At Dallas Contemporary, anything can happen and every idea is given room to evolve. Embracing that spirit are board members Catalina Gonzalez-Jorba, Ramiro Garcia, and Peter Augustus Owen, who have joined forces as co-chairs of this year’s fall gala, Candela, to bring their shared creative vision to life.
Inspired by the work of Iván Argote and the glamour of a 1950s Latin American revival, Candela draws together the warmth of sun-washed pink hues, the pulse of Latin jazz, and the elegance of Miami Art Deco. The result promises an immersive, vivacious evening deeply rooted in culture, movement, and community.
Here, the cochairs offer Patron an exclusive preview of the vision and inspiration behind the evening:
Patron (P): The word “candela” evokes warmth, energy, and ignition. What does that word mean to each of you in the context of this celebration?
Ramiro Garcia (RG): Candela feels like a spark. It represents energy, movement, passion, and human connection. For us, it’s about creating a night that feels alive, where art, music, culture, and community all come together in a really emotional and memorable way. There’s also warmth to the word that feels important.
We didn’t want the gala to feel distant or overly formal. We wanted it to feel inviting, vibrant, and full of life, almost like the feeling of being pulled into a beautiful conversation or celebration that you never want to leave.
P: Many galas focus purely on spectacle, but Candela also emphasizes community and cultural connection. How are you balancing glamour with meaningful intention?
RG: For me, the most meaningful celebrations are the ones that create a genuine sense of connection. Of course we want Candela to feel visually beautiful and transportive, but the intention behind the night goes much deeper than aesthetics. For almost 50 years, Dallas Contemporary has created space for artists to push boundaries, challenge ideas, and connect with the community in a way that feels accessible and forward thinking.
As someone who has lived in Dallas for many years, I’ve seen how important institutions like Dallas Contemporary are in shaping the cultural identity of the city and opening doors for conversations and perspectives that might not otherwise have a platform. Candela is really about celebrating that spirit, creating a night that feels warm, inclusive, energetic, and rooted in community while still embracing the glamour and excitement people look forward to from a gala.
P: Dallas has such a dynamic and evolving cultural identity. How do you see Candela reflecting the city’s growing connection to international and Latin American artistic voices?
RG: When I first moved to Dallas years ago, one of the first places that made me feel inspired and connected to the city creatively was Dallas Contemporary. Since then, I’ve watched Dallas evolve into a much more global and culturally curious city, and I think that energy is really reflected in Candela.
As a Latino living and working here, it felt important to bring some of the warmth, rhythm, elegance, and spirit of Latin American culture into the evening in a way that feels natural to who we are and to the city Dallas is becoming. Not as a costume or theme, but as a real reflection of the people, influences, and creative voices shaping Dallas today.
I think audiences here are increasingly excited by international perspectives and artists who challenge and expand conversations around contemporary culture. Dallas Contemporary has consistently embraced that openness, and Candela became an opportunity to celebrate that growing dialogue between Dallas and the broader global art community in a way that feels joyful, welcoming, and deeply personal.
P: Candela feels cinematic and transportive. What sense of discovery do you hope guests experiences the moment they walk into the evening?
Peter Augustus Owen (PAO): We want guests to feel as though they’ve stepped into another world for the evening. Somewhere elegant, and alive with possibility. From the moment they arrive, there will be a sense of discovery unfolding through music, lighting, color, and unexpected moments of interaction. Candela is designed to feel immersive rather than simply decorative, almost like moving through a living film set inspired by Latin American glamour and the energy of the region. At the same time, we hope the atmosphere encourages people to engage more deeply with the art, with each other, and with the cultural energy that defines Dallas Contemporary.
P: Latin jazz carries both nostalgia and vitality. Are there particular eras, artists, or moods that influenced the soundtrack of the evening?
PAO: Music will be such a key element of the evening. The soundtrack draws inspiration from the golden era of Latin jazz in the 1950s and 1960s, when rhythms, jazz, and dance culture converged in places like Havana, New York, and Miami. We were especially interested in the atmosphere of that period while still making it feel contemporary and relevant today.
We have worked closely with DJ ROMIQ to shape the musical direction of some key events in the lead up to gala, blending different eras with more modern influences. The end goal at the gala is to create an event rooted in music that moves between intimacy and celebration, allowing the energy of the night to evolve naturally as the evening unfolds.
P: How does an immersive evening like Candela create a more welcoming entry point into the world of contemporary art?
PAO: The gala is designed to make contemporary art feel experiential, social, and approachable rather than intimidating. We want guests to encounter art in a way that feels woven into the atmosphere of the evening, through music, design, conversation, performance, and shared moments of discovery. The preview of Iván Argote’s exhibition is a central part of that experience, giving guests the opportunity to engage directly with an international artist on a personal level.
