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When: Thursdays | March 23 and March 30

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: South Dallas Cultural Center | 3400 S Fitzhugh Ave, Dallas, TX 75210

Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Classes are for ages 7 and up.

Alejandro Perez, Jr.

Alejandro Perez, Jr. (AP) is a multi-disciplinary artist and arts educator and consultant whose primary focus is to empower people through the process of holistic learning.  

 

He has developed a kinesthetic, melody/mantra based “See it. Say it. Do it.” approach to educating the whole person called The Melody Memory Method. The Melody Memory Method integrates visual, oral/aural (call and response) and kinesthetic tools that make learning more tangible and accessible, as well as more expressive and enjoyable for the learner.  It has been applied at The Village Child Development Center, through workshops, assemblies and residencies with Will Richey and Journeyman Ink, with at-risk teens for Big Thought’s “Creative Solutions” Summer Theater and Visual Arts Program and for Irving ISD’s Middle School Enrichment Program.

 

A seasoned artist of African-American and Puerto Rican descent, Alejandro is a percussionist, choreographer, gymnastics instructor, and Contra-Mestre of Capoeira Angola (de Sao Bento Grande), a multi-disciplinary African-Brazilian marital art.  He is the lead musician and a key mentor for DaVerse Lounge, an under 21 open mic for youth across North Texas, and MC for the house band, Melody Memory.   

 

A published poet, Alejandro’s work has been featured in the “Dallas Love Project Book”, published by 29 pieces. He was a part of an ensemble presentation at TEDxSMU on DaVerse Lounge: The Power of Voice, and has performed at the National Facing Race Conference, the Embrey Human Rights Program’s inaugural, “Triumph of the Spirit Award Ceremony” and the National Performance Network’s 25th Anniversary Meeting in Dallas.  The Reciprocity Arts Café at the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City are two of the other stand out venues he has shared his talents with over the last two decades.  

 

He has taught workshops at the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, Texas A & M, Mountain View College and for the Baker Idea Institute at the Dallas Children’s Theater.  As a recording artist he has worked with Erykah Badu, Poet Kalamu Ya Salam, and has shared performance space with Haki Madhabuti, Bob Marley’s band, The Wailers, Souljah and many others. 

 

Alejandro is a practicing life coach for young adults and teens and an experienced early education and kindergarten instructor, having taught at East Dallas Community School/Bilingual Montessori and at Africa Care Academy (ACA), in Dallas, where he was named the 2002 ACA Teacher of the Year.

 

Click here for more New Year, New Skills programs at SDCC

In honor of Juanita Craft, Mia Green of The Couture Beauty and Sewing Academy will host a 3-week workshop teaching individuals the art of learning how to sew. Participants will learn how to use the sewing machine, and create various seams and finishes. Participants will also learn about fabric types and will finish the workshop creating two beginner-friendly projects to keep. The Learn the Art of Sewing Workshop is designed to instruct the absolute beginner, but all skill levels are welcome to participate.

When: Saturdays | April 15, 22, and 29

Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location: South Dallas Cultural Center

Registered participants must be 16 years and up and be able to attend all three workshops.

Stitch to Runway: A Journey to the Fashion Industry

Can you have a career as a seamstress or tailor? How do you get started?

Join Mia Green for an informal conversation on how to craft a career into the fashion industry.  This workshop will draw on Green’s personal and profession experiences as a seamstress, give advice and guidance for people starting their careers or side-hustle and weaving through some of industry challenges.

When: Thursday, April 27

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: South Dallas Cultural Center

The program is free and open to all ages. Participants do not have to attend workshops to attend this talk.

Mia Green

Mia Green is The Couture Beauty Connoisseur. She has worked in the beauty and fashion industry for over 30 years. As the former Director of Education for a local quilt shop in Dallas, TX, her love for teaching beauty and fashion has grown.

 

Today, she is the owner of The Couture Beauty and Sewing Academy which is an online school dedicated to teaching women and children the art of makeup application and garment construction allowing them to create a signature style through which they can showcase their favorite features via beauty and fashion.

Click here for more upcoming programs at SDCC

Click here for more New Year, New Skills programs at SDCC

When: Friday, April 21

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: South Dallas Cultural Center

The workshop is free and open to all ages.

Sammetria Goodson

Write Author Sammetria is an Attorney who focuses her practice on Art Law and Intellectual Property. Sammetria works with a wide range of art industry clients including artists, art agencies,  organizations, galleries, dealers, independent curators, consultants and collectors. She also works with multi-hyphenate creatives in Fashion, Entertainment, Design, and the Nonprofit sector.

Sammetria holds a BBA in Marketing and a BA in Art History from The University of Texas at Austin. She’s also a proud graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia. 

