Art Dirt: Is Texas an International Art Destination?

by Glasstire September 29, 2019

photo by Wei Hong

In this Art Dirt podcast, Brandon Zech and Christina Rees talk about why Texas’ art scenes are underestimated outside of Texas, and how we might fix that.

“I feel like Houston, more than any other city in Texas, is starting to turn a corner in terms of how it is regarded outside of Texas.” 

To play the podcast, click on the orange play button below. You can also listen to it here. You can also find Glasstire on Apple Podcasts.

Related Reading:
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DiverseWorks’ New Project Reaches Out to Alief Community
Where is Our Made in LA?
The Problems and Rewards of Houston’s Silos
Art Dirt: The Texas Biennial, Guggenheim Self-Censoring, Hugh Hefner
An Open Letter to the Other 49 States
A Vision for a New Houston Museum / Una visión de un nuevo museo para Houston

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Robert Boyd September 30, 2019 - 11:08

I thought this conversation was confusing. I think we can all agree that Texas artists produce good art, but what does being an “international art destination’ mean? Miami is one only because big art fairs are there, where wealthy people go to see and be seen. Texas has nothing like that and it is a pipe-dream to imagine that Houston or Dallas will ever be such a place. No one wants to travel to Houston. Being seen in Houston will never have the cache of being seen in Miami. Dallas is maybe less undesirable as a destination than Houston. Austin could step up (the world thinks Austin is cool), but it doesn’t have the artistic draws (at least not visual arts). I can’t see Houston or Dallas being on the circuit of places one goes to for art. Sure, we might have a few artists known nationally or internationally (Trenton Doyle Hancock is made to carry 100% of this burden in your conversation), but his gallery in in New York City and his current big show is at Mass MoCA. Where are you going to see his work in Houston?

And it seems that to be an art destination as a small town, you have to be like North Adams, Massachusetts, or Marfa or Beacon, New York and host a large institution like Mass MoCA, Chinati or Dia. I would love to see some eccentric, wealthy rancher establish her own Storm King in rural Texas somewhere. That could end up being a draw to the international art set.

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