Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/184542
THE requested designers), Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Nina Ricci, Alberta Ferretti, Peter Som, Vera Wang, Moschino, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rachel Roy, Missoni and Halston Heritage. With 25,000 dresses and 4,000 accessories in stock, there's no need to worry that someone has snagged your size. And speaking of size: Whenever you rent a dress you're actually sent two sizes, up or down — your choice. You can rent the clothing, handbags and jewels for four or eight days. When your party is a "fête" accompli, simply drop the dress and/or accessories in the prepaid envelope and deposit it in any USPS mailbox. They'll be cleaned and pressed back at the New Jersey warehouse. Information renttherunway.com. Laurann Claridge PC ACQUIRE NEW MAN AT THE ASHLEY SAVAGE, ABS@RENTTHERUNWAY.COM This is a party town where you can find yourself at a soirée nearly every night of the week. For women, of course, there's always that pesky wardrobe conundrum: What shall I wear? Faced with closet fatigue, many are logging onto renttherunway.com to change up their options. Need a head-to-toe new look for a grand gala or engagement party? Select a frock from more than 150 current designer looks (rentals $40 to $400, depending on the garment's retail price). Or maybe you want to revamp what you own with fabulous (new and vintage) Chanel accessories (starting at $100), a Kara Ross clutch ($55) or a Gerard Yosca cuff ($35), or something bold from Kenneth Jay Lane, Erickson Beamon, Tom Binns or House of Harlow 1960. Simply login and peruse the current-collection designs of stellar designers such as Hervé Léger (one of the most We launch 2012's PaperCity Acquire with a senior Texas master: the obsessive, geometric wizard H.J. Bott, who celebrates the 40th anniversary of his Displacement of Volume principle (aka DoV) this year. What is DoV, you ask? It's an all-encompassing spatial concept that has birthed some wondrously inventive paintings, sculptures and installations over the ensuing decades. This wild ride through an op-art universe makes Vasarely and Yayoi Kusama look H. J. Bott's tame — and it's epitomized by this month's PC Acquire offering. Fresh Hip Hop from the artist's studio, the never-before-seen Hip Hop Core of 2011 is an Core, 2011 illusionary pyramid-evoking canvas on the diagonal that speaks of the pharaohs overlaid with an election-eve palette. And stay tuned: With statewide exhibitions upcoming at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio (April), long-time Houston dealer Anya Tish Gallery (May), Galveston Arts Center (June) and Kirk Hopper Fine Art in Dallas (October), we predict this is the year of Bott. PC Acquire January 2012 offering: H.J.Bott's Hip Hop Core, 2011, co-polymer acrylic and vinyl on canvas, 42 by 42 inches diagonal; price $15,000; inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com. DALLAS ART FAIR brought to you by GALLERIA I, BETWEEN MAXMARA AND HUGO BOSS 713.623.7850; miumiu.com Keys to the door: Manager Crystal Yang. Stocked goods: Fun, flirty and gilded in gold, the first Miu Miu boutique in Texas has opened at the Galleria. Miu Miu, the tad-younger collection designed by Prada's Miuccia Prada, is housed in a dynamite 3,000-square-foot space designed by Roberto Baciocchi. It's modern style with a twist: Think clean-lined counters, shelves and tables to display the candy-colored bags, shoes and accessories, emboldened by baroque gold-leaf paneling in the windows, mirrored furniture and damask wallpaper. Peruse the whimsical and diamanteencrusted accessories in the front two rooms, as well as the limited-edition python-print handbags (hurry — there are only five) sold exclusively in the Houston boutique. In the final room, you'll find the Resort and Spring 2012 collections. We can't wait to shop the lighting-bolt, gingham and jewel-tone party dresses Miuccia Prada premiered for the early spring season. If that much color is too sweet for your tastes, look for the more demure patchwork-print and ladylike lace looks for spring. Kate Allen Stukenberg SAN FRANCISCO–BASED GALLERIST JESSICA SILVERMAN, OWNER/FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF SILVERMAN GALLERY, TAKES QUESTIONS FROM HOUSTON COLLECTOR JANET HOBBY, PARTNER IN MKG ART MANAGEMENT. DALLAS ART FAIR: APRIL 13 – 15, 201 PREVIEW GALA APRIL 12 2; WWW.DALLASARTFAIR.COM JULIE SOEFER What was your first big break? It is difficult to identify any one single thing. Opening a gallery is always a risk, and its success often relies on the support of the greater community and its involvement ... For the rest of the conversation, peruse papercitymag.com. JENNY ANTILL NANCY ROTHSTEIN Jessica Silverman Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Janet Hobby Art Fair 2012? 