PHOTOS: Inside Dallas Contemporary’s Annual Gala and Benefit Auction

Ebony Lewis, Bobby Miller and Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart. Photo: Kaitlin Saragusa

On a recent balmy night, Dallas’s see-and-be-seen set gathered in the industrial-style kunsthalle that is Dallas Contemporary for the institution’s annual gala and benefit auction. Presented by Headington Companies and museum board president Ann McReynolds with John McReynolds, and organized by co-chairs Shayna Fontana Horowitz, Peter Augustus Owens and Robyn Siegel, the glamorous, art-fueled event raised over $1 million—a testament to the important place the DC holds in Dallas’ scene.

A series of Fontana Horowitz’s atmospheric still lifes projected on the walls greeted gala-goers, who fueled up on hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails before moving into the auction gallery to preview work by the evening’s auction artists: Chris Wolston, Ali Dipp, Katherine Bradford, Maria Haag, Willie Binnie and Xxavier Edward Carter. Spotted in the crowd were philanthropist and collector Grace Cook, artisan and entrepreneur Rachel Bently, luxury retail merchant Brian Bolke, collector and patron Marguerite Hoffman, artist Vicki Meek (former executive director of the Dallas Contemporary), The Power Station founders Alden and Janelle Pinnell, museum director Jeremy Strick and sundry gallerists and art lovers.

Lucia Simek addressing gala-goers. Photo: Chase Hall

Fontana Horowitz’s final projection—a crystal bell—pulsed as chimes rang throughout the museum, signaling the start of dinner. Tables were set in “You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry,” DC’s spring 2025 exhibition guest curated by Su Wu, with centerpieces part-victual, part-bouquet: an artful collision of moss, sweetgrass, pomegranates and cherry tomatoes. Christina Forrer’s Untitled (on brown background), on loan from Hoffman’s collection, wafted above the crowd, complementing works by Mika Tajima, Marie Hazard and others on the walls.

Between bites of Sassetta’s black pepper Parmesan panna cotta and Joule’s Texas wagyu short rib, benefactors enjoyed a runway of students from Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts modeling original designs by Caroline Correa, Kathleen Cusick, Skylar O’Hara, Lily Wilkinson, Maude Williams, Emmanuel Gillespie and artist Sai Sankoh. At the dais, Dallas Contemporary executive director Lucia Simek thanked supporters, declaring that, “it’s the necessary collaboration” that makes each year’s gala “so meaningful.” Christian Vasquez screened a short film featuring Meek, Wu, Simek and publisher Deep Vellum’s Will Evans, among others. Capping off the evening was the live auction, led by Christie’s Brett Sherlock, who had the honor of announcing the Eugene McDermott Foundation’s gift of $100,000 to fund free museum admission through 2026. A surprise donation from painter Francisco Moreno (who will mount a solo exhibition at Dallas Contemporary in spring 2026) kept bidders on their toes.

As always, the gala spilled into the night with an afterparty hosted by soon-to-open hi-fi bar Shyboy. Friends of the museum danced to sets spun by New York DJ GE-OLOGY, alternating between sipping signature highballs and cooling off with soft serve ice cream on what was a near-perfect night.