Artist-run Space

An artist-run space is a gallery space run by artists, thus circumventing the structures of public and private galleries.

Artist-run spaces have become realised as an important factor in urban regeneration. This effect was particularly strong in Glasgow, where the city won the accolade 'European Capital of Culture' in 1990, largely due to the large number of artist-run exhibition spaces and galleries. Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist coined the term "The Glasgow Miracle" to describe this.

Examples of artist-run spaces include City Racing, BANK, studio1.1, Studio Voltaire, Cubitt and Auto Italia South East in London, Milwaukee's BATHAS Internationale, Berlin's Sparwasser HQ, island6 in Shanghai, Vitamin Creative Space in Guangzhou, 16 Beaver (New York), Good Children (New Orleans), Mercer Union and YYZ Artists' Outlet (Toronto), p-10 (Singapore), Southern Exposure (San Francisco), Transmission Gallery and Market Gallery in Glasgow, The Embassy Gallery and Total Kunst in Edinburgh, Generator Projects in Dundee, OUTPOST Gallery and STEW Gallery & Artist Studios in Norwich, Extrapool in Nijmegen. In the last years many artist-run spaces started opening in South America, mostly in Brazil and Argentina, an example being APPETITE Gallery in Buenos Aires.

In 2005 Seattle-based SOIL Publications released SOIL: Artist-Run Gallery 1995-2005, edited by Yuki Nakamura. This collection of critical essays, features on past exhibitions and profiles of artists documents ten years in the running of an artist-run space.

In 2007 Chicago not-for-profit threewalls began publishing PHONEBOOK, a directory of independent art spaces, programming and projects across the United States now in its 3rd edition with over 750 listings. The most recent edition features essays by the artists who administrate the spaces listed or have a history of participating in artist-run culture.