Over the past couple of years, a DIY enclave of arts and collaboration has emerged in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus, OH.

The Dallas at Milo is an unassuming building at first. But nearly everything about it is evidence that its a labor of love. Head inside and you’ll find some friendly faces. Leading the crew are Melissa Dillon and Terry Tertiary. Truly everyone is welcome there. They’ll open their doors to the most niche of niche creators.

I’ve been to this space for shows and festivals alike. The Dallas is host to the Underground Out Loud festival, a celebration of all things independent and underground (Columbus scene veterans might recall Independent’s Day Fest – there’s a similar ethos here). Usually one of the editions of this event happens in tandem with 934 Fest – a music and arts fest that happens adjacent to the Dallas every September. Like any arts collective, there is a core group of individuals that form the heartbeat. However, The Dallas isn’t setting out to be just another arts clique. In fact, in recent years I’ve seen significant movement for cross-pollination of scenes from them. A couple of examples: 2025 will be the second year running that multiple acts associated with The Dallas will appear at Pittsburgh’s NoCo Fest – an event put on by the faith-oriented alternative arts group The Novelty Collective; and, Grammy nominated hip hop artist Alfred Banks from New Orleans has appeared at the Dallas on multiple occassions. Terry has also enjoyed a years long friendship with the indie concert network SoFar Sounds.

Tuned Up had the chance to sit down with Melissa Dillon, one of the head honchos at the Dallas. Get to know her heart, and the soul of this place and consider planning a visit.

Tuned Up: Share with us your mission statement for The Dallas and the meaning behind its name.

Melissa: When we first started The Dallas, I knew right away I wanted to name the space after my late father, who was a natural leader in his community and who also sang gospel for over 40 years. He was always a person folks could go to for guidance and support, and we knew we wanted the space to carry that same energy as we began to build our foundation. Our goal is to provide an accessible space for local artists of varying disciplines to be able to experiment, grow, and create in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Is there a core memory from your childhood that made you want to run a community oriented space?

Many many childhood memories of mine consist of going with my dad to visit someone sick in the hospital, visiting an old folks home, or making a house call to sing and spend time with people in their more vulnerable and trying moments, so while i didnt necessarily have the vision of a community space per se, it has always been second nature to show up for people and to meet them where they are. 

Describe a serendipitous or unexpected connection that has resulted from the operations of The Dallas.

Oh there have been SO SO MANY connections made at The Dallas! My personal favorite serendipitous moment by far is finding out that Terry has ancestral connections both to Milo Arts, and to The Dallas building as well! Shortly after moving in to Milo Arts and right before we signed the lease on The Dallas we found out that Terrys great Aunt worked in the bar that formerly occupied the space, and his cousins went to school at Milo Arts, when it was still Milo Elementary.

There have been many family and friend reunions and old relationships being rekindled in the past 2 and a half years, its such a beautiful thing to witness over and over again!

The Dallas showcases lots of visual art as well. Lately, have any pieces been particularly striking to you?

I’m always so impressed and amazed at the level of visual artistry displayed in the building. My current obsession is the clean lines and fun vibes of Victoria Seal ( @tattou.mami) , we’ve done a few collaborative pieces together recently and have a few more in the works! We also have some really creative 3-D type pieces from Andrew ( @thebeardedartist) that are inspirational, and it turns out that not only is Terry Tertiary a talented musician, he’s also an incredible visual artist as well!

What is The Dallas becoming and how can Columbus support? What is the most significant challenge The Dallas currently faces?

I really feel like The Dallas is becoming an Underground hub for creatives to come and hone their skills and talents in a space that doesn’t demand perfection, but consistency and hard work. Columbus can support us and other small creative spaces by SHOWING UP! Go to the shows, the gallery openings, buy the art and dance to the music and tell other people about it too! Its the most important way to sustain an independent creative space.

We do not strive to be the biggest or the most well known, we strive for authenticity and connection first, and so our biggest challenge is finances. We are an artist/member funded space, meaning all funds from memberships and rentals goes directly back into the space for rent, utilities, and necessities like TP, paper towels, public use art supplies etc. This has been an absolute labor of love the past few years, with the hopes of turning it into a way to sustain ourselves in the future.

In the broader Columbus music scene, what is something that is encouraging to you?

The collaboration of musicians, artistic platforms and the collective process of those 2 parties sitting down to further the evolution of the independent Columbus music scene

In the broader Columbus music scene, what is something that can be improved?

Collaboration over competition- established musicians need to challenge older institutions to encourage fair treatment, transparent display of opportunities and respect to independent musicians. This includes pay, opportunity, amd any other beneficial ideas that can result from this consistent standard.

What is The Dallas’ strength that distinguishes it from other community arts spaces?

Our independence! We started from the ground up with an intent to focus on the community we are in, and the community that we are collectively creating without focus on what other spaces or people are doing. We started with a vision and we are following thru with it, with the ability to shift as needed but the desire to stay focused on under served artists and creatives.

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Follow The Dallas at Milo on Instagram. The Dallas is community arts space, rehearsal space, and event venue. DM their Instagram page for pricing.