistic culture of Birmingham and beyond.