Artstillery is an experimental 501c3 organization that empowers marginalized communities with the arts. Artstillery produces and partners with many communities to create different types of artistic experiences and make space for new and marginalized stories. We are happy to announce that Mead & Hunt has been honored with an Obelisk Award for its work with Artstillery. This award recognizes regional businesses, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and individuals for their extraordinary support of arts and culture in North Texas.
Using Architecture to Give Communities a Voice
Several members of our Mead & Hunt team have volunteered with Artstillery, leveraging their architectural skillset and experience to help bring to light the stories that go unheard, that are threatened to be lost, or that need a platform. Through internal policies like our community service paid time off, matching donation programs, and grant programs, Mead & Hunt architects Chris Lê and Mark Sorenson felt empowered to pursue this passion project.
For a production called Family Dollar, Chris and Mark helped to salvage original materials from two shotgun houses. These houses were planned for demolition to make room for urban development in East Dallas. They were then rebuilt two blocks away to preserve the history of the homes and the community, giving them a rallying point for the future. These houses became the stage for Family Dollar, a story of community in rural East Dallas. Ironically, the story focuses on three families as they face developers coming to buy up and tear down their homes. The three stories were told simultaneously, and the audience was invited to walk in and around the homes as the story unfolded, creating a truly immersive experience of the history.
Artstillery also partnered with the world-renowned Nasher Sculpture Museum to sponsor their first off-site sculpture exhibit. Working with Artstillery, Chris and Mark are in the process of relocating them to a permanent location for preservation.
Working with this organization has allowed our team to do what is right and take care of our communities, using their architectural experience to bring the stories of communities to light in new and innovative ways.
