Portraits of 'Lost Ladies' Rediscovered at Dallas Art Show

Exhibition celebrates midcentury paintings found in thrift stores and given new life.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 2:20pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a vintage portrait canvas with visible texture, cracks, and imperfections, shot in dramatic high-contrast studio lighting to create a glamorous, high-fashion aesthetic.Rediscovered midcentury portraits find new life and meaning through community-driven restoration and storytelling.Dallas Today

A Dallas thrifter's quest to find and restore forgotten portraits of women from the 1960s culminated in a one-night-only art exhibition showcasing 17 rediscovered paintings. The 'Lost Ladies of 1961' show at J Williams Fine Art featured the portraits, which were salvaged from thrift stores, reframed, and given new identities by their buyers.

Why it matters

The exhibition highlighted the stories behind discarded artworks and the power of community to breathe new life into forgotten treasures. It also explored themes of women's representation, the value of midcentury portraiture, and the joy of thrifting and collecting.

The details

Thrifter Melissa Smrekar began collecting the portraits after finding one at a Goodwill Outlet store. She posted about her 'lost lady' on Instagram and soon had 17 portraits from thrift stores across Texas. Framebridge helped restore the paintings by reframing them in colorful, modern styles. At the one-night show, over 125 guests admired the portraits and were given Sharpies to name and reimagine the women's stories.

  • Smrekar found the first portrait nearly 3 years ago at a Goodwill Outlet store.
  • The 'Lost Ladies of 1961' exhibition was held on a recent bustling Dallas night.

The players

Melissa Smrekar

A Dallas thrifter who collected the forgotten portraits and curated the exhibition.

Framebridge

The custom framing company that partnered with Smrekar to restore and reframe the paintings.

J Williams Fine Art

The Dallas Design District gallery that hosted the one-night-only exhibition.

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What they’re saying

“She was obviously annoyed with her mother.”

— A friend of Smrekar's

“Stella carries a quiet, undeniable strength. As a Black woman in the 1960s, her presence alone holds weight, dignity, resistance, and grace in a world that asked her to be smaller.”

— A buyer of 'Lost Lady #7'

“I have chosen to name my lost lady Perdita or 'Perdy' for those in the know. She was 27 when this portrait was painted in 1958, in a small Southern town that never quite understood her.”

— A buyer of 'Lost Lady #9'

What’s next

The 15 portraits that were purchased at the exhibition will now have new lives in the homes of their new owners, who will continue to uncover the stories behind these 'lost ladies'.

The takeaway

The 'Lost Ladies of 1961' exhibition demonstrated the power of community, creativity, and a little bit of thrifting to breathe new life into forgotten artworks and uncover the untold stories of remarkable women from the past.