CentralTrak

800 Exposition Ave

Dallas, Texas 75226 

Make Art with Purpose (MAP), founded and led by Janeil Engelstad,  in collaboration with UTD CentralTrak presents Dialogues on Race Roundtable, a conversation with artists, cultural producers and community leaders about concerns connected to race that were explored in MAP’s Dialogues on Race billboard and mural project. The discussion will include short presentations by the artists that designed the billboards and contributions by community leaders and advocates connected to the themes of the billboards and murals. 

Participants include: Christopher Blay and Gerardo Robles, together they designed a billboard that drew inspiration from the killing of young African American men in cities and towns across the country. Rebecca Carter and Daryl Ratcliff, together they designed a billboard inspired by our common human genome, which traces back to Africa. Jin-Ya Huang and Thania Dominguez McElory, together they designed a billboard that addressed the fact that when a person undergoes an organ transplant, race is not an issue. Morheshin Allahyari and MAP Director Janeil Engelstad, together they designed an electronic billboard that comments on the fact that when you type the words People from the Middle East into Internet search engines the search engine often recommends derogatory content. Community participants include: Roberto Corona, Community Outreach Coordinator, Embrey Human Rights Program, Southern Methodist University; Alia Salem, Executive Director  of the DFW chapter of the Council on American –Islamic Relations, Suzy Miller, Executive Director of Donate Life Texas, and Alpha Thomas South Dallas Community Organizer. 

Other participants will be added over the upcoming weeks. MAP developed and produced Dialogues on Race in response to the racial tension in cities around the United States, including Dallas where conversations on racial equity and justice are happening in city government led initiatives, in the media and at grassroots community organizations. As Dallas citizens demonstrate in solidarity with people around the United States to bring attention to police violence and the killing of black men, MAP and CentralTrak aim to make a meaningful, artist led contribution to this dialogue.