The Best of Houston's Art Scene, Major Openings in Chelsea, & More

The Texas art scene is on the rise, with a growing population of wealthy collectors hungry for new art and dynamic curators and dealers bringing the best of contemporary work to the state, and its heart resides in Houston.

There, the Menil Collection, established in the 1950s by John and Dominique de Menil, has set one of the country's highest standards for a private museum, replete with the magnificent postwar work they amassed and housing the spectacular offsite Cy Twombly gallery and Rothko Chapel, both art destinations in their own rights. Meanwhile the Contemporary Art Museum Houston and the Blaffer Art Museum produce exceptional, highly relevent shows of the vanguard of recent art, while Rick Lowe's Project Row Houses—a non-profit in the city's Third Ward that converted shacks that used to house black maids during the days of segregation into artist spaces and housing for single mothers—provides a inspiring example of social practice that has influenced artists like Theaster Gates.

So, last week we went down there and saw a lot of art, including the artist Anton Ginzburg's exceptional U.S. museum debut at the Blaffer museum. Then, in New York, we stopped by new shows at the Kitchen, Petzel (which had a champagne toast for new work by the megastar Wade Guyton), Paula Cooper, Metro Pictures, Cheim & Read, and many other venues. 

To see photos from the week's art opening, events, and exhibitions, click through the slide show above.