Kelly Cornell, Director at Dallas Art Fair + The Aspen Art Fair

Cost: Free
Hosted by: East Dallas Arts District
Where: Art on Main 4428 Main Street, Suite 200, Dallas
When: Saturday, September 19 | noon-1pm

BIO
Kelly Cornell has been a prominent figure in the art fair landscape since 2016, when she took on the role of Director of the Dallas Art Fair. A native of Dallas, Cornell has leveraged her deep understanding of the local community to position the fair as a significant annual event, noted for its resilience through various economic fluctuations. Under her guidance, the Dallas Art Fair launched in 2009 amidst the Great Recession, and has continued to thrive by focusing on the city's established collector base and its capacity to remain somewhat insulated from broader economic shifts.

Cornell's leadership extends beyond general fair management to encompass strategic partnerships and programming. She has overseen the Dallas Museum of Art's annual acquisition program through the fair, facilitating the inclusion of contemporary works into the museum's permanent collection. Her approach emphasizes direct engagement and the cultivation of long-term relationships between galleries, collectors, and institutional leaders, fostering an environment where significant art transactions can occur at a considered pace.

In February 2026, Cornell's influence expanded with her appointment as Director of the Aspen Art Fair, a role she maintains concurrently with her directorship of the Dallas Art Fair. She views this dual role as strategic, noting the shared characteristics between the two regions, particularly their strong communities and engaged collector bases. In this expanded capacity, Cornell aims to enhance the Aspen Art Fair's curatorial vision, expand its global reach, and deepen its relationships through programming that includes salon-style conversations, private collection visits, and partnerships with local cultural organizations.