Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1536611
By Catherine D. Anspon 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, opened respectively 1971 and 1987); the powerful Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (founded 1924); and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, one of the oldest institutions in America devoted to contemporary art (established 1948). Aligned with the start of the fall art season, Untitled Art, Houston, is 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. Michael Fair Time in Houston Hsu partner/architect Jay Colombo has been tapped to reimagine the cavernous spaces of the venue for the weekend. 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 collectors from around the world to investigate the 80-plus 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; Erin Cluley Gallery, Dallas; and Houston's Barbara Davis Gallery, Bond Contemporary, Inman Gallery, McClain Gallery, Moody Gallery, Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, and Colector. Emerging dealers with niche programs headline the Nest section, including Alice Amati, London; Megan Mulrooney, L.A.; 12.26, Dallas; Martha's, Austin; and Houston contingent Seven Sisters, F, Laura (the gallery), and Basket Books & Art. Untitled's driving forces are founder Jeffrey Lawson, Houston director Michael Slenske, and executive director Clara Andrade, who oversees the Miami edition. Lawson, a collector and entrepreneur, began the Miami Beach edition 13 years ago; his vision eschewed rigid booth layouts, incorporated cool programming including podcasts (set to happen in Houston, too), and created an avant-garde VIP lounge with a side of performance art. Slenske, an L.A.- based writer and curator, is conversant with Houston's cultural scene, thanks to 16 years of assignments for W and Architectural Digest. A portion of ticket sales benefits Rothko Chapel. Untitled has tapped PaperCity as Texas media sponsor. For more of our preview, visit papercitymag. com. Untitled Art, Houston, Th u r s d a y - S u n d a y, September 18 - 21, at George R. Brown Convention Center, untitledartfairs.com. From top: Andrea Bianconi's "Invisible Dance," 2024, at Barbara Davis Gallery. Lita Albuquerque's Untitled, 2024, at Michael Kohn Gallery. Geoff McFetridge's Rust Drinkers, 2022, at Library Street Collective. 18