Over the past seven years The Fleming Collection has been in the forefront of
Scotland
’s growing cultural assertiveness and has established itself as an embassy for Scottish art in
London
. The Fleming Collection, which began life as a corporate collection designed to brighten up office walls, has evolved into the only museum entirely devoted to Scottish art in the
United Kingdom
.
Every year The Fleming Collection stages an exhibition at the gallery in
London
which is entirely selected from The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation permanent collection. This year to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the collection individuals associated with Scottish art have been selected to choose a work in the collection that has caught their imagination to be included in the exhibition Inspired: Forty Years of Collecting Scottish Art.
The choices made by writers and curators will reflect the way in which the collection has been used over the years as inspiration for new research, articles and exhibitions. The Fleming Collection frequently collaborates with other galleries to produce exhibitions giving outside curators hands on access to the collection, these have included the National Galleries of Scotland; Fergusson Gallery, Perth and Kinross Council; City Art Centre, Edinburgh; McManus Galleries, Dundee; Hunterian Art Gallery; Tate. The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation has published many books so that learning about Scottish painting is possible from a distance.
During the days of Robert Fleming Holdings Ltd when banking staff David Donald and later Bill Smith, were buying for the collection, Flemings clients, staff and visitors were able to become acquainted with Scottish art in the City of London. Many became collectors in their own right and have gone on to buy for other companies where they now work as well as collecting for their homes. This tradition continues today at the new investment bank Fleming Family and Partners (est. 2000).
General Background
The Fleming Collection gallery opened to the public in January 2002 and holds four exhibitions of Scottish art annually. Over the years the gallery has inspired the public to learn about Scottish art by bringing public collections to a London audience, exhibitions have been held from the Fergusson Gallery, Perth and Kinross Council; City Art Centre, Edinburgh; McManus Galleries and Museum, Dundee; The National Galleries of Scotland; Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. Exhibitions surveying the work of artists such as DY Cameron, William McTaggart, Edward Baird and James Pryde have taken place and new research on these artists has been published by the Foundation. Annually an exhibition is drawn from the permanent collection focusing on a single theme, genre or period. Often exhibitions curated by The Fleming Collection tour to other museums and galleries.
