Our Mission

Arts Mission Oak Cliff holds space for a diverse community to cultivate, celebrate, and sustain their creativity while actively engaging and inspiring the public with the arts.

History

Arts Mission Oak Cliff (AMOC) opened its doors in February 2017. The massive restoration of the Winnetka Congregational Church in Oak Cliff’s Winnetka Heights historic neighborhood was a dream and labor of love for Founder Anastasia Muñoz and the investors behind the project, Lola and Todd Lott. Emerging conflicts and opportunities in Oak Cliff offer an optimal climate for the creation of art, but finding an affordable space to create and produce that art is challenging. AMOC meets this challenge.

AMOC is, all at once, a shared workspace, performance space, rehearsal space and community center offering artists a place to practice, teach, develop and display their crafts. The original sanctuary offers a space for full productions and workshops. The half-basement, nicknamed “The Underground”, is lined with Sunday School classrooms transformed into various creative workspaces including a recording studio, a music school, and private artist studios. The full kitchen acts as a prep space and springboard for various local culinary artists. As the first performance in the sanctuary in the Spring of 2017, Dallas-based Cara Mia Theater launched their world premiere of Caridad Svich’s De Troya.

AMOC has since provided opportunities for local artists and arts groups to create and share their work through both affordable rentals and artistic programming. The facility is run by artists through AMOC’s Exchange Club (AMOCX), a founding program for the org. Over the past seven years AMOCX has evolved to include a monthly stipend, free rehearsal space, and mentorship in exchange for weekly work in the front office. One of AMOC’s longest standing programs is the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program, launched in 2021 with the goal of supporting local artists/arts groups in the development and presentation of new work. The residency currently awards up to six (6) local, independent artists or arts groups/organizations a three (3) month residency annually, awarding residents an artist fee, rehearsal & studio space, marketing and production support, and creative mentorship. The Subsidized Rehearsal Space Program was introduced in 2022, giving local artists and arts groups access to $15hr rental space. AMOC continues to adapt and expand its offerings to support the needs of local creatives including various partnerships and collaborations with local groups.

In 2022, AMOC was one of five organizations awarded grant funding for the development of an original production through the TACA New Works Fund, and in 2024 was one of six organizations in TACA’s inaugural Arts Accelerator program. The organization has also received funding from the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts & Culture and Moody Fund for the Arts.

ADA Accessibility

Arts Mission Oak Cliff is a historically-designated restored building, originally built in 1929. As a historic site, every change made to the structure must be approved by the City of Dallas and executed by skilled professionals. The process of becoming ADA accessible has begun. The building now has an ADA accessible ramp, and there is designated space for an ADA compliant lift. In addition, one of the four bathrooms is ADA accessible. AMOC hopes to complete the process soon and plans to acquire funding to support this continued effort to make the facilities and programming accessible to all people.