Patricia Fleming has worked as an independent curator for over twenty-five years, establishing significant artist-led initiatives in Glasgow and further afield.

 

The first studio opened in 1991, in the city’s East End. Providing free for artists and offering them a weekly stipend and monthly materials allowance, this space became an important resource for Glasgow’s growing contemporary art scene, supporting a wide range of artists including; Martin Boyce, Roddy Buchanan, Anne-Marie Copestake, Jacqueline Donachie, Michael Fullarton, Douglas Gordon, Kevin Hutcheson, Jim Lambie, Jonathan Monk, Mary Redmond, Eva Rothschild, Ross Sinclair, Stephanie Smith, Simon Starling and Richard Wright.

 

This studio initiative would come to be known as ‘Fuse’, taking its name from the space’s first large-scale exhibition. Opening in 1992 and held within a 12,000 square foot office block overlooking the river Clyde, ‘Fuse’ brought together 40 artists reflecting the energy of those choosing to stay in Glasgow to make, work and live. The studio initiative became synonymous with this exhibition, doubling in size to incorporate three new buildings across the city, in Townhead, Glasgow Green and the West End. Over the next ten years ‘Fuse’ supported more than five hundred young artists, providing free studios and the conditions for a supported peer network.

 

The first gallery was founded in 1996. ‘Fly' (now Market Gallery) ran an annual programme of exhibitions curated by Fleming and artist Jamie Burroughs. Fleming also invited Will Bradley, Caroline Woodley and other artists to create exhibitions in the space. The gallery presented group and solo exhibitions from the likes of Duncan Campbell, Howard Fried, The K Foundation, Mike Nelson, Cathy Wilkes, James Thornhill, Mary Redmond, Richard Wright, Michael Wilkinson and Torsten Lauschman. 

​

Fleming moved to work as the Curator at Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, from 1999 to 2001 and became the first curator for Wales at the Venice Biennale in 2003; presenting the exhibition ‘Further’ with Cerith Wyn Evans, Bethan Huws, Paul Seawright and Simon Pope. In 2005, she co-founded ‘Volume’ with Caroline Stevenson, Simon Mitchell and Claire Shallcross; a small gallery in the Old Police Station grounds in Deptford, with focus on providing a platform for Glasgow artists in London and selecting artists from London for exhibitions in Glasgow.

 

Over the last ten years Fleming has curated Scotland’s first stand-alone pavilion at the International Architecture Biennale, alongside exhibitions for Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art including ‘The Local’ in 2008, and ‘Everything Flows’ in 2012, co-curated with Caroline Stevenson with artists including Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Sonia Boyce, Katy Dove, Steff Norwood, Superflex, David Shrigley, Rikrit Tiravanija, Sue Tompkins and Toby Paterson.

​

December 2013 marked the opening of a new studio and exhibition space, based in a former industrial building in Glasgow’s Merchant City.

 

In 2017 Patricia Fleming Gallery was established, evolving from the curatorial practice of director Patricia Fleming. The gallery represents emerging, mid-career and established contemporary artists. It is committed to developing artists' careers, while supporting artists to take risks with their practice. Working mainly with women artists, the all women team led by co-director Thalia Spyridou is focused on new art that speaks of our time. The annual programme of exhibitions and events promote socially engaged art, sculpture, drawing, installation, film and performance.