IN 2012, UNTITLED ART shook up the Miami art fair scene with a giant tent in the middle of South Beach and a lively atmosphere. Since then, founder Jeff Lawson and his team have smartly and steadily built this fair into a juggernaut by bucking trends while curating next-level environments that collectors have been eager to revisit. Last year, the brand tackled a much larger metropolitan area with an even more complex and collaborative fair: Untitled Art, Houston. As Untitled Art, Houston enters its second year, director Michael Slenske, updates ArtDesk on the current state of the art market, the fair, and the city itself.
Untitled Art, Miami Beach’s massive tent was so iconic when it came out. Has anything in particular defined Untitled Art, Houston upon its entry into the art fair space?
Well, we can’t put the fair on a beach in Houston, but what made Miami distinctive was never just the tent. Untitled Art has always been a curatorially driven fair, and that philosophy has translated naturally to Houston, which has an extraordinary ecosystem of museums, artist-run spaces, private collections, and patrons who are remarkably collaborative. We wanted Untitled Art, Houston to function less as a stand-alone event and more as a platform that connects those networks, so we’ve prioritized partnerships with more than thirty cultural institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and others. We’ve also established acquisition prizes with UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Public Art of the University of Houston System, Houston Grand Opera, and Hotel Daphne, residency partnerships with PAC Art and Casa Santa Ana, and six days of VIP and public events that extend beyond the convention center.
It’s no secret that the art market has slumped a bit lately, particularly mid-tier sales. Has Untitled Art changed its strategy?
The current market has certainly encouraged everyone to be more thoughtful, but our philosophy hasn’t fundamentally changed: that strong curatorial presentations lead to stronger commercial outcomes. Collectors today are spending more time looking, asking more questions, and making more considered acquisitions. I actually think that’s a positive development because it aligns with what we’ve always tried to do. We’ve remained focused on thoughtful gallery selection and creating opportunities for discovery. That’s especially evident in Houston, where leading international exhibitors are presented alongside established Texas galleries and emerging spaces in our Nest sector. In [market] moments like this, quality, trust, and, dare I say it, a sense of excitement and fun become even more important.
Houston has grown into a major American market, but I’m curious if you’re able to describe its client base yet?
To Houston’s credit, the collecting community is really engaged with the fair. There are certainly collectors
with international profiles, but there’s also a growing generation of emerging collectors and a remarkable culture of philanthropy and institutional involvement. Many collectors here don’t simply acquire art—they serve on museum boards, support artists directly, and play an active role in shaping the region’s cultural life.
As an art fair, galleries are also your clients. What type of gallery is Untitled Art, Houston helping the most?
I don’t think we need to pick favorites. For the past fourteen years, Untitled Art has worked with galleries of every size from around the world. What matters most is a thoughtful, long-term program, whether that’s championing emerging artists or reintroducing overlooked historical figures deserving of a second or third look. In Houston, emerging, mid-sized, and established galleries all share the same platform, and I think that’s one of the fair’s greatest strengths. To me, the best fairs have the vibe of a great nightclub. Whether you’re talking about Studio 54 or Giorgio’s, the mix is everything. You need internationally recognized names alongside hometown heroes. One of the things I’m most excited about is placing galleries from Asia, Europe, and South America opposite leading Texas galleries. It showcases the sophistication of the state’s gallery community while creating new relationships with collectors, curators, and institutions from around the world.
Untitled Art, Houston will take place October 2–4, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. untitledartfairs.com
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.