Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1121557
72 ART TOPICS BY CATHERINE D. ANSPON COOL KOELSCH HAUS It's a perfect Saturday night, and a throng of art lovers are streaming into a crisp white bungalow. On the porch, Nick Gaitan and The Umbrella Man perform. A crowd gathers — collectors, artists, patrons, childhood pals, the gallerist's family — coming and going through the chartreuse door, sensing a vibe that feels fresh and important while hearkening back to Montrose in the 1990s, when artists held sway. Finally, around 1:30 am, the last guest leaves, and Franny Koelsch Jeffries closes the doors for the evening; it's been a successful inauguration of her latest Koelsch Haus. The gallerist has been on the Houston scene for a quarter- century, carving out a space where outsider and insider art merges — a dealer who's long been involved with the Orange Show, where she's a current board member. Her program, informed by a touch of craft and jewelry, feels connected to community. It's been presented in five previous locations to date, four of which were bungalows. Of her art space's new home, Koelsch says, "1020 Peden is our last location, and I feel it's our best ever. When I started the gallery in 1994, it was in my Montrose home. People would come by to hang out, look at art, make new friends, and be sociable. This new location feels very much like a return to those roots. We are trying to create an experience." Over the past year, Koelsch has meticulously restored and updated this 1920 bungalow, BEYOND Biscuit Paint Wall W hen the initial tenants sign their leases at the luxury mid-rise Pearl Marketplace at Midtown this month, they'll enjoy two unique amenities: a Whole Foods Market in the building and their own mural by one of Texas' most celebrated street artists. The Pearl's developer, the Morgan Group, commissioned Sebastien "Mr. D" Boileau for the job, a painter of acclaimed aerosol action with 30 years of street cred honed in the train yards of his native France. He got his start in Paris in 1987 but left Europe after close calls with which desperately needed TLC. Finds at the reimagined Koelsch Haus include outsider sculpture by Mr. Imagination, including his throne, which occupies pride of place in the 1,800-square-foot interior; Austin-based W. Tucker's naive-style paintings and drawings (he painted a dressing-room door, too); an epic mixed-media work by Dallas collage master Ellen Frances Tuchman formed from retro equestrian ephemera, which holds its own wall; and Houston artist Claire Cusack's refined take on assemblage from found objects layered with history. There is also a selection of home design and art books, via a collaboration with River Oaks Bookstore, and Koelsch's recently launched line of women's shirts, Ears of Buddha, hand-sewn in Houston. Koelsch Haus, 1020 Peden, koelschgallery.com. Franny Koelsch Jeffries Pearl Paint Wall in process Koelsch Haus ANA HOP ANA HOP COURTESY EYEFULART.COM (continued on page 74)