For seventeen years now Main street in Deep Ellum has shut down, and transformed into a sprawling market place for the local artists of Dallas. Music and food were on every corner as families walked up and down the street; with over seventy different booths, five stages, and food ranging from standard carnival fare to IL Cane Rosso, there was an obvious reason the festival lasts three days.
Art booths lined the street, and the artists peddled their wares to locals and “out of town-ers” alike. A lot of people I ran into had come from Austin or Oklahoma, a good sign for the growing Dallas art scene. One artist we talked to was a high school art teacher in the DFW area, “This is the first time I have actually tried to sell my art, and I’m trying to learn what people like”. This is a testament to what the Deep Ellum Art Festival is about, giving local artists, who may not be able to break into the gallery scene the chance to gain exposure and experience.
There was an air of excitement as the young and old admired the sights, dread-locked Rastas banged on drums, Art Love Magic featured live artists painting and sculpting as well as making music, and of course people with arms full of newly purchased art streamed to and from their cars. Supporting local artists should always be this fun, and later on the month the Dallas Art Fair will display a more serious side of the art scene with local and national artists. Whatever your taste, remember to support the local art scene and mark your calendar for next year.
