BATTLE OF THE HOUSTON ART FAIRS Kelly Klaasmeyer scores the 2 rival events planned for this fall, all the while hoping that “a crop of completely unsanctioned peripheral shows and events will erupt and liven things up.”: “What Houston is getting are two temporary art malls. That’s what art fairs are, malls for art. They can be malls with good art or bad art but they are still malls. But, hey, I like shopping. And I’m not so idealistic that I’m going to pretend that art isn’t a commodity. And if they are good malls, then maybe more people will come to us for their art shopping needs. And maybe they will discover Houston artists to collect. Hopefully all the events for VIP collectors, ‘cocktail parties at collectors’ homes, special museum tours, viewings of corporate collections and on-site receptions’ will help the cause as well. But I’m not so gullible that I’m going to believe these are somehow civic events. (And they are by no means free to the public.) Oil is high now and Houston has money. Here come the carpetbagger-fair organizers.” [Glasstire]
Sign up for the Newsletter
“a crop of completely unsanctioned peripheral shows and events will erupt and liven things up.†http://www.greenartsfest.com
livening it up for you. cross collabortive arts, performance, music, visual, sculpture AND food from h-town strEATS.
I think Klaasmeyer meant unsanctioned shows/events/fairs happening simultaneously with the big art fair(s). For example, a group of artists unrepresented by galleries could buy a room at the Hilton and have a totally unofficial hotel room exhibit during one of the fairs.
Or smaller galleries focusing on emerging artists could rent one of the spaces behind the Brown Convention Center or up in the warehouses off McKee to have a simultaneous mini-art fair. (This goes on during ArtBasel Miami–there are several satellite art fairs that run simultaneously.)