This radiant fall, the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston will host the inaugural Texas edition of Untitled Art, running September 19 through 21, with a VIP and Press Preview on September 18. The milestone marks a bold development for the fair—founded in Miami over a decade ago by Jeffrey Lawson—and sets the stage for a robust conversation between Houston’s thriving cultural scene and international contemporary practice.
Led by Los Angeles–based curator and writer Michael Slenske, the Houston chapter promises to bring Untitled Art’s ethos of experimentation and accessibility to one of the most diverse and rapidly-flourishing cities in the country. Slenske, long attuned to Houston’s cultural depth, sees the city as fertile ground for an amplification of this magnitude.
“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.
“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 this September.”
A Mosaic of Exhibitors on View in Houston
Fishman, “Pleasure, Liberation, Clarity, Choice, Ease, Self-Determination,” 2024, photo by Timothy Johnson; Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman.
The first edition will host an ambitious roster of participants, weaving together established international galleries with Houston’s own stalwarts. Names like Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, Inman Gallery, and Barbara Davis Gallery stand alongside New York’s Half Gallery, San Francisco’s Jessica Silverman, and Lima’s Revolver Galería. Institutions and newcomers alike will share the floor, reflecting a cross-generational conversation about where contemporary practice stands today.
“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,”
Michael Slenske
Equally significant is the expansion of Nest, Untitled Art’s subsidized section designed to lower barriers for emerging voices. In Houston, Nest welcomes experimental spaces like Seven Sisters, Laura (the gallery), and F, alongside international participants including CONSTITUCIÓN from Buenos Aires and Alice Amati from London. The result is a landscape where discovery and reinvention feel not only possible but inevitable.
Thoughtful Design and Partnerships at Untitled Art
Image Courtesy of Public Content and Untitled Art.
In keeping with its reputation for reenvisioning the art fair format, Untitled Art has partnered with the Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to conceive a floor plan that is both functional and inspiring. The collaboration builds upon Untitled’s Miami Beach heritage of presenting art in environments that challenge traditional expectations of display.
Houston’s edition will also be animated by partnerships with major institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Menil Collection, Asia Society Texas, and the Rothko Chapel. A percentage of ticket sales will support the Chapel, underscoring the fair’s devotion to community investment and cultural stewardship.
Programs that Spark Vital Dialogue
SICARDI NOVO, 2022, Solid Void Installation, View by Tom Dubrock.
The inaugural edition offers a slate of projects that go beyond the booth, designed to capture Houston’s particular spirit while engaging with global issues.
“Texas – and Houston specifically with its vast resources, great cultural wealth and standing as a gateway to Latin America – offers a myriad of opportunities to a growing brand like Untitled Art,” said Lawson. “Since its inception, we have worked diligently to create a premium platform that is engaging, experimental and welcoming to all, a combination we think will resonate well in this market.”
Rick Lowe Studio will spotlight five emerging Houston-based creatives in Prologue (2025), embracing voices on the cusp of new directions. Mel Chin’s Pool of Light transforms discarded office chairs into a large-scale chandelier, elevating narratives of overlooked labor. Isabelle Brourman presents an expansive body of work probing the media performance of recent U.S. trials, while El Franco Lee II unveils a poignant homage to his father, illuminating Black legacy in the multifaceted city of Houston.
A milestone performance will unfold beneath the city itself, in Buffalo Bayou’s historic Cistern. There, Light and Space pioneer Lita Albuquerque, joined by her daughter Jasmine, will stage a site-specific work that merges choreography, light, and myth in one of Houston’s most resonant spaces.
Prizes and New Platforms in 2025
Image Courtesy of HIWI.
To further champion innovation, Untitled Art, Houston launches four new prizes, including a commission in partnership with CAMH, a residency in Panama City with Casa Santa Ana, a Galveston retreat with Hotel Lucine, and a Houston-based residency with PAC Art. These initiatives extend the fair’s reach well beyond its three-day run, providing material support and international visibility for artists at pivotal moments in their careers.
“Since its inception, we have worked diligently to create a premium platform that is engaging, experimental and welcoming to all,”
Jeffrey Lawson
Another fresh initiative, the Houston Artist Market, curated by Adam Marnie of F, brings a retail-style presentation for local collectives, reinforcing the fair’s desire to foster accessibility and participation across the Bayou City’s grassroots art communities.
Conversations at the Forefront of Untitled Art
Buffalo Bayou Park Regatta Police Memorial, Courtesy Houston First Corporation.
The return of the Untitled Art Podcast ensures dialogue remains central. This year’s on-site conversations will gather voices from Houston and beyond—artists, curators, collectors, musicians, and even chefs—to explore themes such as sustainability, diasporic identity, and the changing landscape of artist-run spaces. Participants range from CAMH’s Co-Director Ryan Dennis to Grammy-nominated Houston icon Bun B, reflecting the city’s wide creative reach.
Untitled Art, Miami Beach 2024, Courtesy World Red Eye.
