Initially launched by former director Hanh Ho in 2014, Dallas’ Cydonia Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that occupies space inside the historic Texas Theatre’s second floor. A large safe, installed in the early design of the landmark in Oak Cliff, sits inside the theatre's original offices. When it was transformed into a gallery, it was naturally dubbed 'the Safe Room.'

Having been mentored by Hanh Ho, current director Briana Williams continued Ho's mission to discover and promote emerging artists. Programming centers around conceptual art practices that demonstrate aesthetic and technical values. In the last year, the gallery tackled more complex issues related to diversity and inclusion, exhibiting artists whose works addressed topics such as gentrification, feminism, and hierarchies in the art world. In 2018-2019, Ho's programming presented Dallas-native Giovanni Valderas, Toronto-based Marman and Borins, with the NYC-based Guerrilla Girls headlining. Exhibitions by Valderas and the Guerrilla Girls included Spanish-language artworks designed to connect to local inhabitants. Connecting with their own neighbors has historically been a challenge for many art galleries located in gentrifying neighborhoods.

In August 2019, Cydonia Gallery completed its exhibitions year themed on social activism. In partnership with neighboring cultural center Mercado369, a space focused on Latin American art, Cydonia hosted "In Memory.” Briana William's first curated exhibition paired collages and pen-and-ink works by Polish conceptual artist Alicja Bielawska in dialogue with Mata Ortiz ceramics created by artisans in the Chihuahua region of Mexico. The exhibition played with ideas of 'high' and 'low' art and the (meaningless) division between 'fine art' and 'crafts.' The exhibition paired a long-time international Cydonia collaborator alongside artifacts representative of the large Spanish-speaking inhabitants in Oak Cliff.

In conjunction with its programming, the contemporary art gallery has been focused on engaging with its public audience since it opened. Beginning in 2015, the gallery arranged four public seminars on contemporary art history and art collecting. Additionally, the gallery has hosted numerous tours for art students from Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, and the University of Texas at Arlington. Finally, exhibiting artists have lectured with students at Booker T. Washington High School and local universities.

Cydonia Gallery has expressed their democratic desire to connect emerging art programming to the local audience, to everyone who is interested. The creative direction ensures that exhibiting artists maximize their exposure to new audiences and bridge-build to visitors from all backgrounds, from students to local inhabitants to artists and collectors, both old and new.