Inman Gallery was founded by Kerry Inman in 1990 as a project space dedicated to showcasing the work of younger artists who were under-recognized by the contemporary gallery scene in Houston of the late 80's. Since that time, Inman Gallery has steadily grown into a nationally recognized venue that encourages innovative, thoughtful visual presentations and nurtures talent. Emphasizing visual exploration and conceptual thinking over purely formal solutions have been cornerstones of the gallery programming since its inception.

The gallery mission is three-fold: 1) to showcase the work of a select group of artists, helping to grow the reach of their visions, locally, nationally and internationally, 2) to encourage the local community to support contemporary art-making by collecting the work of living artists and 3) to provide a supportive venue for education and the exchange of ideas. We accomplish these goals through a series of exhibitions which include solo shows for gallery artists, and carefully selected group exhibitions designed to provoke discussion and educate the viewer about particular ideas or trends. Gallery publications accompany several exhibitions per year.

The gallery was recognized in 2003 by the International Art Critics Association (AICA-USA). Dario Robleto's solo exhibition was awarded first place for “Best solo exhibition in a commercial gallery nationally”. Two gallery artists, Dario Robleto and Robyn O'Neil were included in the 2004 Whitney Biennial. Gallery artist Amy Blakemore was included in the 2006 Whitney Biennial.

On July 9, 2004, Inman Gallery held its first exhibition in the gallery's beautiful new quarters in Houston's up and coming Midtown district, located less than a mile from the city's Museum District.