Gallerist Liliana Bloch has had one of the more unusual routes for an art dealer. In 1999, she fled war-torn El Salvador to forge a new life for herself in Dallas, TX, where she immersed herself in the local art scene by serving on the board of the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. In 2013 she opened her own gallery, a venue she describes as her “love letter to Dallas,” in thanks for the city’s generosity toward her and the edgy and adventurous art she shows. In our interview, she tells us about the lively and growing art scene in her adopted city, the sorts of art she is drawn to, and the qualities she looks for in the artists she represents. Bloch also tells us a few things artists should understand about dealers: “They’re often not aware of how much goes on behind the scenes and what it takes to run a business.”

Installation view, Michael Corris, “The Fourth Book” (2018)

Kathy Lovas, #chair (2018)

Simon Vega, “Hot Capsules from the Cold War” (2018)

Ann Glazer, “Big Drawings” (2018)