Oh, Snap!

Retail as Art awards shine a light on bright young Dallas photographers

The fifth annual Retail as Art contest proved the future of Dallas' art scene is in good hands. United Commercial Realty (UCR), one of Texas' largest real estate services providers, awarded scholarships to nine talented high school students who best interpreted "retail as art" through photography.

Celebrants — including Sandi and Noah Chapman, Temple Ashmore, David Goltl, Mina Chang, Susan Friedman, Regina Bruce, Channing Cass, and Alexis and Duane Potter — gathered at Three Three Three First Avenue for an announcement party, where 50 of the 200 submissions were on display. Photographs ranged from abstracts of buildings and shoes to more focused images of workers and cars.

DJ Andre provided the background music while anxious contestants and their supporters snacked on small bites from Central Market, Neiman Marcus, Ocho and Applebee's. Then it was time for judges Evans Caglage (Dallas Morning News), Connie Dufner (Modern Luxury), Wade Griffith (Wade Griffith Photography) and Amy Locurto (I Heart Face) to announce the first-, second- and third-place winners, who received $1,000, $1,250 and $1,500 in scholarships, respectively:

First place: Michael McCallum
Second place: Abby Chang
Third place: Anna Delapaz

Notable contestants Mitchell Sawtelle, Demi Kelly, Jose Martinez, Stewart Schweinfurth, Camille Rivera, and Ximena Garica received $200 each in scholarships.

"Our fifth scholarship contest was a great success," said Mickey Ashmore,UCR president and CEO. "Our UCR team has discovered a meaningful mission that combines our passions: retail, art and education."

Jessica Donnelli, Mickey Ashmore, Regina Bruce

Photo courtesy of Retail as Art

Jessica Donnelli, Mickey Ashmore, Regina Bruce

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Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater unleashes immersive 2025 season in new Dallas space

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home

Photo by Jordan Fraker

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Seven years after announcing it had purchased a building in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater is finally ready to move into its new home.

The third and final production of its 2025 season — the theater company's 34th — will take place all around the new "Doghouse." The other two productions will follow the immersive format at non-traditional performance spaces that was established last season.

With three fully produced events that each run the gambit from captivating and gutsy to heartfelt and hilarious, the monthly New Works Festival Staged Readings Series returns, as does the 23rd annual PUP Fest, nurturing high school talent from all over DFW.

First up is the area premiere of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey, directed by KDT's artistic director Tina Parker and starring KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos.

"Is it now? I thought I had more time." These first words in Will Eno's play are spoken by Guy, a man who knows, like all of us on some level, that he is about to die. The play questions why we are here and the journeys that everyone takes to eventually get to the same place. Performances will take place at Expo Park, 840 Exposition Avenue, and run February 7-23, 2025.

Production No. 2 is full of mystery: The title and performance location will be announced soon and run in March/April 2025.

The Happiness Gymby Ken Weitzman closes out the season in August 2025 (exact dates TBA).

This regional premiere is a joyous, experiential event based on the science of well-being. Participants take part in a curated theatrical experience meant to boost their sense of happiness, joy, and feelings of connection. This one-of-a-kind project will be the soft opening to Kitchen Dog’s new theater and will take place all over the entire facility, giving patrons unparalleled access to KDT’s new home.

From March to July 2025, the 26th annual 2025 New Works Festival will showcase four-to-five staged readings of the newest and most exciting local and regional playwrights working in contemporary theater today. Each reading will feature some of DFW's most accomplished actors and directors and will take place at different venues across DFW.

For its 23rd annual event, PUP Fest will feature six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by DFW high school students, featuring student actors directed by area professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players. Performance location is TBA, but the event will happen June 7, 2025.

For more information, visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055.

kitchen dog theater theater