When Dallas-based art dealer James Cope launched the Dallas Invitational four years ago, he was driven by a simple yet ambitious goal: to create a convivial gathering space for a tight-knit group of galleries, entirely separate from the massive convention centers and sprawling tents that define the contemporary art fair circuit. Having spent years navigating the traditional fair model as a participating gallerist, Cope envisioned something far more intimate, collaborative, and sustainable.
“What I’m trying to build with the Invitational is a group of like-minded people coming together to spend a few days together,” Cope explained during a summer phone interview with ARTnews.
Rather than relying on a conventional, bureaucratic application process, Cope prioritizes genuine interpersonal relationships. His focus centers on “getting to know each other, getting to know your gallery—what similarities there are between other galleries, and trying to bring a group of galleries together that feel connected.”
Now, that vision is crossing the Atlantic. Next month, the conceptual framework behind the Dallas event will expand to the United Kingdom as the inaugural London Invitational opens its doors during Frieze Week. For Cope, who remains primarily a commercial gallerist, the international expansion represents an unexpected milestone in his career.
“I’m primarily a gallerist, so I never thought I would be an art fair owner or organizer,” he said. “Then, to take it to London, I didn’t really have any expectations of that when I started.”
A Curated Approach to International Exhibiting
For its debut London edition, the fair will bring together a selective group of 12 exhibitors, encompassing a careful balance of midsize and emerging galleries. The roster heavily features American talent, with 10 galleries traveling from the United States—including prominent names such as François Ghebaly, Lomex, Marinaro, and Bel Ami. They will be joined by two London-based galleries, including Vardaxoglou, a rising star of the British capital’s contemporary art scene. Founded in 2020, Vardaxoglou notably staged the first-ever solo exhibition for Tanoa Sasraku, who is currently nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize.
The economic reality of the art market heavily informs the fair’s underlying philosophy. In an era where participating in major global art fairs often requires exorbitant financial commitments, Cope has designed his initiative to be financially sustainable for participants at various stages of their development.
“The philosophy is to make it accessible for younger galleries and also established galleries to go to a city and do business, because at the end of the day, we’re there to do business,” Cope noted. “How can we do that in a way that doesn’t make us go bankrupt?”
From a Hotel Room Experiment to a Global Partnership
When Cope first conceived of the event, he anticipated it would be a modest, one-off gathering lasting just a couple of days with a handful of colleagues inside a Dallas hotel room. However, following the success of that initial experiment, other gallerists began reaching out to inquire about booth applications, only to discover that the event remains staunchly invite-only, staying true to its name.
The project quickly outgrew its modest origins. By 2025, the Dallas Invitational relocated to the Mansion on Turtle Creek, an esteemed property operated by the Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. During its first year at the new location, the boutique fair accommodated 15 galleries. This past April, the event expanded further by incorporating a second floor into the venue layout, successfully growing its footprint to host 22 exhibitors.
The operational success and distinctive atmosphere of these past two editions caught the attention of Rosewood leadership. Hotel executives reached out to explore the possibility of bringing the invite-only fair to their newest flagship property: the Chancery Rosewood in London’s upscale Mayfair district. The hotel officially opened last September following a major architectural transformation of the former United States Embassy on Grosvenor Square, led by renowned architect David Chipperfield.
“They want to be very engaged in the art,” Cope said, recalling how Rosewood executives invited him to London during last year’s edition of Frieze. “We did a tour of the hotel, and they said, ‘Look, we would love for you to do a London Invitational to coincide with Frieze.’”
Fostering Community and Hospitality
A cornerstone of Cope’s Invitational fairs is a deep commitment to hospitality, ensuring that visiting gallerists feel genuinely supported and integrated into the local cultural ecosystem during their stay. In Dallas, this approach has routinely included organized welcome dinners, private tours of prominent collectors’ residences, and curated introductions to local collectors, curators, and patrons.
“We really tried to host the galleries when they come to Dallas,” Cope said. “I want to treat the galleries like how I feel I want to be treated if I’m going to a fair. I want to create the environment where new connections are happening, business is being done, and we’re enjoying what we’re doing as gallerists.”
Replicating that high-touch, intimate approach in a major international hub like London required expanding Cope’s operational team. To ensure a seamless transition abroad, he brought on two trusted friends and industry veterans to serve as consultants: Jessica Nowitzki and Melissa Ireland.
Cope and Nowitzki initially crossed paths while working together at the Dallas-based Goss-Michael Foundation. Today, Nowitzki maintains a prominent role in the art and philanthropic communities, serving as an art adviser, president of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, and a trustee of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town, South Africa. Ireland brings extensive organizational expertise to the team as the former director of Two x Two for AIDS and Art, a high-profile annual art auction held in Dallas.
A Timely Alternative in an Uncertain Market
The international expansion of Cope’s Invitational series arrives at a pivotal moment for the global art trade. Over the past couple of years, numerous galleries across the United States and international markets have been forced to shutter their physical locations. Many dealers have pointed to an increasingly unpredictable art market and the escalating costs of daily operations—exacerbated by the ballooning expenses required to secure booths at the world’s mega-fairs—as primary catalysts for their closure.
Cope views his decentralized, boutique model as a much-needed, health-conscious intervention in a strained industry ecosystem, offering smaller galleries a viable pathway to conduct international business without facing prohibitive overhead.
“This model of a smaller boutique fair that is manageable in scale and costs kept down has brought a lot of interest from both galleries and collectors and advisers,” Cope concluded. “It seems like now is the time to be doing something like this.”
The complete roster of galleries participating in the inaugural London Invitational features a diverse mix of American and British spaces, including the Andrew Reed Gallery from Miami; Bel Ami from Los Angeles; Broadway from New York; Charles Asprey from London; EUROPA from New York; François Ghebaly, with locations in Los Angeles and New York; the James Cope Gallery from Dallas; James Kelly Contemporary, operating in Dallas and Los Angeles; LOMEX from New York and Las Vegas; Marinaro from New York; franklin parrasch gallery from New York; and Vardaxoglou from London.
