Must-see art

New perspectives abound at 10 must-see art exhibits in Dallas-Fort Worth for May

Save the date for the Deep Ellum Community Art Fair.

Photo courtesy of Deep Ellum Facebook

June isn't here yet, but art is busting out all over. A landmark exhibit at Fort Worth's Kimbell Art museum, community events in Deep Ellum and Carrollton, and several collaborative group exhibitions are among the must-see art happenings in Dallas-Fort Worth in May. There's also one bummer gallery closure in downtown Fort Worth, but they're going out with a grand party and everyone's invited.

Put these 10 must-see exhibits and events on your list before month's end.

"Tempus Peregrinari: A Time Travel Exhibition"
Bathhouse Cultural Center, through June 3
Paintings, prints, photographs, video, and mixed media art explore the concept of time travel in this exhibit featuring Texas artists and guest artists from Poland, Belgium, and New York. Works range from themes in science fiction to whimsical and purely imaginary. A collaboration with the Dallas Public Library offers suggested reading to accompany the visual art experience.

"Diverse Perspectives" by M4 Collective
Granville Art Center, through June 5
Four American women comprise this collective of mosaic artists. Their work covers a range of diverse styles, materials, and visions in an art form that has been around for millennia. Join them for an opening reception at the Granville Arts Center in downtown Garland at 6 pm Tuesday, May 23.

"Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art"
Kimbell Art Museum, through September 23
The creators of this art from the Classic period (A.D. 250-900) depict the gods of Maya mythology which flourished in what is now Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Sculptures, vessels, and precious ornaments on loan from major Latin American, U.S., and European collections illustrate this facet of the Mayan culture. New discoveries from Palenque (Mexico) and El Zotz (Guatemala) are among the works on view in the U.S. for the first time.

"we are more"
Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, through May 26
The community group "we are more" was established to assist survivors of family and intimate partner violence in various stages of their recovery. Much of their work is collaborative and the exhibit includes art from multiple disciplines. One of the works, Broken Record, is a mosaic assembled from broken record pieces contributed by local community members. Each piece bears a word or phrase that explains how the contributor or a loved one is more. The arts center will host a reception with the artists on Friday, May 19 at 6:30 pm.

"Dark & Lovely II"
Kettle Art, opening May 20
In the spring of 2010, the original Kettle Art featured the work of four female Dallas artists in a show called "Dark and Lovely." This long-awaited sequel is an all-female group exhibition curated by artist Alicia Chapman. Artists Bree Smith, Chapis, Claudia Rivera, Eli Paek, Ferfetz, and RayTrill add their perspectives to the show, as well.The exhibition opens with a reception at 6 pm on Saturday, May 20.

"The Tipping Point: Echoes of Extinction"
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, May 20, 2023-May 1, 2024
Part of a multi-year outdoor sculpture program, this exhibition on the grounds of the Carter Museum focuses on endangered or extinct bird species. Each sculpture provides a visualization of a bird species that has reached a tipping point, and each includes a QR code containing an audio file of the bird's song.

Carrollton Chalk Art Festival
Mary Heads Carter Park, May 20
You'll have to look down to get the perspective at this event. Professional and amateur chalk artists will transform the sidewalks of this park in Carrollton with everything from whimsical wonders to eye-popping 3-D art. The free and family-friendly festival runs from 10 am-3 pm on Saturday, May 20.

Liz Ward: "The Grove"
Holly Johnson Gallery, through July 29
San Antonio-based artist Liz Ward creates works on paper inspired by her travels. Using trees as metaphors and bringing to life the awe and mysticism of Mexican cenotes, Ward explores the meaning of landscape through layers of human, natural, and environmental history, memory, and experience. The gallery will hold an opening reception with the artist from 5-8 pm Saturday, May 20.

Nancy Baron: "The Good Life"
Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery, through August 19
A happy jaunt back in time to Palm Springs in the 1950s, this exhibition delivers the colors and style of the Mid-Century Modern period in vibrant photographs taken over the last 13 years. Baron's books include The Good Life: Palm Springs, Palm Springs: The Good Life Goes On, and Palm Springs: Modern Dogs at Home, and all illustrate how a nostalgic period lives on in modern day. Baron will be available to sign books at an artist reception on Saturday, May 20 from 5-8 pm.

Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair
May 27-29
A new festival celebrates 150 years of history in Deep Ellum with curated exhibits, concerts, food, and more. Hundreds of local artists will be part of this Memorial Day weekend celebration. Hours are 11 am-10 pm Saturday and 11 am-8 pm Sunday and Monday. Visit the website, Facebook event page or Instagram for more information.

Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair exhibitions-visual-arts galleries

Theater News

Dallas' Kitchen Dog Theater unveils powerful 2026-2027 season lineup

Photo by Cameron Cobb

Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas will put on three mainstage productions for their 2026-2027 season.

Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas has revealed the lineup for the 2026-2027 season, featuring a slate of plays that boasts power players like kings, prime ministers, space force commanders, and would-be presidents.

According to a release, the theater company's 36th season — their "most powerful yet" — will consist of three mainstage productions at its new permanent home in the Design District, as well as the annual New Works Festival, featuring a readings series and the 26th annual D-PAC PUP (Playwrights Under Progress) Fest.

The season will start with The Absentee by Julia Doolittle, running September 10-October 4, 2026. The play was the winner of the 2019-2020 Woodward/Newman Drama Award.

Far out in the Milky Way, “Beacons” serve as lighthouses for warping spaceships around the galaxy. When a U.S. Space Force ship explodes in the galaxy, the Operator finds herself alone in deep space, with only her ship’s AI for companionship. That is, until a persistent canvasser calls, desperate to convince her to vote absentee in the 2088 election.

As the Operator waits for the clean up to be over, she finds she has to come to terms with her isolation, grief, and her political voice.

The season's second production comes four months later, with Equivocation by Bill Cain, running February 4-28, 2027. In 1605 England, a terrorist plots to assassinate King James I and blow Parliament to kingdom come. Shagspeare (after a contemporary spelling of the Bard's name) is commissioned by the prime minister, to write the “true historie” of the plot. And it must have witches — the king wants witches.

But as Shag and the acting company of the Globe investigate the plot, they discover that the king's version of the story might, in fact, be a coverup. Shag and his actors are confronted with the ultimate moral and artistic dilemma. Speak truth to power and perhaps lose their heads? Or take the money and lie? Is there a third option? Equivocation?

A high-stakes political thriller with contemporary resonances, Equivocation gallops from the great Globe to the Tower of London to the halls of Parliament to the heart of Judith, Shag's younger daughter, who finds herself unexpectedly at the very heart of the political, dramatic and — ultimately — human mystery.

The final mainstage production of the season comes at the 2027 New Works Festival with Black Republican by KDT Artistic Company Member Jamal Gibran Sterling, running June 3-27, 2027.

Originally featured as a Staged Reading in the 2026 New Works Festival, the ambitious first play by Sterling centers on a Black Republican candidate on the national stage who finds his campaign threatened by an activist who challenges everything he claims to stand for. Their battle exposes uncomfortable truths about race, politics, and the stories we tell ourselves.

In addition to Black Republican, the 2027 New Works Festival will showcase four staged readings of some of the newest and most exciting Texas-based playwrights. Each reading will feature accomplished Dallas-Fort Worth actors and directors to highlight the breadth of talent in the area.

The final part of the festival is D-PAC PUP (Playwrights Under Progress) Fest, featuring six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by Dallas-Fort Worth high school students and featuring student actors directed by area professionals. PUP Fest is the culmination of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players.

Kitchen Dog Theater offers two season subscription packages for their inaugural season in their new facility. The Kitchen Dog package includes a ticket to all three mainstage productions for any performance date for $90+ $8 fees for adults and $75 +$8 fees for students and seniors (ages 65+). The Saver Dog package includes a ticket to all three mainstage productions for Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays only. It is $60 + $8 fees for adults and $45 + $8 fees for students and seniors.

Both packages grant full access to the Staged Reading Series and PUP Fest. Subscribers also receive premium reserved seating for in-person performances, as well as subscriber-only discounts on additional single tickets, 2026 special events, and KDT merchandise.

Subscription packages are on sale now, and single tickets for each show will go on sale on Monday, August 24, at kitchendogtheater.org.

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