It is the city's premier outdoor performing arts venue and a defining feature of the Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park.

Annette Strauss Square hosts a variety of outdoor events ranging from concerts to theatrical and dance performances to multi-day festivals, accommodating audiences of up to 5,000.

[1] Artist Square opened in 1989 as a 2-acre (8,100 m2) lawn and performance pavilion constructed by the City of Dallas.

The original plan called for a black box theater and a small artists' compound containing galleries and studio space, but these were never completed.

The original venue closed in 2005 and was rededicated "Annette Strauss Square" in the northwest corner of the new Center in September 2010.