Yes, the ‘burbs of North Texas are bubbling with artists. Beneath the calm exterior of well-manicured lawns lies a vast unchanneled source of creative energy waiting to overflow to the surface.

Since, mid-2007 we’ve been searching for and finding many very talented local artists. Within a radius of about 25 miles we’ve found: nationally recognized abstract impressionists; acclaimed potters and ceramic artists in all shapes and colors (the work, not the artists!); regionally known wood turners and abstract wood carvers; glass blowers; concrete stain muralists; sculptors working with stainless steel, bronze, copper and slate; contemporary quilt makers; talented portrait artists from senior high schools; famed jewelry artists, and the list goes on.

Before starting this mad adventure, I would never have believed that so many talented, creative people lived here in the suburbs. We are not, and will never be, a bohemian and edgy artistic hotbed like East Village and Soho (artists) and Chelsea (galleries) in Manhattan, or Shoreditch in London. However, our quiet suburban landscape is much more seething in artistic expression and desire than we could have hoped.

In addition to Warhol’s print of Mao in my post about Art Basel | Miami Beach, I came across lots of other wonderful faces during my brief tour. I think it’s all in the eyes. A smattering below:

Picasso

Léger

Warhol

Evan Penny (luckily, and unlike the others, he’s still very much alive!)

Where else in the United States could you find original Picassos, Warhols and Basquiats alongside thousands of works by emerging artists exhibited in shipping containers? Art Basel | Miami Beach, of course.

Now in its sixth year, Art Basel | Miami Beach is a 4 day long visual adventure through a vast and unprecedented collection of contemporary and modern art. In fact, the Miami Beach Convention Center is the anchor for a huge feast of art fairs, art expos and art exhibits that envelop the entire city. The catalog of galleries in the Convention Center alone, showcasing works from over 2,000 artists, is a 750 page tome comparable to a New York telephone directory!

Like most of the other attendees this year, I was there to soak in the amazing collections of art, not to buy. Unfortunately, for me, but not the artists, the prices for most art on display were well into five and six figures.

But all is not lost. Art Basel has opened up the world of contemporary art to art lovers (and buyers) beyond the previously impenetrable, sometimes elitist gallery scenes of New York, and London. and other cosmopolitan cities. As I strolled the exhibit halls, awestruck by much of the art, I could not help but be very encouraged by the record number of people doing the same – parents ambling with their kids in strollers, professionals, retirees, power couples, teenagers, groups of women, collectors from Asia and Europe.

So while Art Basel can be overwhelming, this annual event has started to crack open the doors of the contemporary art world, and the many talented artists, to the general public. Kudos Art Basel!

We’re still negotiating the retail lease with the landlord. To be precise, we haven’t even reached the actual lease, but are negotiating terms of the Letter of Intent (LOI). Seems like we began this process so long ago that the city of Keller, Texas, was but a two hut settlement on the railroad line.

To be fair, the landlord – Southern Land Company – and its representative, UCR, have been very open and balanced during the process.