Learn portrait basics through a glamour style photoshoot with artist Her.Manos Photography. Participants will focus on basic lighting, modeling positions, exposure, and confidence. Each participant will have the opportunity to create a portrait using the instructor camera. Details and registration: Portrait Basics
La Isla Bajo El Mar
Afro-Mexican identity Through Arts and Activism in Costa Chica, Mexico
March 14 – 24, 2026
Reception: Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This art exhibition is the visualization of 5 Afro-Indigenous Mexican Artists (Yuyé Hernández, Ramiro Victor Paz Jimenez, Albert Nicolas, Ivaan Hernández Piza, and Jose Youalli Garcia Torres) from the Costa Chica region of Mexico that will reflect the collective identity, innovation, intuitiveness and spirituality within their community, as they navigate the challenges in the Water Bearer’s Age.
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Creative Writing Workshop Series with Linda Jones, The Writing Doula
Sign Up Here
Thursdays
February 19, February 26, and March 5 2026, at 1:00-2:00 PM
Oak Cliff Cultural Center
This series invites participants to experiment with poetry, reflective journaling, life story, and other expressive writing techniques.
About Linda Jones
Linda Jones is a writing and wellness doula, certified Grief Recovery Specialist, and devoted legacy keeper. Her work blends mindfulness, creative expression, and emotional care—guiding people toward healing, clarity, and focused self-care through the written word.
A former career journalist, Linda also advises on AI fundamentals and champions reflective storytelling that preserves family legacy and strengthens our collective memory.
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Carnaval in Bahia Workshop
Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sign up here
Enjoy music and movement for all ages, as we kick off the Carnaval season with a “visit” to Bahia, Brazil! This workshop will offer a taste of traditional percussion, dance, and the iconic art of Capoeira Regional, all steeped in history and cultural context.
Instructor Bio:
Ondas Cultural and Movement Arts provides the North Texas Community with opportunities to interact with cultural and movement arts where diverse and inclusive histories are represented and uplifted through authentic and educational cultural exchanges. Additionally we provide educational and interactive opportunities for community building, community maintenance, sustainable practices through programming for people of all ages. Ondas CMA is home to the Texas chapter of Filhos de Bimba, an international organization from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil dedicated to the conservation of authentic and traditional Afro-Brazilian Cultural Arts, and especially, Capoeira Regional. The Texas Chapter is organized by Professora Borboleta.
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SPRING BREAK APPAREL CAMP WITH CHELITA MCDUFFIE
March 16-20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center
Sign Up Here
In this 5-day apparel camp, students ages 8-12 will learn the basics of fashion design and sewing while creating a two-piece outfit: an Easy Tee and a skirt or short option. Students will explore fabric selection, measurements, sewing fundamentals, and garment construction in a supportive, hands-on environment.
The week includes Sewing 101, guided practice on sewing machines, and step-by-step instruction as students begin and complete their first apparel projects. If time permits, students will also create a coordinating accessory such as a scrunchie or headband to complete their look.
The camp concludes with a mini showcase celebrating each student’s finished garments and creative expression. No prior sewing experience required.
Instructor bio:
Chelita McDuffie is a Dallas-based fashion entrepreneur, educator, and community builder. She founded That’s Sew Creative! in 2022 as a mobile sewing studio to make creativity accessible to everyone—from youth and adults to schools, libraries, and community centers across the DFW area. What began as small pop-up classes has grown into a movement that blends sewing, design, and hands-on innovation, giving people the tools to create, connect, and express themselves.
Chelita is also the founder of the Sew a Seed Foundation, a nonprofit that expands access to sewing education and creative career pathways, particularly for underserved and BIPOC communities. Together, her ventures are building an ecosystem where fashion, technology, and community intersect—empowering the next generation of makers and innovators.
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Join the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for a conversation with artist Bonny Leibowitz. In our thirty second episode, we talk to Bonny about her work and journey that led to the exhibitions “Adventures in Plunderland” at OC3. OCCC is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. The views and opinions expressed here are of the individuals only and do not necessarily reflect views or positions of the City of Dallas, the Office of Arts and Culture, or the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Intro + Outro royalty free music prod. by Danya Vodovoz of VMP
LISTEN HERE: FREQUENCIES/BONNY LEIBOWITZ
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FTC Comedy Presents: Byron Stamps LIVE
Friday, December 19, 2025 at 8 PM
Oak Cliff Cultural Center
Byron Stamps is a juggernaut in the Dallas Comedy Scene. A cerebral writer and an authentic stage presence, Stamps is the real deal!
Byron Stamps is a Mississippi native whose laid-back delivery about tales of family life, observations, and being a thug trapped in a nerd’s body thoroughly engages audiences. There is never a dull moment during this peek behind the curtain into his wild and hilariously twisted mind.
Byron recently returned from tour with his traveling show “Truth in Comedy”, which is a twist to storytelling where comics write jokes around someone’s story.
He has performed his act at the Dallas Comedy House, Chicago’s Snubfest, and the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas. He can be seen performing stand-up regularly around the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as improv with The Hammock District.
Tickets here!
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Join us Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM with books, art, workshops, storytelling, live music performance, and more in celebration of American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker, Zora Neale Hurston, born on January 7, 1891… We are grateful to the Zora Neale Hurston Trust for their support.
Artwork by VET. Exhibition up through January 24, 2026.
Taevia Norris, Books and Brown Sugar Co. will have Zora Neale Hurston books available.
Refreshments and a tea/hot cocoa station will be provided by Ashley Jordan, We Form Creatives.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (Zora Neale Hurston was a member of this sorority) Kappa Zeta Chapter in Dallas will be celebrating their 95-year anniversary.
Schedule of Events
12:00 PM – Ashley Jordan, We Form Creatives, and Alex tha Great, Right to Write Slam Poetry Festival, in conversation via Instagram Live (VIRTUAL)
12:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Create a bookmark inspired b Zora Neale Hurston at the DMA art cart
12:30 PM – Ashley Jordan, We Form Creatives, and Lois J. Hurston Gaston, Ph.D., a grandniece of Zora Neale Hurston and a veteran public school and community college educator, in conversation via Instagram Live (VIRTUAL)
1:00 PM – Spoken Notes Workshop by Linda Jones (IN-PERSON)
3:30 PM – Iv Amenti (IN-PERSON)
4:30 PM – Bandan Koro (IN-PERSON)
5:30 PM – Percussion Things (IN-PERSON)
Moon Shadow Open Mic
presented by Christopher Soden
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 7:00 PM
at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center
Every second Wednesday, we invite passionate poets to attend the performance of Moon Shadow Open Mic presented by Christopher Soden. We will begin with a featured poet, after that the poets who have signed up for a 5-minute spot. We hope to see you there!
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