Talk about wheeling and dealing. A vintage Airstream trailer is now the most contemporary gallery in Fort Worth.
Lottie Mae Lounge, a new 31-foot art space inside a refurbished 1979 Airstream Sovereign, will roll out for the first time at a Fall Gallery Night event, September 12 and 13.
The mobile art gallery is the Airstream dream-come-true of Fort Worth resident Libby Tilley, an avid art collector and Sotheby’s graduate. After working at art institutions around Texas — including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Contemporary Austin, and Artpace San Antonio — she decided to open her own gallery in a fun and funky way.
“I always wanted to have a gallery of my own,” Tilley says in a release. “While doing research with respected friends and colleagues who are gallerists, a common refrain was the uncertain nature of not owning the space itself. With Lottie Mae, I can own and operate the space while exploring my nomadic tendencies.”
The gallery's name honors Tilley's maternal grandmother.
To overhaul the trailer into an art space, she outfitted it with hardwood floors and installed LED gallery lighting, which will showcase works of different scale and media, she says.
Because it's a tight squeeze, during these times of COVID precautions, interior viewing capacity will be limited three people at a time (masks are mandatory). UV light sanitizer and a state-of-the-art ventilation system have also been installed. Portable easels and exhibition tables will be set up for exterior displays.
Tilley intends to take Lottie Mae Lounge to all sorts of art events and venues around the country — design studios, outdoor markets, even private residences — with proceeds from special events going to select charities. It will feature highly collectible work of both emerging and established contemporary artists, she says.
Lottie Mae’s location will be easy to find on the website and via social media, and customers can request viewing appointments or even book the gallery for a private exhibition.
First, though, is Lottie Mae's big debut, which will be 2-9 pm September 12 and 2-5 pm September 13 at Flowers on the Square, 4701 White Settlement Rd., Fort Worth. It's free to attend, but register here. The appearance will coincide with the kickoff of Fall Gallery Week, which is a reimagining of the beloved Fall Gallery Night, presented by Fort Worth Art Dealers Association.
Lottie Mae Lounge will open with an inaugural exhibition featuring works by Nancy Lamb, Sarah Ayala, Vince Veazey, and Ronnie Heart. Subsequent shows will include the art of Katie Pace Halleran, Butch Anthony, Jorge Villareal,Valerie Arber, Rebecca Cohen, Hannah Greenblum/Blonde Omen, and more.
Special commissions by select artists will also be on display. The debut commission, No Man’s Land #2, is a limited-edition print by San Antonio artist Kelly O’Connor, whose work is currently on view at The McNay Museum in San Antonio.
To keep up with Lottie Mae Lounge's art offerings and whereabouts, check out the website.
Fort Worth art aficianado Libby Tilley (with fiance Brooks Hogg) renovated a vintage Airstream trailer into Lottie Mae Lounge mobile art gallery.
