Dealers reported strong sales at the Dallas Art Fair's VIP preview on Thursday (April 4) and are connecting with collectors and organizations in Texas as the region's art market continues to grow. I was even more optimistic about making it.
The fair coincides closely with the Great American Eclipse, which will be held on Monday, April 8th, making Dallas the largest city in the path of the total solar eclipse. Some of the trip participants said they plan to stay in Dallas and enjoy his less than four minutes across the city. It is estimated that more than 1 million tourists will visit Texas, resulting in an increase of approximately $1.4 billion. It will impact the state's economy to see the last total solar eclipse visible in the continental United States until 2044.
Austin-based gallery Martha's sold out a stand of paintings by local artists Conor O'Leary and RF. Alvarez, prices range from $5,000 to $9,000. Longtime Dallas dealer Chris Worley sold works by Eric Swenson, including: séance (2019-23), with works by Robert Sagerman, Rachel Stein, and William Cannings. Pencil on Paper, a Dallas gallery participating in the fair for the first time, sold works by Ellis Hradecki and Jessica Forrath. Dallas gallery Kayser's Corning exhibited the work of Kate Barbee, a Dallas native now based in Brooklyn, with a collector who flew in from California to see the work, according to a representative for the gallery.
Sold gallery “Nikodim” based in Los Angeles, Bucharest and New York shambokland (2022) A work by Tania Petersen was gifted to the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) for $60,000 through the Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program, and thanks to an annual gift from the Dallas Art Fair Foundation works will be included in the DMA's collection. The gallery will sell four works by Montreal-based artist Chantal Coury for $15,000 to $25,000 each, and four works by Polish artist Agnieszka Nienartowicz for $20,000 each. A painting by Spanish artist Ángeles Agrella sold for $55,000.
séance (2019-23) Work by Eric Swenson on Chris Worley's Stand. Work by Paul Manes and Kelly Vance can be seen in the background. Provided by: Chris Worley
Inman Gallery has been sold love table (2022) Registered at DMA through the Dallas Art Fair Acquisition Program by JooYoung Choi; lost (2023) Private collection by Houston-based artist Alexis Pye.Sold by New York-based gallery operator pym (2024) Written by Tim Browner, sold for $14,000 during the fair's VIP Preview Day. MacLean Gallery has sold three paintings by modernist artist Dorothy Hood (1919-2000), priced between $30,000 and $76,000.
Piero Achugarry Gallery in Miami reported selling five works for a total of $65,300.Luis de Jesus sells Los Angeles montgomery flag (2024) by June Edmonds, $40,000 to a local collector.Two papier-mâché sculptures by Jean Lowe, valued at $4,000 to $5,000, will go to a collector in Houston and a collage painting by Evita Tezeno No one else can make me feel the colors you bring (2024) will complete the acquisition process for a major museum in Texas for about $30,000, gallery representatives said.
Mrs. Gallery, of Queens, New York, sold a bonsai sculpture by Chris Bogeer for $8,000 and a sculpture by Carolyn Salas for $80,000. Boston-area gallery Plays Shadows is displaying a standalone display of Cristalle Lacture's work, including six drawings about the 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. , sold four woodblock prints.
Conor O'Leary's reclining nude (2024) Courtesy of Martha
A new fair is opening in town
Los Angeles-based Knight Gallery sold three paintings by Japanese artist Keita Morimoto at the Dallas Invitational, held at the Fairmont Hotel across the street from the Dallas Art Fair. Out of the window (2024) and call you (2024) $18,000 each, and nightfall (2024) $26,000.
The hotel fair, which is in its second year since the Invitational was founded in 2023 by local dealer James Cope of And Now Gallery, has seen increased media attention, word of mouth, social media presence and The number of visitors increased thanks to the long-running event. Dallas Art His satellite fair on the 17th floor of the Fairmont, which opened on the same day as his VIP preview of the fair, was crowded throughout the afternoon, Cope says. According to participating dealers, many Dallas Invitational attendees take advantage of the hotel environment to display small-scale artwork or invite collectors into a quiet space for more intimate conversations. It is said that he did.
