How Rob Chandler Went from Commercial Real Estate to Owning a Contemporary Art Gallery in Houston

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Houstonian Rob Chandler’s path to owning an art gallery is anything but traditional. The commercial real estate developer has always had a passion for art, and, along with his wife, Jeannie, a Houston interior designer, they have always loved patronizing the arts. 

One day, he was reading about rising young talented artists and encountered Amani Lewis. Upon discovering they didn’t have any Texas representation, the Chandlers decided to take a leap and open Chandler Art Gallery, featuring Lewis and other favorite artists. Now, a year later, they’re reflecting on all the art that’s come and gone through their doors.

In addition to Lewis, Chandler notes other artists that are extremely well-received by their clients (mainly luxury interior designers and Houstonian homeowners) include Joel Amit, Joey Lancaster, whose work was just featured on the tv series Landman (from Fort Worth), Ed Nash, Stephanie Paige, and Julie Brown (of Dallas). Lancaster is so beloved that she’s actually coming to Chandler Art Gallery for a one-day show on Thursday, January 22, 2026, so mark your calendars now.

And, for Chandler, while of course meeting new artists and clients makes it all worthwhile, it really is all in the family when it comes to making the gallery a success.

“Jeannie’s experience as an interior designer has been incredibly helpful,” says Chandler. “She’s shaped which artists we carry in the gallery, because she knows exactly what kind of art designers are looking for as they work on these homes across Houston.”

Plus, there’s their daughter, Goldie, a student at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Chandler credits Goldie with sourcing a lot of Chandler Art Gallery’s new artists.

“Goldie’s always on the lookout for cool artists and something that jumps out at you,” says Chandler. “The whole family will trade notes and ideas on what we’ve seen. Then, Jeannie and I will sit down and review all the artists we’ve seen. If there’s someone that we like, we’ll reach out and have a conversation.”

And that strategy is paying off. Chandler says they have a strong pipeline of new artists, with five already lined up to come in January, ranging in style and price. Having a wide array of art and keeping it approachable is important to him.

“You just never know what’s going to catch someone’s eye, and that’s why it’s important to us to have a wide selection of art available on the walls,” says Chandler. “Plus, we want to make art approachable, fun, warm, and stress-free. It shouldn’t be intimidating, and there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Everyone’s always learning.”

Chandler remarks that everyone has a different investment they’re able to make in art at this point in their life. That’s why you’ll find everything from pieces that are a few thousand all the way up to $60,000 in their gallery.

“That’s totally cool with us,” says Chandler. “One of the best parts of this job is that you never know what’s going to resonate with someone or what they’ll gravitate towards. I’ll have clients walk through these doors, and I’ll think I know what they’re going to leave with, but it turns out to be exactly the opposite. It’s what keeps every day interesting.”

Chandler Art Gallery is located at 2639 Colquitt Street on Houston’s Historic Gallery Row.