With music, art and crowds filling the streets over the weekend for the Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair, the neighborhood known for its edge got a welcome spotlight.
Organizer Carissa Nalley said the three-day event is about more than artwork. It’s a chance to bring people together in a neighborhood that has fought through construction and safety concerns in recent years.
“The streets are alive,” Nalley said.
She also described unity as a central part of the fair’s identity.
“We have it in our logo, Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair – with ‘unity’ really, really big,” Nalley said.
Visitor Ali Syed said he came in aware of Deep Ellum’s reputation.
“I mean, people tell me to avoid this place in the nighttime, right?” Syed said.
But he said the event changed the way he views the neighborhood.
“This is one of those few pockets that are there left in a city like Dallas where it’s interesting to walk around, just sort of soak in the environment. I think is a huge part of the character of the place,” Syed said.
That character is also being shaped by the artists themselves. The fair features more than 150 local vendors, including artist Shawn Corder, who said his work stands out much like the crowd passing by.
“I just make what makes me laugh, you know? And the thing that makes me laugh the most is the quickest sold,” Corder said.
Corder said the fair also gives artists a way to connect with the people who make Deep Ellum what it is.
“To connect with the community, the people that live in your community and in your area. That’s one reason why this is a more local show than most,” Corder said.