If you want something done right, ask a mom. Masters of multitasking, millennial moms aren’t just raising the next generation of art lovers—they’re reshaping the Dallas art scene into a healthy, vibrant, supportive environment.
From gallerists to gala hosts, educators to entrepreneurs, these women come by their artistic obsessions organically. Most were raised in art-loving households, while others came to the industry through early jobs. Along the way, all of them developed a passion for the subject that benefits both our local culture and their growing families.
“We’re coming with a more diverse outlook in all sorts of ways,” says Catalina Gonzalez-Jorba, a Dallas Contemporary board member. “Even I think, in the way that we collect. That’s the beauty about art; it’s more about what you love and less about how much it’s worth. When I started collecting, I wanted to do it very intentionally for my children. I have four boys, and being able to raise them in a home where art is present in their everyday life is a must for me. I love a theme, and the theme in this home is women artists.”
“When we opened, we really wanted to help usher in the new generation of art patrons and collectors and act as a conduit,” Fagadau says. “Our grandmother sold blue-chip prints out of her house for years. But I didn’t set out to be some kind of disruptor or game changer or anything like that. It’s truly all organic. We are always in each other’s corner. I’ve always felt that Dallas, in general, has a very collaborative spirit and a real sense of community and pride. We all know we make each other better.”
Fagadau became fast friends with another art-fluential mom when she landed a job at the Dallas Contemporary after moving back to Dallas from New York in 2016. The institution’s former director of learning, Angela Hall, spent five years at DC before moving on to a role as an educator at the Nasher Sculpture Center, where she continues to engage young minds with the importance of sculpture. Hall, 39, says her generation’s effervescent, eternally young outlook helps keep its supporters close.
“Planned Parenthood and the Great Create and all these different organizations that host events fueled by female power—that’s just girlhood in our adulthood. I think we’re continuing that ethos of girlhood. Art is the best way to increase empathy that we know of so far. It is a stimulation of an experience, and it’s the best way for someone to think about the life of others or learn about another culture in an impactful way.”
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Hannah Fagadau in her gallery 12.26 co-owned by her sister, Hilary Fagadau.
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Tori Mulford with a favorite work from her collection by Texan artist Matt Kleberg.
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Lilly Watson teaching the next generation of art enthusiasts.
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Catalina Gonzalez-Jorba with her sons and a work by Ana Segovia.
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Angela Hall, an educator at the Nasher Sculpture Center, thrives by explaining the artistic process to both adults and children.
To help spread that philosophy, this year’s Great Create co-chair, Tori Mulford, will bring in Watson’s expertise to help shape kids’ curiosity. Watson, who also worked at DC (where she spearheaded an education program called Art Think) and at local galleries, launched Camp Crafty in 2019 as a fresh take on classic summer camp craft rooms. Her business has made her the go-to contact for local moms and big brands alike—she has created customized experiences with the likes of Whataburger, the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.
Watson says she’s delighted to see blue-chip collectors display their kids’ Camp Crafty creations alongside a Francisco Moreno in their homes, and she feels the appreciation she’s developed for art in the pint-sized set has also extended to the warm relationships she’s built with fellow moms.
“It’s a full circle moment for me to do events in the art world and feel it’s a friendly place, where it’s not about the last name; it’s about the last time I saw you,” says the 41-year-old. “In the last ten years, we came out of COVID with our priorities more in line, and women have to be more discerning with their time and energy and influence. I think we’re in an authenticity era.”
It’s an era in which all roads lead to The Great Create. Held each fall, the Nasher Sculpture Center’s annual interactive fundraiser is ground zero for generating an appreciation for art in the next generation, as this year’s co-chair, Tori Mulford, knows all too well. The 38-year-old data-scientist-turned-fundraising-powerhouse also serves on the Art and Acquisitions Committee for Dallas’s new Children’s Hospital. In all of her endeavors, she operates under the principle of “anyone can be an artist because everyone is an artist.”
As Mulford, who has already chaired the Salvation Army Echelon Gala, the Dallas Museum of Art Family Forum, and with her husband, Ross, multiple Perot Museum of Nature and Science events, draws on her years of friendships with local artists to ensure whatever event she signs her name to is a success.
“My specialty is bringing in these younger people because I understand what they’re looking for,” says the busy mom of three. “People don’t want just to give a check anymore, but they also don’t want to sacrifice every Thursday night with their kids. The fact that Hannah, Catalina, Lilly, and Angela have each other’s back and cheer each other on helps. People make fun of our generation being all over the place, but we’re dreamers, and we have confidence, and we know anything is possible. I think we feel called to do this stuff, and hopefully Dallas can be an example other places can emulate.”
And teamwork will undoubtedly help make this dream work. Adds Hannah Fagadau, “As moms, we’re all trying to have it all and do it all, but we can’t, so it’s nice to have this group of women who also could understand we love what we do, but we also have responsibilities outside of what we do. It takes a village to pursue your passion, and we really need each other to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”
—KENDALL MORGAN
