Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1536610
F or two decades, Texas' art scene has grown and thrived thanks to the presence of the homegrown Dallas Art Fair, headed towards its 18th year next April. Now Houston gets an art fair it deserves with the arrival of Untitled Art in September. Expect Untitled to turbocharge the collecting scene in a city whose role in the international art world is profound, thanks to the legacy of Dominique and John de Menil (Rothko Chapel, The Menil Collection; the powerful Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Aligned with the start of the fall art season, Untitled Art, Houston takes place Friday through Sunday, September 19 through 21, with a VIP- holder vernissage planned for Thursday, September 18. Expect the George R. Brown Convention Center to be transformed into a design experience, thanks to a collaboration with Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. As a sister entity to one of the top fairs in Miami during that city's art week every December, the Untitled brand is a collector fave that's as respected as it is buzzy. The inaugural Houston edition is expected to lure top-notch collectors to investigate the 80-plus A Feat Clay vetted dealers — galleries from culture capitals that represent every continent except Antarctica, including established players Hollis Taggart, NYC; Michael Kohn Gallery, L.A.; SECCI, Milan; Nino Mier Gallery, NYC, Brussels; Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, Houston; and Dallas dealers Erin Cluley Gallery, Galleri Urbane, Keijsers Koning, Meliksetian | Briggs, and recent transplant Monterrey-founded Colector. Emerging gallerists with niche programs headline the Nest section, including 12.26, Dallas; Megan Mulrooney, L.A.; Martha's, Austin; Alice Amati, London; Bianca Boeckel Galeria, São Paulo; Ediciones Marea, Mexico City; and Houston contingent Seven Sisters, F, Laura (the gallery), and Basket Books & Art. F o r m o r e o f our preview, visit papercitymag.com. Untitled Art, Houston, Thursday - Sunday, September 18 - 21, at George R. Brown Convention Center, untitledartfairs.com. Catherine D. Anspon F or years, Alex Matisse sidestepped the weight of his famous surname, choosing instead to build the North Carolina pottery company East Fork on his terms. Co-founded with John Vigeland in 2009, the brand has long forged its own identity. But with the debut of the Matisse Collection, the great-grandson of Henri Matisse has finally embraced that legacy, translating the artist's iconic designs onto plates, mugs, and platters crafted from clays sourced across the American Southeast. Inspired by Matisse's ceramic works, the collection marks a rare collaboration with Les Héritiers Matisse, the family estate known for its selective licensing of the artist's work, with the project timed to coincide with the 2025 copyright expiration. East Fork Matisse Collection, $68 to $360, at eastfork.com. Rebecca Sherman Fair Time in Houston East Fork Matisse Collection Above, from left: Andrea Bianconi's "Invisible Dance," 2024, at Barbara Davis Gallery. Geoff McFetridge's Rust Drinkers, 2022, at Library Street Collective. of