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As gallerist James Cope tells it, he never set out to be a fair director. Launched in 2023, the fair he founded, Dallas Invitational, came together quickly and without formalities — Cope simply invited a handful of galleries who had programs he liked, and to his surprise, they all said yes. An even bigger surprise came the following year when galleries sought him out, eager to participate in Dallas' newest boutique fair. Of course, Cope has always been ahead of the curve. Case in point: After two years at the Fairmont hotel downtown, Dallas Invitational moves its 2025 edition this month to one of the city's most iconic addresses, Rosewood Mansion on BRICA WILCOX Turtle Creek. Held concurrently with Dallas Art Fair, the Invitational offers a distinctly different atmosphere. Highly curated, it provides a space for galleries presenting works that wouldn't typically appear at the well-established, 90-dealer Dallas Art Fair. This year's Invitational lineup is impressive. The 15 participating galleries are a thoughtful representation of the contemporary art world, including Empty Gallery (Hong Kong), Gallery 12.26 (Dallas, Los Angeles), Good Weather (Chicago, Little Rock), GRIMM (Amsterdam, New York, London), Hannah Hoffman (Los Angeles), and Harlesden High Street (London). What began as a one-off idea has evolved into Cope's mission to redefine the art-fair model. He speaks of participating galleries as family and has assembled a stellar advisory board — including Jessica Nowitzki, Adam Green, Hannah Hoffman, and former TWO x TWO auction director Melissa M. Ireland — to guide the fair's future and ensure it benefits both gallerists and public. This year's programming includes VIP events and a new partnership with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth to establish the Dallas Invitational Acquisition Fund — an initiative providing the opportunity for works from the fair to be placed in the collection of the museum. Dallas Invitational, Thursday - Saturday, April 10 – 12, free admission, dallasinvitational.com. Peter Augustus Owen The under-the- radar art s t o r y o f the season mirrors the understated and modest demeanor of its founders. The Augustus Owen Foundation was quietly established two years ago by gallerist Peter Augustus Owen and his husband, SMU grad Bradford Owen, a management/consulting exec in global- marketing supply chains. They met in Dallas in 2005, when Peter was home from Asia for the holidays, then moved together to Hong Kong in 2008 for the dealer's art career, which to date has included the role of associate publisher of ArtAsiaPacific magazine and a PR and marketing gig for global gallery powerhouse Perrotin in Asia. Building a New Foundation Dallas Invitational Makes Its Mark (Continued) BEAU BUMPAS Bradford Owen and Peter Augustus Owen with Mari Tanimoto's Fluffy I, 2023. Lauren Spencer King's Flower no.23, 2025, at Gallery 12.26, exhibiting at the Dallas Invitational 64