Darryl Ratcliff is a social practice artist based in Dallas, TX. In 2012, Ratcliff cofounded Ash Studios with artist Fred Villanueva, a 20,000 square foot DIY arts center serving communities of color in Dallas. In 2013, Ratcliff became the inaugural artist-in-residence for Rick Lowe’s Trans.lation Vickery Meadow initiated by the Nasher Sculpture Center. In 2014, Ratcliff initiated Creating Our Future, an art project that focuses on creativity and civic engagement and registered over a hundred millenials to vote for the 2015 city council elections. In 2016, COF successfully advocated for $225,000 in cultural equity grants from the City of Dallas. Currently Ratcliff is working with his art collective, Michelada Think Tank, to create pathways for creatives of color from high school to retirement in the City of Dallas. Ratcliff is also a recent recipient of artist awards from the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Office of Cultural Affairs.
EDUCATION
2008 Bachelor of Arts, Davidson College
GRANTS/AWARDS
2015
● Lift Your Voice Advocacy Grant, Embrey and Boone Family Foundations
● Foundation Grant, Carnegie Mellon University, A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation.
● Special Project Grant, Cultural Projects Program, Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas
2013
● Best of Dallas Award, Dallas Observer
PROJECTS
2015
● Soft Power: Intimacy. Zhulong Gallery, Dallas, TX. Event that gathered a racially and socio-
economically diverse crowd of over 200 to learn about cultural equity.
● Michelada Think Tank: Race, Art, and Survival. Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA.
Six week residency working on a guide to surviving in the art world for people of color.
● Basquiats and Gravy. The Grove, Dallas, TX. Brunch for Dallas creatives to reduce silos in the city and
share the work of Creating Our Future.
● Michelada Think Tank: Race, Community, and Creative Action. Open Engagement, Carnegie
Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
● #TheArtivist. Ash Studios, Dallas, TX. Event with Weapons of Mass Empowerment that combined hip
hop, poetry, and art to educate and register millennial voters for city government election
● Ash Studios. Dallas, TX. Year 3 of community based bilingual arts center in South Dallas in
collaboration with artist Fred Villanueva that has served over 15,000 people via culture.
● Creating Our Future. Dallas, TX. Year 2 of a project involving civic engagement and artists. Thus far has
resulted in $100,000 of funding earmarked to support cultural equity in the City of Dallas.
2014
● Dialogues on Race. Make Art With Purpose. Dallas, TX. Created billboard with artist Rebecca Carter as
part of a nationwide public art and design initiative to advance racial justice through media.
● City Under The Influence #2. Ash Studios. Dallas, TX. Event in collaboration with SMU Meadows and D
Magazine to register millennial voters and advocate for individual artists funding.
● City Under The Influence #1. Fashion Art Network. Dallas, TX. Event in collaboration with SMU
Meadows and D Magazine to register millennial voters and advocate for individual artists funding.
● Margarita Think Tank Round #1. Ash Studios. Dallas, TX. Series of think tanks on how artists can
become more active citizens and advocate for the needs of our communities.
2013
● Trans.lation Vickery Meadow. Nasher Sculpture Center. Dallas, TX. Served as the inaugural artist-in-
residence for this social practice project initiated by Rick Lowe.
● Gloria. Conduit Gallery. Dallas, TX. Event that utilized music and art to create a racially diverse crowd
in the Design District.
2012
● Thursdays at The Penthouse. Stoneleigh Hotel. Dallas, TX. Series of events that created a racially
diverse audience and changed lives in Dallas, TX.
Speaking
2015
● Cultural City. Big Bang Conference, Paul Quinn College, Dallas, TX.
2014
● State of the Arts: Contemporary Artists. Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX.
● Texas Sculpture Association: Pecha Kucha. Nasher Scupture Center, Dallas, TX.
Press
● Alaena Hostetter. Where are Dallas’ Artists of Color. D Magazine. August 24, 2015.