Martha Invitational

The wildly popular Martha Invitational, first held in Marfa in 2023, returns for its second “not-annual” exhibition May 29–30 at RULE Gallery, Marfa. The artists will be present both days, with an opening reception and refreshments on Friday evening from 5–7 PM.

Inspired by large-scale art fairs and exhibitions, three Marfa-based artists, Martha Hughes, Diana Simard, and Leslie Wilkes, originally conceived Martha Invitational as a small, self-organized project rooted in conversation, experimentation, and a shared sense of humor. The first iteration, which took place in Hughes’ studio, was a compact, low-budget, high-energy exhibition where all visitors were considered VIPs. (VIP stickers were distributed, though they conferred no actual privileges.) The Marfa community responded enthusiastically, and the artists themselves note that they “had a blast.”

This year, the project returns with a renewed focus on the joy of making work and sustaining artistic friendships. With Hughes no longer maintaining a studio in Marfa, Valerie Santerli, Director of RULE Gallery, offered to host the show, integrating the project into the gallery’s program for a single weekend between scheduled exhibitions. The expanded space allows for the inclusion of a fourth artist, longtime Marfa resident Bettina Landgrebe.

Martha Invitational foregrounds the value of artist-driven initiatives, camaraderie, and the enduring pleasure of making and sharing work. All works will be available for purchase, because, as Hughes notes, “you know—rent.”

Additional exhibitions and open studios will take place across Marfa throughout the weekend, organized by MarfaMUST.