Saturn Ferguson

Amplifiers crackle, drum kits rattle and guitars cut through the noise as Smothered performs, a band shaped by years of playing together, fall into a rhythm and figure things out as they go. Now, that process has brought them somewhere new. The Denton-based band is now one of 10 finalists in the JAMBALOO Music Prize, a $20,000 prize honoring the best independent album in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Sunlight hits chemically coated paper, with pressed flowers leaving behind deep blue impressions. Nearby, a flatbed scanner hums with layered images of petals and feathers. For Victoria Donaldson, these processes have become more than creative experiments — they are a way back into making art and being creative. Donaldson, a classically trained bassoonist with two performance degrees from the university, said her path into visual art was not planned. “Burnout is a huge thing,” Donaldson said.

Racks of curated vintage clothes and the smell of fabrics fill the air as a Denton favorite gets ready to celebrate a triumphant milestone. Located at 221 W. Oak St., Salvage Secondhand Shoppe celebrated five years as a standalone business on Feb. 12. Since opening its doors in 2021, Salvage has become a staple among Denton’s wide variety of thrift stores, all beginning with Juliana DiGennaro, shop owner and Denton resident.