RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Beyond the confines of Oak Lawn and the Gayborhood, Dallas has its pockets of safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. Whether in neighborhoods like Bishop Arts or in retail spaces like Half Price Books, we inherently know when it feels safe to be ourselves. Walking into Kettle Art in Deep Ellum gives off that vibe through its eclectic art shows, easygoing spirit and an appreciation for art above all else.
That’s the focus behind Jason Hensel’s book For the Love: A Cultural History of Kettle Art. Released in December by Dallas publisher K.Co Press, Hensel’s book chronicles the history, community and ongoing impact of Kettle Art and its founder, local artist Frank Campagna.
“I feel honored to be the one who gets to tell Kettle’s story. In some ways, I’m surprised it took this long for that story to be captured in book form,” Hensel said. “But that speaks to how humble Frank is, which only magnifies why it’s important for this book to be published.\
The book features artist profiles, anecdotes, oral histories and other content that showcases the stories from the gallery’s first 20 years exhibiting art and supporting creatives.
“I always remembered it being a place where everyone was welcome and where the variety of art was accessible and interesting. It just so happened that 2025 was the gallery’s 20th anniversary, so it seemed perfect timing to publish a book about Kettle and Frank,” Hensel added.
KCo founders Stephanie and James Khattak saw immediate potential when Hensel pitched the book. As artists themselves and giving a focus to art in its titles as well as its Dallas ties, there wasn’t much in the way of saying “yes” to the book.
“Many people are familiar with Kettle through its exhibitions, artists, Frank Campagna’s mural work and civic leadership, and [his partner’s] Paula Harris’ fabulous events,” Stephanie Khattak said. “Publishing Jason’s book was an opportunity to share the gallery’s story, and also dig deeper to communicate its impact through artists, civic leaders and the writers who contributed essays for the book.”
The book features a number of local artist luminaries including such queer artists as Cathey Miller and Erica Felicella.
As one of the original artists who showed at Kettle, Campagna has been woven into her life for more than 20 years.
“Kettle was fringe by nature, not by design. It wasn’t polished — it was intentional. Art camefirst, community came naturally, and nobody was pretending to be anything other than who they were,” Felicella said. “Frank has always led that way: with trust, instinct, and an uncanny ability to see where things could go long before the rest of us caught up.”
As a queer artist, Felicella had no reservations about being her authentic self within the gallery’s walls.
“At Kettle, my queerness didn’t need explaining — it just showed up with me and got to work,” she added. “In a Dallas that still whispered, ‘don’t hold hands;’ ‘don’t be too visible,’ Kettle was where I could exhale and because of that, diversity and inclusion weren’t buzzwords, belonging wasn’t discussed. It just was.”
Miller echoes Felicella’s sentiments. She met Campagne more than 20 years ago when he saw her work at an open studio. Afterward, he invited her to show at the gallery.
“He loved my crazy lesbians in outer space fighting flying lobster cupcake paintings,” she recalled. “Through the years, he’s included me and I am so grateful to have solo shows at Kettle and leave glitter all over his gallery floor.
Miller’s work is colorful and mythical cowboy, sci-fi fantasies but also comes with a strong queer perspective. Or in her words, “very gay.” But there she found a haven for both art lovers and the curious.
(Courtesyphoto)
For the Love (Photo by Jason Ja
“Kettle Gallery is an extension of a grumpy punk rock working artist that is cool with you doing you and I always felt encouraged and celebrated by Frank,” she said. “I know a lot of people who never went to art openings before Kettle, and then afterwards were always there buying art! I have seen younger queers at Kettle and I am always proud that they feel welcome and maybe even see some queer art that day.”
Kettle Art has always been my favorite gallery in Dallas. I’ve been hanging out there since they opened on Elm street in 2013. I knew Erica Felicia was a big part of the gallery as well as Cathey Miller.The openings are so cool and inclusive. It is a great social hangout and a perfect place to take a date or possibly meet someone. Like an art clubhouse. I feel I could be myself and not have to hide my gay identity.
Susan Carson was one-half of the local lesbian duo Bandmates which used to perform in the late aughts-early 2010s. She also previously worked at a gallery she described as much more conservative. Now she serves as Gallery Consultant at Kettle where her own creative side meshes well with Frank and Paula. It didn’t hurt she was already a fan of the gallery before becoming family.
“Frank brought me out of retirement but Kettle Art feels like home. And Frank feels like a brother to me and we have a strong bond for music and art,” she said. “He is such a pillar of the Deep Ellum scene and I’m so proud to call him a friend and ally of the community.”
With Valentine’s upon us, The Kettle really gets into the spirit by showing some love.
The annual For the Love of Kettle is a one night only art show event that will happen on Valentine’s Day at 7 p.m. that features works by local artists all available for $75 each. No previews or VIP experiences. Everyone waits in line until the doors open.
A week later, on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. the gallery hosts For the Love of Artists. This exhibit is an annual “thank you” to the artists who contribute pieces to the Valentine’s Day event. Artists show their work at their price and no sales commissions are taken out.
As an artist, Campagna is aware of what other artists have to suffer through. So his gallery, which has received widespread attention beyond Dallas, opens its doors to the creative community.
But its doors have been long open before that – literally and metaphorically.
For many, Kettle and Frank are synonymous, but Campagna would much rather let the work and space speak for itself.
“The gallery was founded in my ideal vision of the world, one where diversity is embraced and people make an effort to understand and accept those who are different from themselves. When we began, what’s now referred to as “DEI” was driven by the simple reality that women and people of color represented only 15 to 18 percent of artists shown in galleries and museums, a figure very disproportionate to U.S. demographics,” he said.
“Everyone has a story to tell and life experiences to share, so why not listen, learn, and maybe even embrace another point of view? I can guarantee in doing so that your life will be far more interesting, inspiring, and fun.”
He would cringe at being called a local legend. But 20 years of having a successful independent gallery is a triumph as well as his immense body of work. Kettle Art is not only a safe and welcoming place, but a safe one to walk into and leave with something more whether it’s a piece of art, a new friend or even a bit of hope. ■
For information about upcoming For the Love events, visit KettleArt.com. For the Love book is available to order at KCoPress.com.