Artstillery is a multidisciplinary arts and social justice organization that uplifts underrepresented voices by working alongside community members to shape their narratives into original immersive productions.
Celebrating 10 Years of Artstillery
We believe in art as a practice of listening.
We believe in being self-accountable.
We believe in being compassionate.
We believe in being adaptable.

Our Cause:
Creating actionable change for communities through amplifying stories that need to be heard.
In Spite of History Part 1
Situated at Fair Park this immersive experience documented the narratives of families who grew up around Fair Park between 1940s to today. This experience took audiences across 9 site locations in one evening.
Shown:
2021 @ Fair Park, Dallas
Partners:
Fair Park First
Broadway Dallas
South Dallas Community
Welcome Mat 2 | People 0
This immersive production confronted the human cost of war through the eyes of its youngest victims and most vulnerable victims - children.
Shown:
2025 @ Fair Park, Dallas
Coverage:
Dallas Morning News
Partners:
DFW Play
Members of the Global Majority
Flamenco Y Frida
Flamenco Y Frida was an immersive, multidisciplinary performance that celebrated the life, artistry, and inner world of Frida Kahol through the visceral language of flamenco.
Created in partnership with Chicago flamenco artists and Dallas musicians.
Dirty Turk aka Dirty Immigrant
A woven tapestry of narratives shared by over 30 family members, exploring lived experiences of immigration, migration, and displacement as refugees.
Shown:
2018 @ 723 Fort Worth Ave, Dallas
2021 @ Dallas Museum of Art
2026 @ Harper College
Awards:
Front Cover Dallas Arts & Culture
TACA Pop Up
Best Director in Dallas
Family Dollar
Family Dollar tells the story of West Main Street in collaboration with Lone Star Baptist Church, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Donna Wilhelm Foundation, and the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. Developed on church-owned land in the heart of a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, Artstillery salvaged and reconstructed three shotgun houses from two deteriorating homes nearby—the last remaining before scheduled demolition.
Shown:
2016 @ West Main Street, Dallas
2020 @ West Main Street, Dallas
Awards:
Nasher Public Work
Generations of Adam
Generations of Adam was an immersive experience created and perfomed in 2019 by Artstillery around church trauma. Our writers on each project sit and process the human experience for months. We weave together pieces of narrative, research, the technical, the visual, movement and sound.
Created in partnership with Lovers Lane United Methodist Church.
Coverage:
Dallas Morning News
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Reviews
The idea of the ArtCultivation program grew out a desire to give back to the community, especially the arts community, which includes some of the groups hit hardest by the pandemic.
The Generations of Adam isn't a typical theatrical experience. My reaction to the piece took me by surprise, and a week later I'm still reflective about my experience and my own place in its themes.
Their stories address gentrification, poverty, immigration, trauma and other social injustices. Each night’s performance is different, and there are no seasons.
Artstillery Milestones:
2016–2026
Artstillery Milestones: 2016–2026
2016 | The Origin
Ilknur Ozgur ideates a new form of storytelling rooted in real human narratives—what would become Artstillery’s signature immersive, documentary-based methodology. Early collaborators including Alisa Eykilis, Michael Cleveland, Abel Flores Jr., Concetta Troskie, and Brad Hennigan join in development.
While exploring a dilapidated shotgun house on West Main Street, Ilknur and Alyssa Eykilis discover a journal that sparks the first “weave”, a foundational storytelling process still used today.
That same year, Ilknur Ozgur and Michael Cleveland produced the first iteration of Family Dollar, a grassroots production with no marketing, built by volunteers. Over 200 audience members attend.
This project would later be recognized publicly as a multi-year community-based work (2016–2021) rooted in oral histories of West Dallas.
2017 | Foundation + First Public Recognition
Ilknur Ozgur creates a partnership with 723 Fort Worth Avenue, establishing an unconventional performance and community space.
The organization is formally named and begins the process of nonprofit incorporation.
Artstillery presents Welcome Mat at the Nasher Sculpture Center, an interfaith immersive work responding to religion and belonging.
Press Recognition:
- Covered by KERA for its focus on religious expression and dialogue
- Featured in Dallas Observer as a politically and socially responsive immersive experience
Artstillery begins engagement with the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, laying groundwork for future funding.
2018 | Breakthrough Work
Premiere of Dirty Turk aka Dirty Immigrant at 723 Fort Worth Avenue.
