What was originally meant to be a spot for a new restaurant that owners John and Kari LaRue would open was quickly apparent that the space was much better suited for music and art. John wondered what it would be like if a music festival didn’t have to end when the weekend did, but rather continued the celebration throughout the week. Thus, the idea for Deep Ellum Art Co. was born—a place with all kinds of musicians on the same bill in one night and artisan vending areas.
This year marks 10 years since Deep Ellum Art Co. opened its doors and brought something wholly new to the Deep Ellum art and music scene. Walking through the doors of Art Co. feels like seeing everything Deep Ellum has to offer in one space—assorted art for sale and for pure viewing enjoyment, a community full of love for the arts and a place to share in the joy of live music.
While Art Co. is sometimes missed or, at worst, forgotten, due to its distance from the core of Deep Ellum on Main and Elm, it remains a crowd favorite of both its regular patrons and folks who are seeing a show at the venue for the first time. And its distance may actually benefit the venue—parking is more plentiful and easier to find, you aren’t having to fight against crowds heading to various other shows and the extra space allows for room for the venue’s iconic Art Yard. An extension of the venue, the Art Yard is a place for concert-goers to hang out between sets, perhaps chat with the opening and headlining acts, and sometimes (our personal favorite feature of the Art Yard) to go blow bubbles with giant nets.
“The [Art] Yard alone is worth coming to check out… because it’s enormous and there are plenty of people to hang with out there, friends to make,” says John LaRue about what his pitch would be to people who haven’t made their way to Deep Ellum Art Co. yet.
Art Co. is a special place that means a lot to those who regularly visit. While attending a bluegrass show at Deep Ellum Art Co., we had the chance to talk with other people hanging out and enjoying the music. While conversations originally started as polite small talk about the opening and headlining acts, every conversation quickly turned into a story about how great the venue is and how strong the Dallas music community is. Community is one of the main reasons the LaRue's decided to open the venue, and it’s a huge part of what keeps them going every day.
On the community they aim to serve, John emphasized, “We want to make sure we’re providing a place for our local creatives and for our local community to come together and enjoy…being creative or just enjoying someone else’s efforts.”
With a motto of “Dedicated to the Creative and Native,” Art Co.’s main goal is to create a space where artists can come together, share their art and launch their careers. Notable artists like Oliver Tree, Billy Strings and Gus Dapperton have all graced the art-clad walls of Deep Ellum Art Co. early in their careers. Snarky Puppy even popped by Art Co. in 2022 to record one of their live albums, Empire Central.
Art Co. is a uniquely Deep Ellum venue. The Dallas music scene is a million different things, and Deep Ellum has always been a hub for the newest, most varied mix of genres, acts and artists. John and the whole Art Co. team have dedicated themselves to bringing acts as broad as the streets they sit on. Only at Art Co. could you catch a psychedelic bluegrass show, a punk rock set and a dance/electronic set all in one weekend.
“Wild Bloom — A bold collection of female artists and fabulously foraged materials.” Curated by Jen Kimbrel.
Libby Veatch
The art installations that fill the walls of the venue are just as important as the shows that take place on stage. Constantly featuring local artists, the Art Co. gallery is an extension of the mission of the venue to promote and shine a light on the talent that lives in every corner of Dallas. The current featured gallery is Wild Bloom by Jen Kimbrel, a collection of mixed media paintings and collages that convey a psychedelic western feeling. Even the walls of the bathrooms (which are often named among the cleanest venue bathrooms in Dallas) are filled with graffiti, stickers and art.
Deep Ellum Art Co. is open seven days a week and provides something for everyone each and every night. Whether you’ve never been to the venue, haven’t been in a while, or are a frequent attendee, maybe it’s time to stop by and see what’s going on, peruse the walls of art, blow bubbles in the Art Yard, and spend an evening with good people and a good show.
