The Dallas Art Fair in year ten is beginning to look like a cross between a regional and a global event. “Our place in the fair circuit has succeeded to a more international level,” says the fair’s director, Kelly Cornell, pointing to exhibitors from Bogota and Cape Town. At the same time, she adds, the fair provides regional galleries “an opportunity to interact with collectors from across the country, and equally important, curators”.
One hundred exhibitors will convene at the Fashion Industry Gallery in the city’s booming arts district. New this year are several New York dealers, such as James Cohan and Rachel Uffner. The latter is set to show fresh work by such painters as Arcmanoro Niles, a 28-year-old artist who produces tangy, orange-hued canvases. Local exhibitors include And Now, Erin Cluely and Conduit.
Kathy Grayson, founder of the New York gallery The Hole, was convinced to join this year after strong recommendations. The Hole’s booth will be designed by the Waco, Texas-born artist Jonathan Chapline and features work not only by him, but also new paintings by Alex Gardner and Eric Shaw, priced between $4,000 and $20,000.
"The fair seems to have a jam-packed group of events from collector visits to museum brunches to artist parties," Grayson says. "I get the sense that with one week in Dallas we will get to meet everyone, and that is super appealing for a gallery."
• Dallas Art Fair, Fashion Industry Gallery, 13-15 April