An immersive exploration of immigration, identity, and assimilation, the work establishes Artstillery’s national voice and long-term touring potential.
2019 | Expansion of Voice + Artist Investment
Premiere of Generations of Adam, an immersive work examining trauma, patriarchy, and cycles of abuse.
Press & Recognition:
- Covered by No Proscenium
- Featured in CultureMap Dallas
Launch of ArtCultivation, a recurring artist platform:
- Ran for three years
- Paid out $45,000+ to local artists
- Created consistent, free access to performance for the public
Executive & Artistic Director, Ilknur Ozgur is awarded Best Director in Dallas in Dallas Observer.
2020 | Pandemic Pivot + Digital Leadership
At the onset of COVID-19, Artstillery becomes one of the first Dallas arts organizations to pivot to digital programming, launching an online version of ArtCultivation. Produced by Creative Multimedia Director of Artstillery, Johnny Rutledge.
Impact:
- 2,500+ viewers and hundreds of engagements
Press:
- Featured in Dallas Observer for its rapid adaptation of arts programming during the pandemic
Artstillery then transitions to outdoor performance, investing in staging, lighting, and mobile equipment, supporting one of the earliest large-scale outdoor arts activations in Dallas during shutdown.
2021 | Major Institutional Recognition
Artstillery reimagines and rebuilds Family Dollar in partnership with Lone Star Missionary Baptist Church after the original homes are lost.
The project is elevated by the Nasher Sculpture Center as the first-ever Nasher Public offsite work, with additional funding support from donor Donna Wilhelm.
Press & Recognition:
- Featured by the Nasher as a landmark public art initiative
- Covered in D Magazine highlighting its long-term community impact
- Featured in Texas Highways
Artstillery partners with the Dallas Museum of Art to present Dirty Turk aka Dirty Immigrant alongside the My|Gration exhibition.
Press:
- Covered by The Dallas Morning News
- Recognized as a sold-out immersive museum installation
Infrastructure at 723 is expanded through new funding—adding technical equipment, furnishings, and operational capacity.
2022–2023 | Citywide Impact + Large-Scale Immersion
Artstillery partners with Broadway Dallas and Fair Park First to develop In Spite of History: Part 1.
A large-scale immersive work:
- Spanning 9 locations across Fair Park
- Built from extensive community interviews
- Free to the public
Audience Reach:
- 1,000+ patrons
Press & Recognition:
- Featured by BroadwayWorld
- Covered by Spectrum News
- Covered by Fox News
- Covered by The Dallas Morning News
- Documented across multiple arts outlets for its exploration of segregation and displacement
2023 | National Collaboration + Sold-Out Work
Artstillery partners with Chicago-based artists to produce Flamenco Y Frida.
A multidisciplinary immersive performance blending flamenco, visual art, and narrative:
- Sold-out runs
- Cross-city collaboration (Dallas + Chicago)
2024 | Archival Legacy
Artstillery contributes extensive documentation of community narratives to the University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections.
This marks a major step in preserving community-based storytelling as cultural record, expanding Artstillery’s impact beyond live performance.
2025 | Technological Expansion + National Relevance
Premiere of Welcome Mat 2 – People 0 at Fair Park.
A large-scale immersive work examining the impact of war on children, incorporating:
- Projection mapping
- Robotics and emerging technologies
- Global majority narratives
Press & Recognition:
- Featured by KERA
- Covered by The Dallas Morning News
Funding Milestone:
- Recommended $37,243 Cultural Organizations Program (COP) award from the City of Dallas
2026 | Year 10: Institutional Growth + Future Vision
Artstillery undergoes a full year of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementation, strengthening internal structure and leadership.
The organization expands its administrative team and operational capacity.
Premiere of Dichotomy of Compassion at 723 Fort Worth Avenue (June 19, 2026), continuing its immersive, socially driven work.
Artstillery celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary (June 27, 2026), marking a decade of:
- Community-rooted storytelling
- Institutional partnerships
- Nationally recognized immersive work
- Sustained public funding and philanthropic support
Artstillery’s “Dirty Turk aka Dirty Immigrant” is produced on its first college campus in Illinois.
Artstillery co-produces Lux: a solo show by Artstillery Marketing Director, Meagan Harris to full houses at 723.