LONDON.- Chairman of the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation, Rory Fleming, and Director, James Knox, have announced on behalf of the trustees that the Foundation is launching a ‘museum without walls’ strategy to build on its role as the ambassador for Scottish art and artists outside Scotland.

Following the sale of the Fleming’s merchant bank in 2000, the Foundation was established by members of the Fleming family with the aim of furthering the understanding and fame of Scottish art outside Scotland through exhibitions, education and publishing. The Foundation also owns one of the finest collections of Scottish art outside institutions and currently runs the Fleming Collection gallery in Mayfair, London.

As part of the new strategy, the gallery in Mayfair will close at the end of March 2016, freeing the Foundation to focus resources on expanding its loans and exhibitions programme as well as developing its support of arts education, which currently sees the Foundation provide bursaries and mentoring to emerging Scottish artists through the Royal Scottish Academy. It will also enable the Foundation to boost the role of its website and its publication, Scottish Art News, which is the sole resource for news, criticism and scholarship on historic and contemporary Scottish art.

“From now on” says James Knox, “our collection will support and initiate exhibitions to expand the audience for Scottish art in the UK and overseas. Indeed, this process of cultural diplomacy has already begun with our loan of key paintings and contribution of art-historical advice to the first ever survey of Scottish art to be staged in France.” (Musee du chateau des ducs de Wurtenberg, Montbeliard)

Chairman Rory Fleming says: ‘“This is a great moment in the history of the Foundation, which will build on our track record of raising the profile and influence of Scottish art and creativity.”