Each October, the Chateau Show takes over the historic Aldredge House on Swiss Avenue in Dallas, a Gilded Age home built in 1915-17. Founded by artists Joel Murray and Clint Bargers, the four-year-old exhibition invites a select crowd of curators, museum directors, and art world insiders to view envelope-pushing works by emerging, mid-career, and established artists. This year’s edition features 21 participants, including Alicia Eggert, Luke Harnden, Virginia L. Montgomery, and Arthur Peña, with installations ranging from site-specific pieces to more commercial works. The show is free and open by appointment from Oct. 19-25.
The Chateau Show matters because it offers a rare model of artistic independence and community support: the curators take no commission, allowing 100% of proceeds to go directly to the artists. By juxtaposing contemporary art with the classical interiors of the Aldredge House, the exhibition creates a unique dialogue between past and present, while remaining deliberately under the radar yet highly anticipated. It exemplifies how artist-run initiatives can foster local talent and provide a platform for experimental work outside traditional gallery structures.