In Dallas, Art Ball Celebrates 60 Years with Moschino, Brandon Maxwell, and More 

The adage “everything’s bigger in Texas” has uncertain roots. Sources suggest it first referred to geography, the population, or even the size of seeds. Regardless of the origin, the saying stuck because of the state’s unique proclivity for excess.

Even in a city like Dallas, no event is bigger than Art Ball. On Saturday night, the Dallas Museum of Art held its 60th annual fête—themed “Tableaux” in a return to the gala’s first theme from 1962—and everything was gloriously over the top. The hair towered, the jewels sparkled, and the Champagne flowed. After a two-year hiatus, the benefit broke records. 

The world’s leading artists and designers—including Jeremy Scott, Brandon Maxwell, Mickalene Thomas, and Ken Folk—flew in to party with the local social set. The Conservatory’s Brian Bolke served as the gala’s chairman. Bolke was joined by leading philanthropists and tastemakers including Nancy Rogers, who looked every bit the glamorous ’60s hostess, and Moll Anderson, who stood out in black among the brightly plumed crowd.

The evening commenced with a cocktail hour where guests mingled through the halls designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, a titan of American modernist architecture. Boldly painted models, clad in colorful Moschino, posed in various, surrealist vignettes.

The energy soared as dinner began. A feast of caviar, short rib pot pie, and banana pudding offered a luxurious interpretation of Southern comfort food. Afterward, as the band played, attendees rose from their seats and danced late into the night.