March 2, 2018
ERYKAH BADU
By Frank Campagna
Long before Deep Ellum turned into one of Dallas’s hottest neighborhoods Frank Campagna was there, watching waves of businesses come and go. In the 1980s he was hosting bands at his art studio. In the 90s he was painting murals on the walls of new restaurants and nightclubs. In the 2000s when the bars and restaurants left he opened Kettle Art gallery on Elm Street and says that for a long time there was very little else on the block. Now, with the resurgence of the neighborhood under developer Scott Rohrman, Campagna is back on Main Street and doing well. Reflecting his history in the neighborhood watching the who’s who of musical artists passing through, Campagna painted this series of portraits on Elm Street, including Erykah Badu, actress and “neo-soul” artist sometimes compared to Billie Holiday. @erykahbadu @KettleArt
