The second-annual Texas Contemporary Art Fair opens today featuring over 70 leading galleries from across the country at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

The fair, which runs through Oct. 21, features in addition to some of the US’s leading artist’s work, an installation created by the Houston-based architectural firm MaRS Culture.

According to the designers, the installation takes its initial inspiration from the work of emerging artists that are featured in the fair.

The installation serves as an interactive lounge for VIP guests to sit and mingle throughout the fair. Aside from just seats and tables, the lounge includes large boards where guests can “fill in the blanks.”

The two large boards, which read: Texas is… and Art is… have numerous blanks following the header so people can fill in their interpretation of what those things mean.

Ligne Roset has partnered with MaRS Culture to feature some of its furniture lines in the installation as well.

Themes common to the Houston environment, economy and lifestyle give the installation a local derived dimension.

Surrounding the lounge, the fair will also feature an extensive series of discussions, special events, tours and a charity auction as well as the artist installations.

The artists’ works who will be presented at this year’s fair include: Eric Beltz, Colby Bird, Dan Douke, Gina Phillips, OKAY MOUNTAIN, Travis Somerville and more.

At the end of the fair, the first Texas Contemporary Award will be given out to the top exhibitor, chosen by Franklin Sirmas, LACMAS’s Chief Curator of Contemporary Art, the prize is a $10,000 cash award.

The fair runs from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the fair and a complete list of exhibitors and events, click here.