Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1500317
F irst off, here's some exciting news about this year's fair: Ninety exhibitors (up from last year's 88) from around the globe brought in works to show at Fashion Industry Gallery and reported robust sales. Planning for DAF generally begins immediately after the closing of the previous year's event by the team of John Sughrue, founder; Kelly Cornell, fair director; and Sarah Blagden, VIP relations director, and obviously their efforts paid off this year. We spent hours at the VIP opening, checking out the booths featuring well-known artists, as well as many up-and-coming. We caught up with old friends including Marlene Sughrue, who wore a gorgeous Silvia Tcherassi halter-style blouse and palazzo pants with abstract waves in fuchsia, red, and burnt orange while she worked the capacity-filled space alongside her husband, John. Some of the trends, in terms of art included a return to figurative painting and portraiture, Surrealism and humor, and connections with nature. We were also pleased to see a notable amount of works by female artists of color and LGBTQ identifying artists. The official schedule of programs put out by the Dallas Art Fair began on Tuesday with a few options including the opening of "Maternity Leave: None of Women Born," presented by the Nicodim Gallery and the Green Family Art Foundation at the Atelier Apartments in the Arts District. The show explored advances in technology and genetic engineering and women's roles as "mother" in a society where birth can be outsourced or inorganic. Artists on view included Ángeles Agrela, Dominique Fung, Loie Hollowell, Devin B. Johnson, Sung Hwa Kim, Alicja Kwade, Tali Lennox, Jessie Makinson, and Alice Neel. Meanwhile, on that same evening, Jed Morse, chief curator at the Nasher Sculpture Center, conducted a talk with sculptor Nic Nicosia on the tree-lined Katy Trail about his newly installed work The Twins, part of the Nasher Public and Katy Trail Art programs. ARRRRRRRT PARTIES (Continued) Cristina Grajales, Mia Cruz with Aaron Poritz's Travertine Console, and Randy Polumbo's Love Sack, 2008, at Dallas Art Fair Jenna Fredde at Dallas Art Fair The Eyeboretum Peter Augustus Owen, Kelly Cornell Kelsey Shaw at Penthouse Party Lisa & John Runyon at Dallas Contemporary X Saks Brooke Dowdy, Charlie Caulkins, Christina Jafar Jory Caulkins at Champagne Lallier Dinner Shelby Wagner, Marcela Suro, Niven Morgan Viviana Kuri at Dallas Contemporary X Saks POW! 30