City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs Announces the Grand Opening of the Oak Cliff Cultural Center

A new era of artistic and cultural opportunities is about to begin in Dallas' Oak Cliff community

DALLAS, TX - The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs proudly announces the grand opening of the Oak Cliff Cultural Center, located at 223 West Jefferson Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75208, and will mark the event with a dedication ceremony on Thursday, August 12, 2010 and a community open house and street fair on Sunday, August 15, 2010. The dedication ceremony for the new center will be held on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 11:30 AM, and will be hosted by the Office of Cultural Affairs Director and the Cultural Affairs Commission. Council Member Delia Jasso and City officials will dedicate the new facility and will unveil the Cultural Center's inaugural art exhibition, Perspectives from the Cliff: Recent Work by Oak Cliff Artists. This juried exhibition features 25 artworks by 17 artists who live or work in Oak Cliff: Sal Barron, Chris Bingham, Carrie Cook, Christa Diepenbrock, Bryan Steven Gooding, Cynthia Garrison, Keirston Jacobs, Santiago Lopez III, Cynthia Maute, Wendy Medling, Brent Mitchell, Lyndon Ardell Mitchell, Terri Neal, Kenda North, Larry Pile, Sam Theis and Jessica Trevizo. Serving as jurors were Dallas artists Tina Aguilar and Charley Mitcherson. On Sunday, August 15, 2010, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., the community is invited to an open house and street fair to celebrate the new center. The 200 block of Jefferson Boulevard will be closed for a street fair, which will feature three musical acts on stage, face painting, booths offering information on City services, the Dallas Public Library's Bookmobile, and more. Inside the center, activities will include artist talks in the gallery and dance demonstrations in the studio by Alegre Ballet Folklórico. More information on these events can be found at www.dallasculture.org/occc. "We are thrilled with our new space in Oak Cliff, in the midst of the vibrant commercial district of Jefferson Boulevard," notes Maria Muñoz-Blanco, director of the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. "The Oak Cliff Cultural Center will serve as a family-oriented arts venue, bringing a variety of dance classes, arts workshops and exhibitions that showcase the diversity and creativity of Oak Cliff."

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The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) works to enhance the vitality of the City and the quality of life for all Dallas citizens by creating an environment wherein arts and cultural organizations can thrive so that people of all ages can enjoy opportunities for creative expressions and the celebration of our community's multicultural heritage. Our mission is to establish a cultural system that ensures that ALL Dallas citizens and visitors have an opportunity to experience the finest in arts and culture. The OCA is advised by an 18-member Cultural Affairs Commission appointed by the Dallas City Council. The OCA manages the city's investment in arts and culture, including oversight of 21 city-owned cultural facilities that include the Bath House Cultural Center, Latino Cultural Center, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Oak Cliff Cultural Center, and South Dallas Cultural Center; a Cultural Contracts Program; Public Art Program; and the city's classical music radio station, WRR101.1FM. More information on the programs and services provided by the OCA can be found at www.dallasculture.org.