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64 inception. Their accomplishments in the last six years have given me confidence to trust myself, my instincts, and the time I take to make decisions about my roster. When Marguerite Hoffman stopped by. The first time she visited, it was during the Bret Slater solo exhibition. She then was smitten by the work of Christian Fagerlund and Alicia Henry. She is a collector with an extraordinary eye, quick and confident with her decisions. She is guided by her passion and her knowledge, not by art trends. I choose my roster with the same premises. To work with people that understand our language and share the same passion for knowledge and ingenuity is a dream come true. Honing your eye. My tenure [as director] at the MAC was pivotal in its influence over my aesthetics and conceptual preferences. It was the best school I could have, because of the MAC programming — especially under the direction of Rick Brettell. The MAC taught me that art is pure freedom, and it is that freedom that permits artists to explore limitless conversations, mediums, and collaborations. A bigger art venue doesn't mean a better one. The MAC is a testament to that. New gallery stats. 1,700 square feet. The architect is Corky Cunningham at Cunningham Architects, and Stephen Lawson at Atelier Melange was in charge of the design. Living space. I'm going NY style, with around 600 square feet of living space. But thanks to Jean Liu at Jean Liu Design, I had the advice I needed to make a transition to a smaller space that will be both functional and a truthful reference of my personality. Trajectory in the art world: your first brush with art. My father's encyclopedias. Was your childhood shaped by contemporary art? No. I was very focused on sports as a competitive gymnast. But I was reading voraciously all the time. My gymnastic teachers only gave me books as gifts. They were extraordinary women, and they were a huge influence, teaching me the importance of the balance between sports, education, and mental focus. Were your parents collectors? No, but my father and my grandfather were some of the most ardent readers I've seen. I learned by example. I could entertain myself for hours while they were enjoying an incredibly active social life. So, I read about Matisse cutouts, Zurbarán paintings of the Virgin Mary, and the diversity of depictions of saints like San Sebastián during my childhood and early adolescence. My parents did have a friend who was a collector of contemporary Salvadoran art. His walls were completely covered by paintings, and he was one of the jolliest men I've met. I think part of it was due to his passion for art. Your gallery aesthetic. Bold, uncensored, different, polished, challenging, and intelligent. What you look for when representing an artist. An element of surprise touching subject matters that have been previously discussed but not in ways that are generic and boring to me. I want to see something different. And most importantly, the work must be spiritually pure, and true to their statement. What you embrace about the Texas art world. Texas is a country within a country — and quite an affluent one as well. That has allowed the state to have incredible museums and art initiatives in many places [beyond big cities]. Marfa, Waxahachie, Corsicana, Beaumont, and Tyler, just to name a few. The generous patronage of the MAC, the Crow Collection, the Nasher, Dallas Contemporary, and Site131 have enriched our cultural life in ways you rarely find in other states. The more I see editions of Documenta, the Venice Biennale, and the Berlin Biennale, the more I'm convinced that Texas has nothing to envy regarding any other state in America, or any country in the European Union. Liliana Bloch Gallery's role within the Texas art-world ecosystem. We bring conversations that most commercial venues would not touch. I never compromised the quality of an exhibition because I think a certain piece is not going to sell. My vision was to have a gallery in Dallas that would have programming the equal of one you could find in New York, L.A., Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. And that will never change. Favorite museum out of state. It's a tie between Centre Pompidou and the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. Top Texas museum. The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin. They have an exquisitely curated collection and exhibition programming. Talents from art history you admire. Caravaggio, Milton Avery, El Greco, Picasso, and Brancusi. Living hero. Jane Goodall. Last trip. To Mexico for Zona MACO and Material Art Fair. Book you're reading now. Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter and, because of Kathy Lovas' upcoming exhibition, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Next film you'll see. Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Restaurant after an art opening. Sassetta or Tei-An. Go-to designer. Carla Fernández. Uniform for Saturday at the gallery. For winter, jeans and black sweaters. Summer, jeans and Mexican huipils, and white linen shirts. Most unexpected thing about you. I lived without using my kitchen for the last seven years. I bought a pan a few months ago because I decided to cook for my kitties. I also learned how to iron last year, and I like it very much. Parting thought. The gallery is my love letter to Dallas, my roster, my collectors, and the press. My deepest gratitude to each and all of them for making this dream possible. Liliana Bloch Gallery, 4741 Memphis St.. lilianablochgallery.com. "MY VISION WAS TO HAVE A GALLERY IN DALLAS THAT WOULD HAVE PROGRAMMING THE EQUAL OF ONE YOU COULD FIND IN NEW YORK, L.A., PARIS, AMSTERDAM, AND BERLIN." — Liliana Bloch (continued from page 62)