New River Oaks Art Gallery Draws Powerhouse Crowd for Divine Opening

What: Casterline | Goodman opening

Where: Casterline | Goodman Gallery in River Oaks District

PC Moment: The Aspen-based modern art gatekeepers Casterline | Goodman Gallery made its grand debut in its new River Oaks District home with a bang, as dozens of long-time art-scene dwellers, the socially inclined and the fashionable set stepped out to check out the new player in Houston’s art scene.

Its opening show featured a smattering of blue-chip names that brought the heat during a winter night: Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Sean Scully, George Condo, Ed Ruscha, Jim Dine, a show-stopping Alex Katz double portrait, and an intriguing pair of early Frank Stella works on paper.

Guests donned their most couture looks to sip wine and traverse the 3,800 square-foot space, large enough to encompass so many works from such a diverse array of modern and contemporary talents, but not so big they get lost in the shuffle.

Robert Casterline and Jordan Goodman – both holding court – founded Casterline | Goodman in 2011 (although Casterline has had a gallery in Aspen since the mid 1990s) before expanding to Nantucket and Chicago and, finally, Houston. Its first solo exhibition brings photographer David Yarrow in February, followed by the vibrant work of Miami fair-week veteran Danielle Procaccio in March.

PC Seen: A bevy of artsy guests including gallery director Douglas Clarke; street artist Mr. D; Artnews top collector Lester Marks; art advisor Elise Arnoult Miller; Nicole and Evan Katz; Christies’s Jessica Phifer; Kathy and Marty Goossen; Leslie Fertitta with David Galic; Houston artist Felipe Lopez and wife, Meghan Hendley Lopez, with their daughter Ophelia; Karen and Walt Krey; Mavis Sanders; Carlos Gomez; Mauricio Cruz; Brandon Mitchell; Ryan Harris; Terri and Andy DiRaddo; Jennifer Wallace; art consultant Mary Lou Swift; Kristen Cannon; novelist Jo Barrett; and DJ Matt Johns spinning the vinyl.