The second edition of Untitled Art, Houston is under way at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where 98 galleries are exhibiting through 4 October. The figure marks an 11% increase on the inaugural edition's 88 exhibitors, and roughly a fifth of this year's galleries are based in Texas, with Houston dealers especially well represented. Returning local names include Inman, McClain, Moody and Sicardi Ayers Bacino, alongside younger spaces such as Laura (the gallery) and Seven Sisters from Houston and Martha's from Austin. Notably, none of last year's five Dallas-based exhibitors returned this year. Early sales during the VIP preview on 1 October suggested steady demand for artists with Texas roots. Moody Gallery sold Mary McCleary's Earth Felt the Wound for $80,000, while McClain Gallery placed Dorothy Hood's Tixo in the Morning for $95,000 with a new local collector. Los Angeles's Night Gallery reported multiple sales of works by Houston-based Tomashi Jackson priced between $80,000 and $100,000, and Richard Saltoun sold paintings by Bea Scaccia in the $15,000 to $40,000 range to new and international buyers. Megan Mulrooney and Feia, both from Los Angeles, reportedly sold out their stands. Fair director Michael Slenske and local advisers credit Houston's appeal to artists to its affordable studios, strong institutional landscape and active donor base. A revamped floor plan improved visitor flow this year, and the programme leans into the city's DIY character, including an artists' market section of smaller, accessibly priced works. Dallas gallery Nature of Things brought a two-artist stand pairing Houston-raised painter Cody Ledvina with photographer Harrod Blank, whose photographs document Houston's Art Car Parade, with nothing priced above $4,000. For Houston adviser Katharine B. Barthelme, the fair has managed to get people excited about an art fair in a city she says can be sceptical of them, pointing to the genuine energy on preview day. With programming that references the city's lack of zoning, its energy-sector wealth and its long folk-art history, the fair is betting that Houston's mix of space, money and independence can sustain a recurring international showcase.