Sicardi Gallery of Houston inaugurated a year-long celebration of its 20th anniversary last December, announcing a major gift to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston of more than 15 works by gallery artists. The collection, donated by the artists and by friends of the gallery, includes works by Carlos Cruz-Diez, Thomas Glassford, Fabiana Cruz, Liliana Porter, Pablo Siquier, Marco Maggi, Graciela Hasper, Pedro Tyler, Clarissa Tossin, Miguel Angel Ríos, Mariano Dal Verme, Manuel Espinosa, Miguel Angel Rojas, Dias & Riedweg, and Ana Maria Tavares. The gallery was founded in 1994 by María Inés Sicardi, as one of the first galleries in the U.S. to represent artists from South America. At that time, Sicardi was traveling often between Houston and her native city of Buenos Aires, bringing portfolios of works on paper back with her for a Houston clientele. Since then, Sicardi Gallery has grown into a regular presence at Art Basel Miami Beach, The Armory Show, and ArtBO, among other fairs, representing 22 artists from South America and Mexico. In 2001, the gallery became a partnership between María Inés Sicardi, Allison Ayers, and Carlos Bacino and it moved to a larger space, opening with an exhibition of works by Joaquín Torres-García. Almost ten years later, Sicardi, Ayers, and Bacino commissioned the design of its current building, with two exhibition spaces customized for the needs of the artists it represents. Designed by Brave Architecture, the new building opened in 2012 with a solo exhibition of work by Oscar Muñoz. A research center and library expands the influence of the gallery's program, allowing researchers, curators, and clients in the U.S. to access rare materials about Latin American art. Reflecting on the past two decades, Sicardi notes, "I really think that the most important thing about the gallery is our relationship with the artist... Working with the collectors is fascinating and I think that working with institutions—for me, each time that we place a work in a museum, I am so happy… So much has changed in 20 years, yet there's always more that we can do. I would like to see even more awareness of Latin American art… We have wonderful, great artists—important artists, still little known." For more information, please visit
www.sicardigallery.com.