Ellafair 2026 at BloomFest Music and Arts Festival, sponsored by the City of Duncanville and Duncanville Arts Commission and presented in cooperation with the Duncanville Arts Foundation, drew enthusiastic community support in its second year.
Sculptor Cristi Frye, a Duncanville HS graduate now living in Burleson, who works in polymer clay and found objects, swept both honors. She won Best of Show, presented by the Foundation, and People’s Choice, presented by the Commission with a $400 cash prize funded by private donations.
“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,” sculptor Frye said.
Best of Show Judge Brad Pritchett
Best of Show was judged by Brad Pritchett, Chief Experience Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art and a 1998 graduate of Duncanville High School. As the Best of Show winner, Cristi Frye will have her own solo show at 202 W. Center Street, the upcoming home of the Duncanville Arts Foundation arts incubator.
“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,” Pritchett said.
Ellafair 2026 Presenters
Ellafair 2026 was presented by the Duncanville Arts Foundation in coordinated partnership with the Duncanville Arts Commission and the City of Duncanville Special Events Office. It was promoted by the City as the featured fine arts exhibition of BloomFest weekend. The program opened with a Welcome Reception on Friday, May 8, at the D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center.
Ellafair continued on Saturday, May 9, with the public exhibition running alongside BloomFest at Armstrong Park. Fifteen juried artists presented original work spanning watercolor, oil, acrylic, drawing, textile, sculpture in metal, wood, polymer clay, and found objects, and a projected retrospective of editorial photography by former Dallas Times Herald photographer Mark Graham.
Along with Frye and Graham, artists exhibiting at Ellafair included: Rhonda Allen, Jerry Bair, Rolanda Beasley, Jesus Canel, Curtis Ferguson, Sarah Graham, Kathy Robinson Hays, Terry Hays, Vincent Jackson, Colin Johnson, Bob Nachtreb, Robbie Robbins, and Elaine Schneider.
Ellafair Arts Duncanville Connection
Every Ellafair artist held a personal connection to Duncanville, whether as a current resident, an educator 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. Ellefair guests included Duncanville residents, regional collectors, and BloomFest visitors.
“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,” said Ron Thompson, Founding Executive Director, Duncanville Arts Foundation; Chair, Duncanville Arts Commission, 2022–2025.
Ellafair began in the Fall of 2025, started by longtime community leaders Gale Sliger and Sue Clark as a way to support the new Duncanville Arts Commission and burgeoning arts community.
