Dallas Destiny Tied to Cultural Growth
Sughrue touts rise of ‘important international city’
The 17th annual Dallas Art Fair brought 93 international exhibitors to the Fashion Industry Gallery in the Arts District and a bold assessment from founder John Sughrue.
The Preston Hollow resident dubbed it an enthusiastic triumph of attendance, sales, and optimism.
“We sold a lot of art, and that’s the hallmark of the Dallas Art Fair,” said Sughrue, who also is CEO of Brook Partners. “We have an incredible collector base that’s getting stronger, wider, deeper, more diverse. In many ways it’s the story of the city in the last 20 years.”
The glitzy April 10 VIP Preview hosted by the Dallas Art Fair Foundation benefited the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Dallas Contemporary. The foundation’s acquisition program added seven works by six artists from this year’s fair to the DMA’s permanent collection.
“We’re involved in a process of becoming an important international city, and I think that’s about culture,” Sughrue said. “It’s always been a commercial juggernaut here, and at this point in time we support culture at a rarified level. I see that continuing. Some of these other cities — New York, Chicago, L.A. — they’re in the process of some level of civic suicide.”
Sughrue chuckles now about DAF’s simple beginnings as a desire of his.
“I wanted to go to an art fair,” he recalled. “I found myself in Dallas redeveloping 1807 Ross, where the Art Fair now takes place, and through a friendship with Chris Byrne, who was a gallerist and art consultant based here, we were naïve enough to try to have an art fair.”
Over the intervening 17 years, the initial 30 dealers have increased to more than 90, and the fair has grown from its second-floor perch to encompass the entire Fashion Industry Gallery.
“Personally, I love walking around with the DMA curators,” he said of the foundation’s acquisition work. “Over nine years, we’ve probably acquired 60 or 70 pieces. It has added significantly to their permanent collection.”
And drawn the attention of dealers.
“I just see the fair getting stronger in terms of quality of dealers, quality of art that they’re bringing,” Sughrue said. “The dealers bring their best work because they want it acquired by the DMA.”
Top international dealers such as Kerlin of Dublin, Perrotin of Paris & Hong Kong, Blouin of Montreal all celebrated 10 years with the fair this year. Also this year, dealers from Australia and South Africa were added to the roster, which only highlights how well-known the DAF is internationally now.
“We have dealers, collectors, and museum professionals who travel to Dallas from six continents,” Sughrue said, noting how after COVID, Dallas didn’t hold a “full-fledged art fair” until 2023. “We’re hitting our stride again.”
