The Dallas Art Fair and the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) just announced the second annual Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program. With a generous fund of $100,000—double the dollars from the previous year, works acquired are by artists Justin Adian, Katherine Bradford, Derek Fordjour, Andrea Galvani, Summer Wheat and Matthew Wong. This annual initiative is designed to enhance the relationship between the DMA, Dallas Art Fair, and its esteemed global lineup of exhibiting galleries and artists. Augmenting the museum’s international presence and partnerships, the Acquisition Program provides the Dallas Museum of Art with the funds to acquire a selection of artwork from among the art dealers for its permanent collection.

“The Dallas Museum of Art is honored to be the recipient of this generous gift for the second year in a row,” stated Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director of the DMA. “The Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program helps the DMA continue to add to the Museum’s acclaimed contemporary art collection and we look forward to sharing these exciting new works with our visitors.”

The founding and returning donors include Tricia and Gil Besing, Linda and David Rogers, Susan and Shawn Bonsell, Gowri and Alex N.K. Sharma, Marlene and John Sughrue, and The Dallas Art Fair Foundation. Among the donors new to 2017 are Cliff Risman, David and Zoe Bonnette, Fraser and Rhonda Marcus, Shannon and Dallas Sonnier, and Anne and Steven Stodghill.

For the second year in a row, Gavin Delahunty, Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Dallas Museum of Art, led the group who selected the artworks. “In what was a exciting afternoon with DMA colleagues and our generous donors, we acquired seven works by six outstanding artists. A sculpture that makes reference to Levelland, a city in North-West Texas; a refined canvas by a 75 year-old abstract painter; an autobiographical work that speaks to a Memphis-born artist’s Ghanaian heritage; a surreal photograph that blurs the boundary between art and science; a large expressive painting that puzzles with its fiber-like surface; and a beautifully rendered offbeat picture by an artist based in Hong Kong. The selection reflects the outstanding quality of work at the fair this year and its increasingly global attitude.”

In 2017, the Dallas Art Fair welcomes nearly 100 exhibitors from over 16 countries which include 30 first-time participants. “We are thrilled to be joining forces with the Dallas Museum of Art once again,” says Dallas Art Fair co-founder John Sughrue, “The growth of this year’s initiative reinforces the dynamism of our partnership, and serves as a testament to the strength of the surging Dallas arts community.”