“I think people really like a smaller, more curated, more thoughtful approach,” Cope says. “I think that's what collectors like, and it's something that's easy to work with. It's not overwhelming. People come in, sit on the bed, let their guard down a little bit more, and it seems like they're working in a more relaxed environment. I can show you.”
Dallas Gallery The And Now room at the Fairmont Hotel during the Dallas Invitational. carly porterfield
This year's Invitational features 14 participating galleries, including a handful that previously participated in the Dallas Art Fair across the street, including Various Small Fires, Night Gallery, and James Fuentes. Cope said he had no intention of “poaching” dealers from larger, more established fairs, and that he was approached by those galleries to participate in the Invitational.
“There's some talk in the community about the Dallas Invitational competing with the Dallas Art Fair, but I'm not trying to destroy anything. I'm just trying to add more excitement to the Dallas scene. ” Cope says. “Competition is good, right? It creates growth.”
Kelly Cornell, director of the Dallas Art Fair, agrees. “The more the better,” she says. “I do not think so [the Dallas Invitational] is a concern. There's a big market here. ”
Both Cope and Cornell said their respective fairs have high demand from gallerists who want to attend and gain access to Dallas' large collector base as well as area museums and other institutions. Says. Even Dallas Invitational dealers said they were happy with the referrals they made on the fair's first day, although they did not have final sales to report as of press time.
“We haven't really pushed for pre-sales because this isn't a traditional fair framework. We're even more excited about the possibilities that come with presenting here,” said the New York-based company. says gallerist James Fuentes. “This is guaranteed to be very good for business and for artists. Especially with some of the museums we've had, not just the museums in Dallas, but also the museums in San Antonio. From the conversation, yes. It's not a huge burden, but it has a huge impact on us.”
Dallas (Art) Buyers Club
Major Dallas collector Howard Rachofsky during a VIP preview of the Dallas Art Fair. exploratory
Dallas collectors run the gamut in terms of taste, art education and budget, said dealers at the city's fairs this week. Among their ranks are trendsetters like Kenny Goss and Howard and Cindy Rachowski (who may be looking to fund a takeover spree by commissioning the eight-figure Lucio Fontana at Sotheby's this week) as well as recent movers to fast-growing Sunbelt metropolises. Of Texas' six major cities, he is one of the most established and active art markets.
“They appreciate it on every level. Some have backgrounds in art history and have been going to museums for years and are collectors. And they just want to find something beautiful for their home, or they want to explore the world. “Some people always want to know what's going on,” says Cheryl Vogel, vice president and curator of the Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden. Dallas.
This year, our gallery celebrates its 70th anniversary.A stand at the Valley House Gallery at the Dallas Art Fair features works ranging in price from $165,000 to $800,000, including his 18-piece set solar eclipse A painting inspired by the birth of Emily LaQua's son.
One thing almost everyone in Dallas agrees on is that the city's arts scene has grown exponentially over the years. A younger generation of collectors and dealers is emerging in this city. One of his newer galleries in the city is Pencil on Paper, which was opened by Valerie Gillespie in 2020 just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the gallery's first time exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair, and Gillespie filled its relatively small stand with plenty of work. Works by three female artists with ties to the Dallas area: Abi Salami, Elise Hradecki, and Jessica Forrath.
“Femininity was a big theme, but even more so was the human experience. Almost all the artists I work with are focused on the female experience, the black experience, the human condition, social issues in the world. , we talk about cultural commentary,” says Garespiet. “I realized that I seemed to be drawn to artists who had stories like that.”
Gillespie, who was born and raised in Dallas, says the city's art scene has also grown more inclusive over the years. She said Pencil on Paper is one of four Black-owned galleries currently operating in Dallas, and the work of more Vipoc (Black, Indigenous, people of color) artists is available locally. It is said to be displayed in galleries and facilities.
“Here you can walk into a gallery and feel welcomed, which wasn't necessarily the case when I was a teenager,” says Gillespie. “We are all just sharing the love and slowly thinking is changing.”
- dallas art fairthrough April 7, Fashion Industry Gallery, Dallas
