From the Foundation.

Ellafair 2026 closes at BloomFest with double honors for Cristi Frye.

The Duncanville Arts Foundation presented Ellafair 2026 on May 8 and 9 at the D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center and Armstrong Park, in coordination with the Duncanville Arts Commission and the City of Duncanville Special Events Office. Fifteen juried artists exhibited original work across the weekend, with Burleson sculptor and Duncanville High School graduate Cristi Frye taking both Best of Show and People’s Choice.

The exhibition opened with a Welcome Reception on Friday evening at the D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center, 206 James Collins Boulevard, and continued through Saturday alongside the City’s BloomFest Music and Arts Festival at Armstrong Park, where it was featured as the fine arts program of the weekend.

The fifteen exhibiting artists worked across watercolor, oil, acrylic, drawing, textile, and sculpture in metal, wood, polymer clay, and found objects. The exhibition also included a projected retrospective of editorial photography by Mark Graham, formerly of the Dallas Times Herald. Every artist on the wall held a personal connection to Duncanville, whether as a current resident, a teacher in Duncanville schools, a Duncanville High School alumnus, or a working artist whose practice has been shaped by the city’s people, parks, and preserves.

Best of Show was presented by the Foundation and judged by Brad Pritchett, Chief Experience Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art and a 1998 graduate of Duncanville High School. People’s Choice was presented by the Commission and carried a $400 cash prize funded by private donations.

“Returning to my hometown of Duncanville, Texas as the guest judge for the Ellafair art exhibition was such an honor. Seeing the creativity, passion and talent from so many incredible artists near the same park I played at as a child was such a full circle moment. Congratulations to all of the artists who participated, and especially to our Best in Show winner Cristi Frye.”

Brad Pritchett, Chief Experience Officer, Dallas Museum of Art

“I’m honored to have received both Best of Show and the People’s Choice Award at Ellafair. Having this experience in my hometown of Duncanville made it especially meaningful. The event was incredibly well organized, and really fostered a sense of community among the artists and attendees. I’m grateful to see Duncanville supporting and investing in the arts.”

Cristi Frye, sculptor; Best of Show and People’s Choice, Ellafair 2026

For the Foundation, Ellafair 2026 was a first. The weekend brought the City, the Commission, and the Foundation into shared work, building on the institutional groundwork laid during the Commission’s formative years and the Foundation’s launch in 2025.

“Ellafair brought the City, the Duncanville Arts Commission, and the Duncanville Arts Foundation into shared work for the first time. The energy was unmistakable: artists, civic leaders, and community members coming together to celebrate the creative life of Duncanville.”

Ron Thompson, Founding Executive Director, Duncanville Arts Foundation; Chair, Duncanville Arts Commission, 2022–2025

Ellafair was established in the fall of 2025 by longtime community leaders Gale Sliger and Sue Clark to support the then-new Duncanville Arts Commission and the growing arts community in Duncanville. Ellafair 2026 marked the second presentation of the exhibition and its first under the Foundation’s stewardship.