About 300 art visionaries, collectors, and philanthropists gathered on Saturday, September 20 to celebrate and support Dallas Contemporary at its 2025 Gala and Benefit.
The high-powered evening - which has become one of the most anticipated black-tie bashes of fall - was presented by Headington Companies and Ann and John McReynolds, and led by DC executive director Lucia Simek along with artistic co-chairs Shayna Fontana Horowitz and Robyn Siegel and auction chairs Peter Augustus Owen and Robyn Siegel.
The event immersed guests in the world of Dallas Contemporary from the moment they arrived: Atmospheric still lifes were projected both at the entrance and outside the gallery from Dallas-based photographer Shayna Fontana Horowitz. One of the museum’s three main spaces transformed into a silent auction viewing gallery showing, where guests could bid on on works donated by various artists. Hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails from Tango Room were passed during the opening reception.
As attendees sat down to dinner inside the exhibition "You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry," an impromptu procession took place: Students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, dressed in custom costumes designed by members of the Visual Arts Cluster, strutted through the gallery. The room was decorated with sculptural floral arrangements by Concepto that turned ordinary materials — grasses, moss, tomatoes, and pomegranates — into otherworldly designs.
Dinner featured courses from several Headington restaurants, including Sassetta (black pepper and Parmesan panna cotta with beet-balsamic focaccia) Mirador (escarole Caesar with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and capers), The Joule (Texas wagyu short rib with sweet potato pavé, sunchoke, endive, and a bourbon-bacon demi-glace), and Tango Room (a lemon confection of white chocolate yuzu mousse, meyer lemon, and cardamom crumble). RG|MX wines and Madame Zero Champagne kept the drinks flowing.
The on-stage program included film about DC directed by Dallas-based filmmaker Christian Vasquez, a luxury live auction conducted by Brett Sherlock of Christie’s, and a surprise announcement that Dallas Contemporary’s admission will remain free to the public through 2026 due to a gift of $100,000 from the Eugene McDermott Foundation.
Those who wanted to continue the night headed to the high-tempo afterparty hosted by Shyboy, the coming-soon hi-fi bar, featuring a live set by New York-based dj GE-OLOGY. Guests could dance the night away and enjoy late-night bites and drinks like signature highballs and softserve ice cream.
In total, the gala raised a jaw-dropping $1 million "in support of Dallas Contemporary’s mission to champion contemporary artistic practices through exhibitions, performances, and programs," they say.
Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the night, were Elizabeth Hooper O'Mahoney, Ashley Varel, Shayna Fontana Horowitz, Rand Horowitz, Nadia Dabbakeh, Ramiro Garcia, Pablo Arellano, Sal Jafar, Christina Jafar, Ann McReynolds, Brad Owen, Peter Augustus Owen, Thomas Fuelmer, Ebony Lewis, Bobby Miller, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Faisal Hallum, Ceron, Brian Bolke, Jill Parker, Rod Sager, Mark Agnew, Emily Clarke, Robyn Siegel, and hundreds more.
Photo by Joe Johnson
Elizabeth Hooper O'Mahoney, Ashley Varel, Shayna Fontana Horowitz, and Nadia Dabbakeh at the afterparty.
Amber Barth of Skate VIDA performs after the tree is lit.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The rink will be open through January 5, 2026.Photo by Ashley Gongora