The evening also creates multiple pathways into collecting and supporting the arts, particularly through the silent auction, which allows guests to connect with works by contemporary Latin artists, many of whom will be in attendance. For many people, events like Candela become an introduction not only to contemporary art, but to the community that surrounds and sustains it. We hope guests leave feeling inspired, welcomed, and more connected to the cultural conversations happening at Dallas Contemporary.
P: The evening is inspired in part by the work of Iván Argote. What about his practice resonates strongly with this year’s theme?
Catalina Gonzalez-Jorba (CGJ): Iván’s work resonates deeply with this year’s gala because of the way he explores identity, memory, power, and belonging through a distinctly Latin American lens while creating conversations that feel universal.
As a Colombian, I connect strongly to the way his practice reflects both the beauty and complexity of Latin American culture and history. His work carries a sense of movement, poetry, and humanity that inspired the emotional direction of the evening. The gala’s 1950s Latin American revival theme draws from that spirit: vibrant, layered, romantic, and deeply connected to community, storytelling, and cultural pride.
The name Candela was also born from this feeling. In Spanish, candela is a flame. But in the streets of Cartagena, Havana, and Miami, it means something more: electric, alive, the kind of energy a room never forgets. The 1950s Latin American revival was candela in every form: the blaze of Afro-Latin jazz spilling out of open windows, the movement of a rhumba dress, the neon glow of Art Deco Miami softened in coral and pink. Candela is not decoration; it is the animating force behind everything beautiful and alive about that era.
This gala channels that flame. From the moment guests arrive, the evening burns with intention, with color, rhythm, and the specific electricity of a night that was always meant to feel unforgettable.
P: Every gala has a detail that captures the spirit of the night. Is there a particular moment, installation, performance, or design element you’re especially excited for guests to experience?
CGJ: We are being incredibly intentional about creating moments that feel immersive and memorable from the second guests arrive. I’m especially excited about the atmosphere as a whole, the warmth of the pink palette inspired by Iván’s work, the rhythm of live Latin jazz, and the feeling of stepping into a glamorous Miami Art Deco-inspired world. There will be unexpected details throughout the evening, from intimate performance moments to lounge spaces inspired by classic Latin American social clubs and refined cigar bars.
We are also incredibly excited to surprise guests with a very special live entertainer whose presence will bring even more energy and emotion to the evening.
What makes this gala especially meaningful is the extraordinary group of creative partners and sponsors helping bring the vision to life. Every collaborator involved is truly best-in-class at what they do. From the culinary experience by Cassandra Moses from Art2Catering, the creative and beautiful floral design by Pablo Arellano from Concepto Studio to event logistics led by Elisabeth Landry and her team at Silver Lining Events Co., every detail is being approached with intention, artistry, and care.
We are also deeply grateful for the support of our incredible sponsors and partners, including Delilah, Lalo tequila, Hotel Swexan, and Belmond along with so many others helping shape the experience of the evening. It truly feels like a collaboration between some of the most creative and passionate people in Dallas.
We want every part of the night to feel cinematic, soulful, and celebratory where guests are not simply attending a gala but fully experiencing it.
P: Fashion is always part of the storytelling at an event like this. What kind of style or energy are you hoping guests embrace this year?
CGJ: Fashion has always been deeply connected to who I am and to the purpose behind Dondolo. I’ve always believed clothing tells a story and creates emotion, and for this year’s Dallas Contemporary Gala, fashion is truly part of the immersive experience of the evening.
We are excited to collaborate with Dallas stylist Marissa Birdi to create styling moodboards and inspiration that will help guests feel excited, confident, and fully immersed in the world of the gala. The spirit of the night is inspired by a 1950s Latin American revival…glamorous, expressive, elegant, and full of movement and personality.
The name Candela also plays an important role in the fashion energy of the evening. In Spanish, candela means flame, but culturally it represents something electric, magnetic, and impossible to ignore. We hope guests embrace that spirit through fashion that feels bold, sensual, artistic, and alive. Looks that move, shimmer, and tell a story the moment someone enters the room.
We are also incredibly grateful to have the support of fashion partners and sponsors who share this vision with us, including Highland Park Village, Missoni, KHAITE, and Balmain, all helping bring an elevated sense of fashion, artistry, and magic to the evening.
More than anything, we want guests to have fun with fashion and feel incredible in what they wear. Fashion is so much about how you feel in an outfit, and we hope everyone embraces the opportunity to feel confident, sexy, artsy, and sophisticated while interpreting the theme in their own unique way. We also hope Candela becomes a space for creativity and self-expression; a chance to take risks, embrace color and texture, and explore the beauty of wearing Latin American designers and pieces that celebrate the richness of our culture and heritage.
Candela will take place at Dallas Contemporary at 161 Glass Street in the Dallas Design District on Saturday, September 26, which raises vital operating funds for the museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, and public performances.
For tickets, tables, and sponsorships email gala@dallascontemporary.org