Shopping:
NorthPark Center: This world-class shopping center is also an art museum. It's filled with priceless art displayed in a publicly-accessible way, free for anyone who visits to experience. Highlights include "Clean Slate," by KAWS; "Large, Leaping Hare," by Barry Flanagan, "This Land is Your Land," by Iván Navarro, and "Flowers" by Andy Warhol. Northpark also hosts temporary exhibitions, and complimentary art tours are available by request through the concierge.
Downtown Dallas: Main Street: With Forty Five Ten, Neiman Marcus, curated shops in The Joule and The Adolphus hotels, this stretch of downtown pairs perfectly with a pre-or post-Fair vibe. Don't forget to check out "Eye," by Tony Tasset, in the greenspace next to Forty Five Ten, art books at The Taschen Library, and the curated art on display at the French Room Salon at The Adolphus.
Bishop Arts District: Neighborhood is great for affordable original and local art and unique products, and longtime favorite We Are 1976 has a wide selection of prints from independent artists. Art fair have you feeling inspired? Check out Oil & Cotton for supplies.
Coffee & Bites:
Weekend Coffee and Otto's (try the Liege Waffle!) are perfectly positioned and art-fair adjacent. If you want to see some awesome murals, head over to Deep Ellum and while you're there, refuel at Mokah, Merit Coffee or Murray Street. (FYI: Mokah shows art in its Umbrella Gallery, and also has a great reputation for supporting nonprofits!)
In Bishop Arts, enjoy coffee and small plates at the hybrid bookstore/bar/community hub The Wild Detectives, and if you're checking out Design District galleries, Ascension is a great place to refuel, people-watch and plan your next stop.
If you're looking for a little respite from the concrete jungle, head to north Dallas to see nature-inspired art and dine among the plants at the North Haven Gardens Cafe and Art Gallery.
Art:
If the art fair isn't enough art for you (we get it!) or if you're looking to check out a wider selection of more independent and diverse artists, you're in luck. Dallas' art scene is thriving, and other interesting art communities are just a short drive away.
Call for a tour, and visit The Cedars Union to learn about the Dallas art scene and see its resident artists in action. The Cedars is an up-and-coming area for artists; don't miss its neighborhood galleries like Ro2 Art and The MAC.
The Dallas Design District is home to the Dallas Contemporary, PDNB Gallery, and nearly wall-to-wall galleries along Dragon Street.
The Museum of Street Culture is an interesting and relatively new space that not only showcases art based on street culture by diverse and historically under-served artists, but actively engages street artists and people experiencing homelessness in museum operations and ongoing public programs.
Looking for a quiet, art-filled space to contemplate? The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library downtown exhibitions include Robert Rauschenberg's Star Quartet Serigraphs, Harry Bertoia's "Textured Screen," and Barbara Hepworth's "Square Forms with Circles."
If you have a free day and access to a car, Denton and Waxahachie are worth a visit, particularly Waxahachie's Webb Gallery, which focuses on outsider and folk art. (Weekends only, FYI.) And don't forget Fort Worth! It's not as far away as one would assume, and it's always worth the trip.
There are so many art and arts-adjacent places and spaces in Dallas, that I know I am leaving some out. It really is an awesome city to explore through an artistic lens, and support local and independent artists while you're there.