 

Sammetria has a passion for navigating emerging artists through the art world and helping established artists protect their creative legacies. She currently teaches an anti-starving artist course at UT Austin, College of Fine Arts. Sammetria was recently awarded an Arts Education Award from the Dallas Business Council for the Arts for her community arts education work. She will be speaking on the intersection of Digital Art and Public Art at a national conference of art commissioners in March 2023. An article co-authored by Sammetria discussing Art and Private Investment will be published the second quarter of 2023.

John Spriggins

A native of Dallas, TX, John Spriggins has dedicated much of his life and career to the visual arts. John is currently the General Manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center. As general manager John initiated the rehabilitation of the Juanita J Craft Civil Rights House and created an Artist in Residence program also named for Mrs. Craft’s. John was also instrumental in achieving the Fair Park Cultural District designation received by the City of Dallas in 2021.

Prior to arriving at SDCC, John served as the Gallery Director for Richland College. He has been a professor of Arts and Humanities for Dallas and Tarrant County Community College for a combined 12 years. Since 2012 John held the position of Interim Curator for the African American Museum, Dallas and continues to work with the museum on special projects. He has served as a voting member of the Public Arts Committee and Cultural Affairs Commissioner for the city of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, where he served as a community liaison on public art projects. John’s passion for education is equally matched by his zeal for the arts. He has worked with numerous organizations to bring arts awareness to the city of Dallas.

The 1300 sq. ft. one-story frame house was the home of Juanita J. Craft, one of Dallas´ most significant civil rights figures and the second African American woman to serve on the Dallas City Council. Programming at the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House is coordinated by the South Dallas Cultural Center of the City of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs.

In 1935, Craft joined the NAACP, and in the years that followed, she started 182 rural NAACP chapters.Craft joined demonstrations against the segregated University of Texas Law School and North Texas State University, each resulting in successful lawsuits in 1950 and 1955. Afterwards, she opened a dropout preparation program in Dallas. Craft also served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Children and Youth, and as a member of the Governor’s Human Relations Committee. In 1975, at the age of 73, she was elected to the Dallas City Council, where she spent two terms working to improve the status of Hispanic and Native Americans.

Click here to learn more about the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum

Learn more about SDCC’s New Year, New Skills creative program

Music

JESS GARLAND is a Dallas-based singer-songwriter, recording and performing artist. She is a multi-instrumentalist who combines harp and guitar loops to evoke her unique brand of celestial avant-garde pop with ethereal jazz tones. Jess is also the President and Founding Director of Swan Strings and has recently been appointed Executive Director at Girls Rock Dallas.

BANDAN KORO AFRICAN DRUM & DANCE studies and shares experiences associated with African culture and history through the medium of dance, music, and specialized presentations for African and African Diaspora related music, dance, and culture.

Movement

BECKLES DANCING COMPANY provides a platform where performers and audiences of all ages are inspired to celebrate the techniques, creative powers and fusion of dance movement.

Spoken Word

THE ART INSPIRED HEALING COLLECTIVE is a community-based organization that is committed to promoting compassion, mindfulness, meditation, and healing for the people of Dallas. They view healing and self-care as a revolutionary act, one, which can help all individuals lead a more productive and healthy life. The spoken word segment was led by King Shakur and Jonathan ‘GNO’ White.

Click here for more upcoming programs at SDCC

From the City of Dallas Arts & Culture website:

“City Manager T.C. Broadnax appointed Martine Elyse Philippe as the Director of the Office of Arts & Culture, effective December 5, 2022.

With over 15 years of experience in arts administration, Martine comes to Dallas having served as the National Community Art Manager for A Window Between Worlds based in Los Angeles, CA and as the Chair for District 12 Arts Task Force for the Atlanta City Council. In her role with AWBW she is the national creative strategist for the development of art- based leadership and resources to transform trauma and create community-based methods of change and social justice through art.

Martine’s art administration experience spans across city government and the non-profit sector. As a trained dancer, she began her arts administration career with the City of Atlanta whereby she developed dance curriculum and then went on to become the Cultural Affairs Project Coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She has served in several executive roles, such as the Executive Director of Atlanta’s Resource for Entertainment & Arts.

Martine has a Master of Arts in Education Leadership from Argosy University and a BA in African American Studies from the University of Georgia. Martine is devoted to diversity, equity, and inclusion in every facet of art and culture. She has a desire to utilize the breadth of her experiences to make a tremendous impact in the City of Dallas.”

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1st Class: Saturday, February 25 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

2nd Class: Saturday, March 4 | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Location: South Dallas Cultural Center

This workshop is free with registration. Participants must be 16 years of age or older and commit to both classes to complete the workshop.