From the murals that brighten our buildings to the music playing in our streets, North Texas has a rich mix of cultures and people. But not all local communities have felt heard in DFW's arts and culture scene.
Join us for our discussion Arts Access: Making the Sceneon Sept. 17, 2 p.m. at the Dallas Museum of Art's Horchow Auditorium. KERA’s Elizabeth Myong will speak with local arts leaders Ilknur Ozgur of ArtStillery, Jess Garland with Swan Strings and Ofelia Faz-Garza with the Cascabel Groupabout how their organizations are making art more accessible by meeting communities where they’re at. The event is a partnership between KERA, The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Museum of Art.
More about the panelists:
Ilknur Ozgur
Ozgur is the Founder & Director ofArtstillery, a nonprofit immersive performance art company based in Dallas. Artstillery aligns with community partners and produces artistic experiences based on true narratives.
Originally from Chicago, Ozgur started her writing journey in partnership with individual artists wanting to create solo original works. “Jaspora: Imitation Haitian” was created alongside powerful writer-performer Nancy Moricette and toured the New York International Fringe Festival.
Jess Garland
Garland is a Dallas-based singer-songwriter and recording and performing artist. She is a multi-instrumentalist who combines harp and guitar loops to evoke her unique brand of celestial avant-garde pop with ethereal jazz tones. Garland most recently opened for Stones Throw artist MNDSGN and Warner Music Group artist Adia Victoria.
She performed at the historic Kessler Theater on June 3, 2022. Garland sold out a concert at Undermain Theatreon February 19, 2022. In 2021 she opened for Jackie Venson and Hayden Pedigo. She has also opened for Gingger Shankar and Madame Gandhi. Recently, Garland was awarded the Local Legend award in Nashville from Wild Turkey’s Creative Director, Matthew McConaughey, for keeping music alive in Dallas.
Ofelia “MexMama” Faz-Garza
Faz-Garza is a mama, poet, and cultural promotora from the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas who is inspired by the subtleties of life and the rituals that root us. She is the proud daughter of Mexican migrants who kept her grounded in the beauty of her ancestral heritage while giving her the courage to fly free and unbound. Nepantla, or the in-between space, is where she lives, loves, and dreams.
She is the founder of Cascabel Group, an organization that uses the literary and cultural arts to build community through a variety of initiatives, including the Semillitas Neighborhood Library program, the con safos Community Ofrenda Tour, and The Meet Shop 2.0.
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Got a tip? Email Elizabeth Myong at Emyong@KERA.org. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter @Elizabeth_Myong.
