Houston's art world has been buzzing since Untitled Art, one of the country’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibits, announced it was expanding its reach from Miami to Houston.
Now, the event has shared a slate of exhibitors who are coming to the Bayou City for the fair, which runs at the George R. Brown Convention Center from September 19-21.
The participants are a blend of Texas talent and exhibitors from across the globe. Among the first-time exhibitors are Houston’s Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, Moody Gallery, McClain Gallery, and Barbara Davis Gallery; Meliksetian | Briggs from Dallas; Michael Kohn Gallery, La Loma, and Philip Martin Gallery, all based in Los Angeles; New York’s Half Gallery, New Discretions, and Swivel Gallery; Patel Brown, with outlets in Toronto and Montreal; London’s Cecilia Brunson Projects; as well as galleries from San Francisco, Miami, Madrid, Havana, Lima, and the Bahamas.
Those participating in the fair’s Nest sector, an initiative that offers subsidized booths to mitigate the traditional barriers presented by the cost of art fair participation, include 12.26 in Dallas and Los Angeles, Austin’s Martha's Contemporary and Seven Sisters, Laura the gallery and F - Galleries from Houston. Other Nest participants come from Los Angeles, London, Buenos Aires, Miami, and other cities. Find a full list of exhibitors at the Untitled Art, Houston website.
All were selected by the committee of Untitled Art founder Jeffrey Lawson, executive director Clara Andrade, and Houston director Michael Slenske.
Untitled Art aims to showcase the work of emerging and established artists from all over the world, as well as offer avenues for art appreciation and collection for everyone from newbies to the art scene to prominent collectors. Houston emerged as a natural spot for the event’s expansion, given the depth of the city’s arts scene, its diversity, and its prominence as a cultural leader, with a thriving art market, seasoned collectors, leading institutions, commercial galleries, art schools, and artists.
“This is a moment when all of Houston’s top museums are in expansion mode and currently offering some of the most dynamic programming in the nation, as are the city’s emerging and established galleries and project spaces,” said Slenske in a statement. "Meanwhile, there are countless world-class artists who live and work in the Bayou City. I'm just very excited to be part of this new era of growth in the city’s art landscape with the launch of Untitled Art, Houston.”
In addition to exploring the work of the artists above, visitors to the exhibit will experience a floor plan designed by the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, the Texas-based firm known locally for restaurant designs such as Uchi and Loro as well as the Montrose Collective mixed-use development (among others).
"Our firm greatly values the process of collaborating with contemporary artists to bring fresh perspectives to the spaces we design,” said architect Jay Colombo. “We're happy to partner with Untitled Art to bring this event to Houston and share in their mission to support the wider art ecosystem."
Attendees will also be able to explore a series of special projects displayed throughout the fair, watch and listen as the fair records its on-site podcast series, and check out installations that showcase Untitled Art’s cultural partnerships with Houston institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH); the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH); the Menil Collection, Asia Society Texas; the Rothko Chapel, which continues to recover from damage by Hurricane Beryl; and others. A percentage of ticket sales from Untitled Art, Houston will be donated to the chapel’s restoration efforts.
Tickets are on sale now. Prices start at $35 for single day tickets, with discounts available for students, seniors, and veterans/active-duty military. Multi-day and VIP tickets are also available.
