Untitled Art has announced a set of new prizes for its second art fair in Houston, to take place Friday, October 2, through Sunday, October 4, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
A view of the Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino display at Untitled Art, Houston in 2025. Image courtesy of Jacqueline Andrade / CKA Associates
The new prizes for artists and galleries are established in partnership with Houston institutions, including the Houston Grand Opera, Public Art of the University of Houston System, the University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Hotel Daphne. According to a press release, the partnerships represent the New York City-based Untitled Art organization’s commitment to engagement with the cities that host their art fairs. Untitled Art opened its first art fair in Miami in 2014 and expanded to Houston in 2025.
Michael Slenske, Director of Untitled Art, Houston, said, “The evolution of our prize partnership program reflects a broader commitment to artists that doesn’t end when the fair closes. These partnerships create tangible pathways, whether through acquisition, institutional support, or residency opportunities, for artists to deepen their practices and engage new audiences. The city of Houston offers a uniquely expansive context for that dialogue, and this year’s collaborators embody the kind of forward-thinking engagement that defines the city’s cultural trajectory.”
The Hotel Daphne Acquisition Prize will devote an amount from $30,000 to $50,000 to purchase one to three artworks from galleries exhibiting at the fair for display in the hotel, located in the Houston Heights neighborhood. Hotel Daphne is home to the Cat Spring Collection of Bob and Nora Ackerley, featuring contemporary artworks by Texas artists, including Dorothy Hood, Toni LaSelle, Alexandra Valenti, Matt Kleberg, Vernon Fisher, Howard Sherman, and a John Alexander painting acquired from the 2025 Untitled Art, Houston fair.
The UT MD Anderson’s Art Experience Program will also partner on an acquisition prize, purchasing one or more artworks from the fair with a minimum amount of $20,000. According to the Houston hospital’s website, the program is designed to promote healing and reflection through the intersection of contemporary art and healthcare. An example in the hospital’s collection is Carried on the Breeze by Houston artist Shane Allbritton, a suspended sculptural installation made with the artist’s mother, in honor of a recent cancer diagnosis.
The Public Art of the University of Houston System Acquisition Prize will award $25,000 for an artwork selected to join the organization’s longstanding collection of 800 artworks. Among Texas artists in the collection are John Biggers, Adriana Corral, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Rick Lowe, Margo Sawyer, and James Surls.
The Houston Grand Opera (HGO) Artist Prize will award a commission of between $7,500 to $10,000 to an artist selected from among Untitled Art, Houston exhibitors. The commission will include a three-day residency during the opera’s rehearsals in December 2026 and January 2027. Among the HGO’s performances scheduled for early 2027 are Verdi’s Aida and Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
Barbara Davis, Paola Creixell, Teresa Serrano, Director of Untitled Art Houston Michael Slenske, and Executive Director of Untitled Art Clara Andrade at Untitled Art, Houston 2025. Courtesy of Untitled Art. Photo: Casey Kelbaugh / CKA
Two artist residency-based prizes will return from the fair’s inaugural edition in 2025. The PAC Art Residency Prize, first awarded to Teresa Serrano of the Barbara Davis Gallery in Houston, will offer a $2,000 stipend and airfare for a four-week residency at PAC Art’s new facility in the Montrose neighborhood. The first Casa Santa Ana Residency Prize went to Brooklyn artist Ana Villagomez of the Nino Mier Gallery based in Brussels, Belgium, and New York City. The prize invites an artist to the Casa Santa Ana facility in Panama City, Panama, awarding a $1,200 stipend and $5,000 in materials support for a six-week residency that culminates in an exhibition.
Visit the Untitled Art, Houston website for updates on the upcoming edition of the fair.