Untitled Art has revealed the 84 exhibitors who will participate in its inaugural event in Houston, the fair’s first expansion in years and the latest addition to the Lone Star State’s growing art market constellation.
While fair director Michael Slenske told The Art Newspaper last year the Houston expo would likely be capped at around 50 exhibitors, the final number was 64% higher thanks to “an overwhelming response”, he said in a statement.
“The invitational Houston edition will still be a curated, boutique fair, and that vibe has always defined Untitled Art,” Slenske said. “What we’re seeing from galleries across the world is a real desire to enter into the Texas art scene—especially into Houston—and it’s been exciting to see how many wanted to participate in this inaugural edition.”
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US by population, has strong art institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The city is also home to a thriving collector base encouraged by Houston’s robust economy, largely driven by the energy sector (namely oil and gas), medical fields and aerospace industries. Those factors paired with one of the country’s most diverse populations and the most lax zoning laws of any major US city create a unique backdrop for local artists.
Last year, a study by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts found arts-related spending in Houston added up to $1.3bn in 2022, beating out other Texas cities like Dallas ($854m) and Fort Worth ($504m).
A painting by artist Aaron Morse. Courtesy Phillip Martin Gallery
Untitled Art, Houston will begin 18 September with an invitation-only preview, continuing through 21 September at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. While the downtown Houston neighbourhood is not considered a desirable destination by many locals, city officials have announced a $2bn investment plan into the area over the next 30 years, starting with an expansion of the convention centre where the fair will be held.
“We want to bring other people to Houston, and for people to know that Houston has a fantastic art scene and institutions,” says María Inés Sicardi, who in 1994 founded Sicardi Ayers Bacino, a Houston gallery specialising in Latin American art. “There are a lot of treasures that are not known about Houston. I think Untitled might be an opportunity for people to be aware of what is going on here, especially the younger artists.”
Other art fairs in Houston have come and gone: the Houston Fine Art Fair and the Texas Contemporary Art Fair are two now-defunct events once held locally. Sicardi says Untitled Art has a good reputation, and she’s hopeful the fair will bring new attention to the city. Houston may already be getting its flowers in the art world: at last year’s Art Dealers Association of America’s annual fair in Manhattan, The Art Show, organisers kicked off a new series to spotlight members from outside New York by highlighting Houston galleries.
A percentage of Untitled Art, Houston’s ticket sales will be donated to the Rothko Chapel, the Abstract Expressionist’s nondenominational house of worship commissioned by the legendary Houston art collectors John and Dominique de Menil in 1964.
A view of the Houston skyline and Buffalo Bayou Park. Courtesy Houston First Corporation
Texas as a whole is known for its strong economy, growing population and an increasingly important place in the art market. The Dallas Art Fair, one of the strongest regional fairs in the US, marked its 17th edition in April and last week a group of commercial galleries in Austin staged a hotel fair, the first of its kind in the city.
Untitled’s expansion to the state has attracted Texas-based galleries, many of them first-time exhibitors at one of its fairs—in addition to its flagship Miami Beach edition, Untitled also operated a fair in San Francisco for several years). Those include Houston locals Sicardi Ayers Bacino, Moody Gallery, McClain Gallery, Inman Gallery, Bond Contemporary and Barbara Davis Gallery. Meliksetian Briggs, Galleri Urbane, Keijsers Koning and Erin Cluley Gallery will come from Dallas.
Untitled Art, Houston will also feature an expanded Nest sector, offering subsidised stands to offset costs for select participants. Texas galleries taking part include Martha’s from Austin; 12.26 from Dallas; Seven Sisters, Laura the Gallery and F Gallery from Houston, and the University of Houston School of Art and Public Art. Other Nest participants have local ties—while Rajiv Menon’s eponymous gallery is based in Los Angeles, the dealer was raised in the Houston area.
Exhibitors in the main section also include Michael Kohn Gallery, La Loma, Charlie James and Philip Martin Gallery from Los Angeles; Half Gallery, Hollis Taggart, Marc Straus, New Discretions and Swivel Gallery from New York; Jessica Silverman from San Francisco; and Spinello Projects from Miami. Galleries participating in Nest include Megan Mulrooney Gallery from Los Angeles, Alice Amati from London, Decerca from Costa Rica, Pasto from Buenos Aires and KDR from Miami.
The fair will be rounded out with a strong international contingent, including the Canadian gallery Patel Brown, El Apartamento with locations in Madrid and Havana, London’s Cecilia Brunson Projects and Tern from Nassau. The exhibitor traveling the furthest distance to Houston is Yod Gallery, based in Japan.
Participants were selected by Untitled Art founder Jeff Lawson, executive director Clara Andrade and Slenske, who told The Art Newspaper last year, “there’s no limit to what you can do in Houston”.
