DALLAS — Deep Ellum is celebrating its business owners, artists, musicians and others through new streetlight pole banners called "Deep Ellum People.”
The Deep Ellum Foundation is installing new streetlight pole banners on Elm Street, Main Street and Exposition Avenue to highlight those who have invested their talent, sweat and tears into the Deep Ellum Cultural District. The Deep Ellum Foundation said it received hundreds of submissions after a call for nominations in 2023 and 120 were selected to be featured with portraits on the banners.
In addition to catching a glimpse of these people on the streetlight poles and social media, viewers and passersby will be able to visit DeepEllumTexas.com to find full-length articles on these colorful characters who make up the incomparable Deep Ellum community.
The first one honors Sandy and Pedro Rojas, co-owners of Deep Ellum restaurant Pepe’s & Mito’s.
“I’m excited Deep Ellum is still here. I love that we have the arts festival, street markets. More and more people should know Deep Ellum has diversity – a lot of things, arts, a meat market that’s been there for 100 years, a cheese company.” Sandy Rojas said in a press release. “We’re very hands-on with our business, and that, we wouldn’t change. It keeps things exciting. It can only grow so much because it’s so small. It stays unique. As long as we stick with that, we’ll be successful.”
The profiles will be written by Taylor Adams Cogan, former journalist for The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Observer.
The portraits will be taken by Breonny Lee, a Dallas-native portrait and event photographer with over 25 years of experience. Lee is also the current president of the Deep Ellum Community Association and Executive Producer of the Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair.
The stories and portraits of "Deep Ellum People" will be released weekly throughout the remainder of 2024 and 2025, according to the Deep Ellum Foundation.
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