CELEBRATED AMERICAN ARTIST CHRISTOPHER MARTIN EXPANDS INTO HOUSTON WITH EPONYMOUS NEW GALLERY DEBUTING JANUARY 22 ALONG UPPER KIRBY DISTRICT’S ACCLAIMED COLQUITT GALLERY ROW
Celebrated painter and gallerist Christopher Martin is no stranger to Houston. Buoyed by a bevy of high-profile local collectors, in 2019, the Aspen-based creative, renowned for his expressive and organic abstract paintings, unveiled a monumental outdoor piece as well as two large-scale indoor pieces at Wells Fargo Plaza, one of Texas’ tallest office towers. For his second major stamp on the Bayou City, where he has had several successful solo shows over the past decade, Martin is preparing to unveil a 2,000-square-foot gallery along the Upper Kirby District’s acclaimed Gallery Row. Heather Winn of Winn Commercial Realty represented Christopher Martin in the lease transaction.
The sophisticated space at 2625 Colquitt Street will preview to the public on Saturday, January 22, from 4 until 8 pm. Joining longtime Christopher Martin Gallery outposts in the Dallas Design District and downtown Aspen, as well as a month-old location in Vail, the venue will serve as an ongoing showcase of Martin’s signature work, along with a noteworthy stable of contemporary artists.
“In addition to being home to a large portion of our private collectors, Houston is a dynamic and scene-setting art community — one that we have wanted to be a more integral part of for some time now,” said Christopher Martin. “When this prime Upper Kirby District Gallery Row space became available last year, we knew we had to jump on it immediately. And we can’t wait to introduce Houstonians to the impactful offerings of our carefully curated roster of artists.”
Kicking off the programming at the new Houston venue — divided into a larger, light-filled front section perfect for displaying paintings and a smaller back area designed for photography — will be an opening exhibit titled “Expanding Horizons.” The experience will juxtapose a selection of Martin’s abstracts with a collection of Western-themed photography by Dallas artist Steve Wrubel. He uses advanced techniques to create kinetic snapshots of horses and bull riders. Iconic images that invite deep introspection and capture the zeitgeist of the American West, Wrubel’s work features backgrounds that have been edited to place his subjects in exaggerated natural landscapes that help to direct attention to the beautiful dance hidden in rodeo’s wild nature.
At the mid-February conclusion of “Expanding Horizons,” the gallery, led by Executive Director Antonio Cortez, Director Ally Ondarza, and Associate Director Abigail Henningsen, will play host to a series of solo shows that will rotate in and out every six weeks. The spotlighted artists for 2022 include Amber Goldhammer, Melissa Herrington, Ian Kimmerly, Monica Perez, and Isabelle Van Zeijl. Mainstay artists at the Houston location include Christopher Martin, Paul Bloch, Kinga Czerska, Ysabel LeMay, Jeff Muhs, David Middlebrook, and Steve Wrubel.
Florida-reared Martin, who established his first studio in Dallas in 1995, is renowned for pieces created through the practice of verre églomisé or gilded glass. The reverse painting process involves Martin painting directly onto the backplane of Lucite. With his paintings created in verso, he must work in reverse, starting first with the foreground before layering upward — the end result achieves a level of depth and luminosity unattainable with traditional canvas alone.
After Dallas, the industrious artist went on to establish branches of his namesake gallery in Aspen (2010 to present), Santa Fe (2015 to 2018), New York City (2018 to 2019), and Vail (2021 to present). Like his current spaces, the Houston location will focus on the works of mid-career artists — abstract painters, photographers, and sculptors — with a minimum of 10 years of experience, dedicated studio practices, and the ability to produce site-specific projects.
Christopher Martin Gallery Houston is open 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.christophermartingallery.com or call 800.757.6035.
