The second annual Houston Fine Art Fair, featuring works from galleries from across the United States, Latin America and Europe, is underway this weekend at Houston’s Reliant Center.  

“We have 3,000 works of art, 500 artists, 80 galleries from 12 countries here,” said Rick Friedman, executive director and founder of the Houston Fine Arts Fair, who introduced Marshal Lightman, board member and past chair of the Houston Arts Alliance. Listen

“Last year we had about 10,000 people come in and this year we are expecting close to 15,000,” Lightman said.  “The Houston Arts Alliance receives a portion of the hotel occupancy tax so when they fill up those hotels we are able to give out grants for the visual, performing and literary arts.”

One of the most popular booths at the fair is curated by Cheech Marin, an actor, director and performer.  Listen

“I collect Chicano art, exclusively, and I am here with a booth introducing some new Chicano artists, mostly from Texas,” Marin said, adding that he also would be giving a lecture at the art fair.

Hiram Butler, owner of Houston's Hiram Bultler Gallery, was hosting a double booth at the fair. Listen

“The big installation is by Joseph Havel, who is probably the most prominent artist in Houston,” Butler said, describing Havel’s wall-sized work comprised of 30,000 shirt tags that are printed with “Hope” on the tags.  “And over here we have five prints that give a kind of history of American art in the ‘60s,” pointing out works by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.

Bill Goldston of Universal Limited Art Editions talked to Guidry News Service about his display of fine art prints. Listen

“This is an exhibition that we put together for the Houston Fine Art Fair this year,” he said.  “The major part of the works have been published within the last year and a half and we’ve included a couple of older pieces just because they match what some of the contemporaries are doing.”

Inna Suvorov of Art Variant Projects said her organization specializes in providing a platform for new or emerging artists, especially the ones who are “not represented” or do not have a sales history.  Listen

“I think that it is very important to give young artists an opportunity to show, market and ultimately sell their work,” she said.  “We’re interested in both U.S. artists and also international as well.”