September 30, 2022
The Inaugural Artexpo Dallas Marshalls the Art World in Texas
Collectors and avid art enthusiasts alike converge at the Dallas Market Hall for three days of world class art and design.
The first annual Artexpo Dallas opened its doors in partnership with WestEdge Design Fair, to present three days of world class art and design at the Dallas Market Hall, Sept. 16—18. The very best of local, national, and international galleries, artists and design aficionados showcased the latest trends that are shaping the industry, enjoyed by general art and design enthusiasts, together with an eclectic mix from Dallas’ creative community.
As a prelude to Dallas Design Week, Artexpo Dallas hosted more than 100 exhibiting galleries, art publishers and dealers, and artists from around the world, across 50,000 square feet of uninterrupted convention space within the Dallas Market Hall—showcasing progressive works by more than 300 artists. Original prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, giclee, lithographs and glass works, among other contemporary and fine art were on display, during three days of interactive and immersive exploration.
The new fair offered a compelling series of industry-focused conversations and exhibits, with a chance to meet some of today’s most successful talent from the art world. This year’s program featured an extensive series of daily activities for attendees, that included the Spotlight Program, a focused look at several cutting-edge galleries and artists chosen by the Redwood Art Group selection committee; Art Labs, two outstanding projects by leading galleries within the fair, and Meet The Artists and Live Demonstrations, presenting an interactive experience—allowing attendees to get up-close-and-personal with the artists.
[SOLO] offered established and emerging independent artists the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage, as the ultimate venue for independent artists to be discovered by gallery owners and art publishers, as well as by collectors and enthusiasts in attendance. The VIP/Media Preview and subsequent Opening Night Party took place on Friday, September 16, and was attended by a who’s who of Dallas’ art world and high society, who all enjoyed beats by DJ Michael Teixeira, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and Pommery Champagne. The fair continued for the public and trade over the weekend and throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
“Our first edition of Artexpo Dallas had a great response from the Dallas community,” says Eric Smith, president of Redwood Art Group. “The success of Artexpo Dallas and WestEdge Design Fair was largely attributed to the demand and attendance by the local arts community, who were craving for an event that would establish a broad appeal to all exhibitors, artists, and attendees alike, and not just the top ten percent. The positive feedback we’ve received proves how large of an appetite there is for a mainstream fair in this very prestigious market. I’d like to thank all of our partners, sponsors and patrons for helping to make our debut fair such a resounding success. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.”
The Spotlight Program provided collectors with a focused look at several galleries and prominent artists who created a site-specific exhibition. Spotlight Program recipients for 2022 included:
End to End Gallery
Ephraim Urevbu, Urevbu Collection
Leticia Herrera, Leta Herrera Art
Patrick Jones Gallery
Rodney Asikhia Gallery
This year’s Art Labs featured two outstanding projects by exhibiting galleries and included “Unifying Our World, Protecting Our Oceans” by Art Gallery Pure and “Reinventing Textile Art” by Contemporary Art Projects USA.
Artists and galleries were presented special honors as recipients of this year’s Artexpo Dallas Awards. This year’s proud winners were the following:
DIRECTORS’ AWARD: Bob Snider Art, Markowitz Fine Art Gallery, Diego Victoria Fine Art
BEST BOOTH DESIGN: Renssen Art Gallery and Contemporary Art Projects USA
BEST SCULPTURE: Chandler Box – Saddle Road Contemporary
BEST NEW EXHIBITOR: Aveilla Design and Emily DeSantis Art
BEST INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITOR: Peruvian Photo Artists and Velib Fine Art
BEST [SOLO] EXHIBIT: Brooke Johnson | Resin Flows and Macqueen
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Ken Orton Gallery and End to End Gallery
Artexpo Dallas is the sister fair to the renowned Artexpo New York, known as the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers, that celebrated its 45th Anniversary in April this year. The second annual Artexpo Dallas will return to the Dallas Market Hall in October 2023. For further information on Artexpo Dallas, visit here. For further information on Redwood Art Group, visit here.