Igniting Change With Social Action Artists
Photo by Nan Coulter, Courtesy of Artstillery
In a city marked by extremes—wealth and want, opportunity and exclusion—many immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees arrive carrying deep emotional and physical scars. The trauma they have endured doesn’t dissipate upon entry; it intensifies as they confront new systems, unfamiliar languages, and the daily uncertainty of their legal status. Yet it is within this crucible that something powerful begins to take shape.
The notion of trauma as crucible is not unique to one story—it reverberates across the city, from shelter programs in Oak Cliff to legal aid centers in East Dallas. It is within these pressure points that Dallas’ most vital transformation is happening, often led quietly but fiercely by women who know that survival alone is not enough. They are helping entire communities learn to rise and rebuild. Enter women like Jin-Ya Huang, a “social action artist” and founder of a catering business that employs refugee women, and Ilknur Ozgur, a first-generation Turkish American and director of Artstillery—an immersive performance art company. Both these women use art and storytelling to build bridges and offer sanctuary, advocacy, and hope through their work.
Break Bread, Break Borders
Growing up in Oklahoma, Jin-Ya Huang was the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Her mother ran the family restaurant, and food was the epicenter of daily life. Her early experiences with food shaped her understanding of community and independence, albeit with a healthy dose of heat.
Through her mother, Huang came to understand the value of storytelling, the need for small, incremental action to achieve significant impact, and the importance of using one’s voice to amplify that of the community. When Huang lost her mother, she honored her legacy by working with refugee women and founded Break Bread, Break Borders (now called Food 4 Good) to tear down the walls that often separate newly arrived immigrants from the communities in which they settle. And so, in Dallas, her sweltering adopted hometown, she helped turn suffering into strategy, and isolation into solidarity. In her hands, the city’s heat no longer consumes—it forges leaders, advocates, and communities that, from hardship, emerge stronger and more unified than before.
The women who come through the organization’s doors have no roadmap. But over time, they begin to realize they haven’t just survived. They too have been forged, and their stories are powerful. They cook and narrate, sharing their oral history and cultural heritage with the community. Here, storytelling is an inseparable ingredient of every dish. It is a conversation where diners season the stories with their own to create connections with the food, its traditions, and its artists. Huang says it’s more than cooking and catering at work; it is amplifying the voices of her chosen sisters.
Artstillery
Ilknur Ozgur is the heiress to the oral histories of her female ancestors, noted for their strength and often forged by trauma. She calls herself a Kaho—someone who cares for animals, people, and so many precious things. It follows then, as an artist and writer, she should be drawn to the careful retelling of life stories.
Ozgur is also the founder and director of Artstillery, an immersive performance art company that aligns with community partners to produce artistic experiences based on true narratives.
While Ozgur’s creative journey began by lending her voice to others, the echoes of something deeper highlighted a void in representation. Sparked by a desire to hear her subjects tell their own stories and those of their communities, Artstillery was born. As a site-specific immersive performing arts organization, Artstillery uplifts marginalized communities by creating original scripts and installations.
Like a meticulously crafted spice blend, Artstillery transforms raw lived experiences into immersive art that challenges, provokes, and ultimately unites. Artstillery’s flavor comes from its unique methodology—the organization doesn’t parachute into communities, but instead listens deeply, collaborates authentically, and creates art that resonates across a myriad of audiences. By rescuing historic shotgun houses, weaving community narratives, and creating performances that illuminate forgotten stories, these projects are a testament to how creative urban interventions can spark meaningful social dialogue.
“We don’t erase the trauma—we honor it,” says Ozgur. “We help people carry it differently, so it becomes part of their strength, not just their story.”
The first Artstillery project involved cleaning and documenting dilapidated shotgun houses in West Dallas. It was a labor of love and passion, with limited funds. It was also a spark for art.
A journal found in one of the homes inspired a story of resilience. By working closely with the community, attending church services, and recording oral histories, the stories of West Dallas were woven into a performance art piece. Despite having no funding, the show was a success, attracting a large audience and gaining support from the community and local businesses.
In 2020, Ozgur and the team “stole” two West Dallas shotgun houses and rebuilt them on church land. This would not have been possible without the collaboration of friends in the arts and architecture community, as well as support from big names such as the Nasher Sculpture Center. The project included museum labels and filming the show in 360°, making it accessible to a wider audience.
Much of Artstillery’s work explores the intense, heartfelt, and sometimes difficult stories of marginalized communities that have endured social, economic, and cultural pressures. The heat of these pressures creates stories of resilience, survival, and identity that are at the core of Artstillery’s narrative approach. Just as heat can catalyze chemical reactions, Artstillery’s performances are designed to spur change, encouraging audiences to rethink cultural norms, challenge historical narratives, and engage in meaningful dialogue.
Artists, art lovers, architects, urban designers, and landscape architects can all support Artstillery by becoming board members, volunteers, or donors and by advocating for the success of the organization’s work.
An Invitation
Women like Ozgur and Huang illuminate a path forged in community, culture, and care. Their social action artistry is an invitation to join their mission, and a reminder that art is more than expression—it is witness, sustenance, peace, and sanctuary. As Dallas continues to confront its contradictions, the work of these women inspires us all to listen more deeply, craft spaces that center the marginalized, and transform our city’s heat into a shared furnace of creativity, resilience, and collective uplift. We, as a community, can partner for impact with our time, talent, or treasure. Give to these organizations. Sponsor a performance or training. Volunteer. Advocate. Share these stories. Invite others to light the spark.