Today we’d like to introduce you to María Inés Sicardi.
Sicardi Gallery (now in the process of changing the name of Sicardi Ayers Bacino) opened its doors in 1994. It was among the first galleries in the United States to represent avant-garde artists from Latin America. The gallery was founded by María Inés Sicardi. In 2000, it became a partnership among Allison Armstrong Ayers, Carlos Bacino, and María Inés Sicardi.
For twenty years, the gallery has led the growth of an emerging field of collecting. The gallery offers internationally respected expertise in collection building arising from strong relationships with artists, research-driven programming, and collaborations with leading curators and writers.
The gallery curates ten or more exhibitions each year. It also publishes monographic catalogs for its artists and maintains an active art fair presence.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Moving to Houston from my country in 1989 was a big transition and a new start that required a lot of energy. Visiting galleries and viewing artworks gave me comfort and helped ease the adaptation to a new culture. One of the first things I did was to look for South American art in the galleries and the museums in Houston. There wasn’t any.
I had always been interested in art and began bringing South American prints back from Argentina. I was encouraged at the Houston community’s reception to the prints. Finally, I took the plunge and opened the Sicardi Gallery in 1994. Initially the gallery was focused on showing photographs and works of emerging artists. The gallery was located in an office complex. The exhibition space proved too small.
In 1998, I started thinking about how to integrate works of more established masters to compliment and contrast with young artist’s works.
In 2000, I invited Allison Ayers and Carlos Bacino, who were good friends and young collectors, to be partners with the gallery. Together, we relocated to Richmond Avenue in August 2001. The new space provided room to accommodate the visually and spatially demanding works by renowned artists such as Gego, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Jesús Rafel Soto.
The gallery has come a long way since it first opened. Building relationships with artists, curators, galleries, and clients takes a considerable amount of time though it is well worth the effort. Building clientele was a challenge in the beginning as few in Houston were aware of the breadth and diversity of Latin American art. That said, the collector base has increased significantly in the years since the gallery’s opening.
Despite the initial challenges, the gallery has gained a reputation for expertise in Latin American art. In the past few years, the gallery has tripled in size. The staff has grown to seven full time employees and the mission to support 22 international artists continues. Institutions and collectors worldwide continue embrace Latin American art.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sicardi Ayers Bacino story. Tell us more about the business.
We have a roster of artists that includes kinetic masters Carlos Cruz-Diez, Gego, and Jesús Rafael Soto. The gallery has committed to support and promote the careers of the most important historical avant-garde artists to emerge from Latin America.
The gallery also provides a space for critical experimentation and conversation around the intellectually and politically-engaged artistic practices of today. The gallery represents conceptual artists and innovators such as León Ferrari, Gabriel de la Mora, Oscar Muñoz, Liliana Porter, Miguel Angel Ríos, Miguel Angel Rojas, and Melanie Smith, among others. From the beginning, the gallery built its exhibitions and programming around rigorous scholarship and object-based connoisseurship.
The gallery’s current building was designed by Brave Architecture. It is located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, directly across from the Menil Collection. The space boasts an expansive 5,900 square feet, including two floors of exhibition space and a dedicated research center and library. The gallery is a member of the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA), an invitation-only organization that recognizes the highest levels of expertise and professional standards in the art market.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Houston is currently one of the fastest growing cities in America. The city has continually grown in diversity and culture since my arrival. The growth and diversity of this city creates welcoming communities that are open to integrating with various groups of people. There are few barriers. I remember when it was rare to find Latin American art (and art from certain other regions) in galleries and museums 20 years ago. That is no longer the case. I am very lucky that I came to Houston in the midst of this growth, which favored the increasing spread of Latin American art in our community. Houston is a great hub for people in search of great art from most everywhere as well as the other things city has to offer.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1506 W. Alabama Street. Houston, TX 77006
- Website: sicardigallery.com
- Phone: 713.529.1313
- Email: info@sicardi.com
- Instagram: sicardigallery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SicardiGallery/
Sicardi Gallery, Brave Architecture
Image Credit:
Pete Molick
Paul Hester
Shayna Fontana
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