Ellafair Returns to Duncanville with a Solo Exhibition Prize and a Stage at BloomFest
The Duncanville Arts Commission is proud to announce Ellafair 2026, a juried fine arts exhibition opening May 8 and 9 as the featured cultural event of BloomFest at the D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center.
Duncanville, Texas — Ellafair, a fine arts exhibition celebrating its second year, will return to Duncanville on May 8 and 9, 2026 as the featured exhibition within BloomFest, the City of Duncanville's spring arts and music celebration. Founded by longtime community leaders Gale Sliger and Sue Clark, and presented by the Duncanville Arts Foundation, Ellafair brings serious artists to a public stage, awards a Best of Show prize, and returns every dollar of sales to the artists who earn them.
This year's exhibition will be judged by Brad Pritchett, Chief Experience Officer of the Dallas Museum of Art. The Best of Show recipient receives a solo exhibition at Arts Junction, located at Duncanville's Old Rail Station at 202 W. Center Street, sponsored by the Duncanville Arts Foundation. It is a prize that puts the winning artist's work in front of a dedicated arts audience and marks a meaningful step in any creative career.
The event opens on the evening of Friday, May 8 with an opening reception where artists and guests gather and Pritchett announces Best of Show. On Saturday, May 9, Ellafair opens its doors to the public as part of BloomFest, a citywide celebration that drew approximately 3,400 attendees in its inaugural year. Admission is free. Artists present their work, retain 100 percent of sales, and are encouraged to accept donations to the Duncanville Arts Fund.
Ellafair is open to artists working in any medium who share a commitment to craft and to building Duncanville's standing in the regional fine arts community. Applications are accepted through April 1, 2026. There is no entry fee. Artists may submit up to three works.
"Duncanville has the artists, the infrastructure, and the civic will to become a destination for the fine arts in North Texas. Ellafair is where that intention becomes visible."
— Ron Thompson, Founding Executive Director, Duncanville Arts FoundationEllafair 2026 is sponsored by the City of Duncanville, the Duncanville Arts Commission, and the Duncanville Arts Foundation, and is presented as the featured fine arts exhibition of BloomFest.
206 James Collins Blvd, Duncanville, TX 75116
Ron Thompson
Founding Executive Director, Duncanville Arts Foundation
Chair, Duncanville Arts Commission 2022–2025
The Duncanville Arts Commission is the City of Duncanville's official body for arts planning, funding, and advocacy. The Commission supports arts programming across the community, awards grants to local arts organizations, and works to build Duncanville's identity as a city that invests in culture. The Commission is a sponsor and co-presenter of Ellafair 2026.
The Duncanville Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying what matters through the arts. The Foundation funds, coordinates, and champions arts experiences that connect residents, elevate the community's profile, and make Duncanville a destination for creative life in North Texas. The Foundation is the coordinating presenter of Ellafair 2026 and sponsors the Best of Show solo exhibition prize.
Brad Pritchett serves as Chief Experience Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art, where he oversees marketing, brand activation, public relations, advertising, and earned revenue strategies. A Tony Award-winning executive with more than 20 years of mission-driven arts leadership, he has directed integrated campaigns for the Dallas Theater Center and the American Heart Association and is recognized as one of the region's most accomplished arts advocates. Pritchett has been named to the DCEO Top 500 three times and was a CMO of the Year nominee by the American Marketing Association in 2023. He is the 2025 recipient of the Unleashed LGBTQ Arts and Culture Influencer of the Year award.