Houston, Texas, already the heavyweight champion of the state’s art scene, is about to get an even bigger boost. L.A.-based curator Michael Slenske has been tapped as director of the first-ever edition of Untitled Art in Houston, as announced today (Nov. 21). Conceived as a boutique, invitation-only art fair designed to spotlight Houston’s cultural muscle, the inaugural event is set to take place from September 19-21, 2025 (with a VIP and press preview on September 18) at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Founded by collector and entrepreneur Jeffrey Lawson, the new Texas fair emerges from years of conversations with Houston’s art insiders and local government to create an event that fits seamlessly into the city’s existing cultural fabric. In a conversation with Observer, Slenske revealed that a lot of the city’s major players are already on the fair’s host committee, helping Untitled Art navigate Houston’s vibrant art scene. “There’s tons of culture,” he said, “and all of their museums have key expansion plans, like the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), the Orange Show for Visionary Art, LMAAHH’s Latino cultural complex and the Ismaili Center, which are on the horizon.”
In 2022 alone, Houston’s arts-related spending hit a staggering $1.3 billion, creating 20,000 jobs and generating $32 million in revenue for local governments. The city boasts renowned institutions but also has a thriving gallery ecosystem and an artist community that’s increasingly drawing national and international attention. Big-name artists like Theaster Gates, Tacita Dean, Thomas Demand and Do Ho Suh have recently exhibited in Houston, further bolstering its reputation as an arts hub. “There’s a lot of great artists working there and coming there to work,” Slenske pointed out. “And if there are artists, galleries are going there, too.”
Indeed, the city’s gallery scene is thriving, as evidenced by this year’s “Spotlight On…” at ADAA The Art Show, which focused on the city’s art ecosystem. ADAA showcased veteran Houston art galleries and emerging spaces like Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino and Josh Pazda Hiram Butler while hosting panels with local artists, curators and cultural leaders. Figures like John Guess Jr., CEO of the Houston Museum of African American Culture, and Hesse McGraw, executive director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, participated in these discussions.
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This isn’t a case of a fair coming to a city and looking to remake it, Slenske emphasized. “There’s a historical framework of an art system there, but there are also new groups, and the young collectors’ groups at the Menil and MFAH are very active.” The region’s total collector base is also broad and diverse, spanning Houston and Texas as a whole. “I like to say an art fair is like an engine,” he quipped. “You know, you put in combustible material, and you get energy out on the back end.”
Lawson, Slenske and Untitled Art executive director Clara Andrade have already confirmed a strong exhibitor lineup for the September art fair, including Jessica Silverman Gallery (San Francisco), Various Small Fires (Los Angeles, Seoul, and Dallas), Half Gallery (New York and Los Angeles) and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles. Texas-based galleries like 12.26 (Dallas), Seven Sisters (Houston) and Martha’s (Austin) will also participate, as will emerging names like Megan Mulrooney (Los Angeles). The ‘Nest’ sector will highlight these younger spaces, with the full list of exhibitors expected in spring 2025.
The fair also has an impressive host committee, including Texas-based philanthropists and collectors such as Jereann Chaney, Suzanne Deal Booth, Judy Nyquist, Melanie Lawson and John Guess Jr., alongside cultural advisors like Katharine Barthelme, Adam Green and Lea Weingarten. Regional artists like Vincent Valdez and Paul Kremer and now New York-based Mary Ellen Carroll and Francesca Fuchs, will add further credibility, and Untitled Art Houston is primed to bring fresh energy to a city already bursting with creativity.
