Dallas is known around the world as a community that gets business done. That's why so many companies continue to move their headquarters here.

But it's also becoming a community where great art gets done too, particularly in one square block of the city, that's the unofficial headquarters for a large group of Dallas artists.

It’s Southside on Lamar, at the edge of downtown. Once a giant Sear's warehouse, it’s now a 500-unit, cultural Petri dish.

"You think of Dallas as a place of commerce,” said photographer and resident Kent Barker.

True. But peek Southside and you’ll see a side of the city you haven’t seen before.

"Whereas most of Dallas tries to aim for the exclusive, this building is very real, and that's very good. That makes me feel good,” said artist Otis Jones, who also lives and works at Southside.

"It's almost like living in a big, grown up dorm,” said Heather Wiese-Alexander, a stationary designer, based at Southside.

Photographer Kent Barker set out to capture the Southside vibe through pictures.

"It's a document of a kind of unique group of people, here in Dallas,” Barker said.

Like Wiese-Alexander, whose portrait is in the show.

"I felt, you know, pretty and glamorous and important,” she said.

There are also intimate portraits of a dancer, a musician, a hair stylist, a fashion photographer, and former Dallas Cowboy - all who live and/or work at Southside.

“It's kind of SoHo, it's a new little SoHo of Dallas. And it's fun to think of it like that,” said Barker.

Artist Otis Jones agrees. His picture is also in the show.

"It makes my life richer, I love this building,” said Jones.

Barker's series of photographs will be shown at a gallery inside Southside.

Artists - looking at art - about artists and everyone feeling right at home.

You can see the exhibition until the end of September at the Janette Kennedy Gallery at Southside. Address: 1409 South Lamar.

E-mail sschechter@wfaa.com.