Art meets culinary arts in Birmingham Restaurant Week exhibit honoring Frank Stitt

For the first time, Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) will include a special art exhibit featuring work celebrating the city’s vibrant culinary culture. This year’s theme, “Legacy of the Southern Table,” is brought to life by BRW featured artist Arden Upton through her series “Frank’s Table” – a collection of paintings and photographs honoring the iconic creations of Birmingham chef Frank Stitt.

“When I saw Frank in the kitchen, making the different dishes, showing the ingredients from local farmers, and seeing everybody involved, it really opened my eyes to food,’’ Upton said of her inspiration for the collection. “Seeing the process and everyone that was involved – all the way from the local farmers to the person serving the food at the table, it was just incredible. It all seemed like a work of art.”

The pieces featured in the exhibit were inspired by some of Upton’s favorite finds at Stitt’s Birmingham restaurants, including “The Orange Thing’’ martini and his lemon tarts. BRW organizers unveiled the exhibit on Monday, June 16, at City Hall, where the artwork will be on display through Aug. 1. The exhibit can be found on the second floor near the elevated crosswalk.

BRW organizers also announced BRW 2025 presented by Spire, which is set for July 17-26. The 10-day event gives patrons the chance to indulge in two-, three- and four-course meals at some of Birmingham’s top restaurants and bars at an affordable prix-fixed price.

“The Magic City is one of the best culinary destinations in the South, and this is our opportunity to celebrate that fine dining heritage,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said of Birmingham Restaurant Week. “But Restaurant Week is about so much more than celebrating great food. It’s also about celebrating our small business community.”

Commenting on some of his favorite local restaurants, Mayor Woodfin said, “It’s their kitchen skills and business savvy that help stimulate our workforce, drive tourism to our city and build upon the food culture that has defined our city for the past several years. They aren’t just creating great meals, they’re creating stronger community.”

In the name of community, Upton will donate proceeds from any artwork sold to Magic City Harvest, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Magic City Harvest collects food from schools, wholesale distributors, churches, restaurants, caterers, event venues and grocery stores and donates the goods to local feeding agencies.

“In Jefferson County, more than 112,000 people are facing hunger, and over 36,000 of those are children,” said Merrill Flowers, assistant executive director of Magic City Harvest. “These numbers are staggering, but they are also motivating. They remind us why this work matters and why partnerships like this one are essential. Birmingham Restaurant Week is more than a showcase of talent and flavor. It’s a spotlight of what’s possible when the culinary community comes together to serve not just great food but a greater purpose.”

The idea for the exhibit was the brainchild of Rick Journey, director of communications for the city of Birmingham, Mayor’s Office.

“We have this evolving exhibit space on the second floor of City Hall, so we’re always looking for content to put here,” Journey explained. Past exhibits have featured the works of civil rights photographer Spider Martin, paintings for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and more. When approached by Birmingham Restaurant Week about a possible partnership, Journey thought a food-inspired art exhibit would make for a perfect collaboration.

“What would be better than putting food out here and giving employees and visitors as they walk by a little smile – and maybe get them a little hungry,” he said.

Birmingham Restaurant Week 2025: What to expect

Organizers anticipate dozens of Birmingham-area restaurants, food trucks, bars, coffee shops, and caterers to participate in BRW 2025.

“Birmingham Restaurant Week’s goal is to promote locally owned restaurants and provide assistance to them whenever we’re able to,” said Bill Stoeffhaas, co-founder of BRW and co-owner of Style Advertising, the organizer of BRW. “Without our restaurants, the vibrancy of our culinary community will diminish. So we’re making sure that folks in our community know about all of the great new places to eat and even offer them some deals at restaurants they already frequent.”

Some of the special events planned for BRW 2025 include:

BRW Preview Party on Tuesday, July 15, at Haven. Attendees will get a taste of what participating restaurants will be serving during BRW as each restaurant offers a signature bite. Drinks from beverage sponsors and a full cash bar will also be available.

Sipology on Sunday, July 20, at City Walk Bham. A reimagined version of BRW signature event Wineology, Sipology is a flight tasting, mixing and food pairing event featuring local caterers. This year’s Sipology will feature Sunday brunch-themed hors d’oeuvres and sips by United-Johnson Brothers of Alabama, Tito’s Vodka and more.

Food Truck Pop-Up Park & Market on Saturday, July 26, at City Walk Bham. This year, BRW is teaming up with The Modern Green Book Marketplace for a special day of food trucks, dancing and shopping. The event will also feature The Fat Charles Experience. In loving memory of Charles Pilot, former owner of long-time BRW participating vendor Fat Charles BBQ, Charles’ brother, Chris, will lead a cooking class for children. Charles had a strong passion for teaching the younger generations about culinary arts. The Fat Charles Experience is free but requires an RSVP via Eventbrite. Families can register here.

To learn more about Birmingham Restaurant Week 2025 and to purchase tickets for these events, visit https://bhamrestaurantweek.com/events.