2011 was a great year fair-wise for the gallery, with a strong showing in Europe including Frieze, London, and FIAC in Paris. In 2012, we wanted to focus on expanding our U.S. presence and also reaching out to a new collector base. I have met so many wonderful people from the area, and Dallas is such a culturally diverse city, with amazing museums, collections and a growing art scene, that it seemed like the logical choice. I also like that it is an intimate fair with a thoughtful platform, and this resonated strongly with the gallery and its program. TOP MIU MIU COLLECTOR'S CONVERSATION Describe briefly your trajectory? I opened the gallery during the second year of my masters program at California College of Arts in San Francisco. Looking back, I am not sure there was a clear trajectory, but I knew even in undergraduate school that I wanted to be involved in supporting artists. In fact, I transformed my artist studio at Otis College into an exhibition space. At the end of my first year at CCA, I took the opportunity to run programming and curate exhibitions in Frankfurt at the Kunstverein for four months, where I familiarized myself with numerous project spaces and small galleries. Upon my return to San Francisco, I decided I was ready and opened my own project space in the Dogpatch. Looking back, it was quite a brave move, and I'm glad I was young enough to not over-think it. F. CARTER SMITH RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY Last year at this time, we brought sad news of the passing of Peter Marzio, the visionary director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for nearly 30 years. The dashing, democratic and brilliant Marzio transformed not only the MFAH but also the dynamics of the Texas art world, as one of our greatest champions of diversity. Now his successor has been announced, and our community Gary Tinterow expectantly awaits the arrival of Gary Tinterow, who comes from a hallowed position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he most recently served as the Engelhard Chairman of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern and Contemporary Art. Tinterow has academic and publication credentials aplenty: an undergrad degree from Brandeis University, followed by a graduate degree from Harvard, and more than 60 exhibition catalogs and other publications to his name. However, what really stands out is his opening up of the Met's historical departments to contemporary art, including his directorship of the Met's wildly popular "On the Roof" series. Curatorially, Tinterow's command of art history is broad; he's organized shows from Degas (1988) to Francis Bacon (2009). Houston audiences will recall his glorious presentation of "The Masterpieces of French Painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800 – 1920" in 2007. Equally promising is Tinterow's acrossthe-board support from trustees such as Rich Kinder and discerning members of our art community including gallerist Hiram Butler. The most surprising Tinterow fact of all: He's a hometown talent, a graduate of Bellaire High School who even worked in his early career as a curatorial assistant at the MFAH in 1975 and 1976. Former Bellaire classmate and Texas Radio Hall of Famer Doug Harris remembers him fondly, sensing he was destined for great things: "Gary was drawn early to the arts and was known for his sharp intellect and pleasant manner." We wish our new director the best as he continues important projects such as the MFAH's third building— and adds his own imprint to the museum. We'll leave you with this parting comment from former Texas Artist of the Year/Rome Prize winner Bert Long Jr.: "The fact that Gary Tinterow, chief curator at the New York Metropolitan, has taken time on several occasions to e-mail replies to me, an artist in Houston, leads me to believe that he will follow the fine tradition established by Peter Marzio of welcoming interaction with actual live practicing artists. And he's a local boy. Couldn't be better." Catherine D. Anspon LIBERTY KITCHEN & OYSTER BAR 1050 STUDEWOOD 713.802.0533; libertykitchenoysterbar.com Keys to the Door: Owner/operators Lee Ellis and Carl Eaves; chef Lance Fegen. What's Cooking: In what was once a beauty shop at the corner of 11th and Studewood, Lee Ellis and Carl Eaves, working with chef/partner Lance Fegen, have conjured Liberty Kitchen & Oyster Bar. The interior is clad with reclaimed shiplap along with cement floors and charming presidential memorabilia, from turn-of-the-century portraits of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Lady Liberty herself at the entrance to a wink at Ronald Reagan on the drinks menu. Whether you're seated in an old schoolhouse chair, a cozy booth, or mingling with friends and strangers alike in one of two communal tables, order up a cocktail, and you can choose from small-batch or Texas-made tipple, including Liberty's own eponymous light or dark brew, by Houston beer brewery Karbach. Fegen — who describes his casual eatery's fare as American comfort food with a heavy reliance on seafood grilled on their peach wood and Mexicancharcoal-fired grill — cleverly employs techniques inspired by America's rich coastal cuisines to set his expansive menu apart. Liberty serves lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast on the weekends; we suggest you come with a crowd. Start with appetizers such as deviled eggs topped with bacon and whole fried oysters ($8), which is sure to induce a fork fight for the last bite, or charcoal hot smoked salmon ($8), a whole salmon split, nailed to a cedar plank and propped vertically above the grill to slowly soak in the updraft of peach-wood smoke, candying its spiced exterior. Flake a few tender pieces onto soft bread with a smear of smoked salt butter, and enjoy. Hearty burgers and sandwiches vary from sliders to a sophisticated tuna melt made with a fresh fillet atop an old-school toasted English muffin. Grilled entrees — separated into Swimmers (fish/seafood) and Runners (steak, pork, chicken) — include tender Hollywood pork ribs with apple-cider-mustard glaze ($19) and Alabama catfish ($16). All the entrees come with sides such as creamy malt slaw and, our fave, grilled asparagus with bacon jam ($2.50 extra). And don't you dare leave without a bite of Fegen's warm whitechocolate bread pudding with deep, rich caramel sauce and whipped cream ($7.50). Laurann Claridge