CATHRYN MCCLELLAN is a dedicated professional who forges genuine connections between brands and diverse communities. Committed to fostering equality and inclusivity for all, she has been actively involved in numerous nonprofit organizations such as the Dallas Regional Chamber, Communities Foundation of Texas, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Cathryn currently works at American Express, spearheading strategy for external diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Beyond her professional endeavors, she passionately engages in community work, serving as the chair of the Business Council for the Arts Leadership Arts Alumni and lending her leadership to the Junior League of Dallas Women LEAD Scholarship committee and the HERitage Giving Fund. Cathryn is also a co-founder of Black Arts DFW, a community supporting Black arts across North Texas. Recognized for her outstanding leadership, she received the 2021 BCA Obelisk Award and was honored as a Black Women Give Back recipient in 2022. Cathryn enjoys reading on her couch alongside her four canine companions in her leisure time or exploring the vibrant art scene in the DFW

DARRYL RATCLIFF is an award-winning artist and poet with a writing and curatorial practice based in Dallas, TX whose work engages communities and mobilizes social issues. Ratcliff is the founder of Gossypion Investments, a startup company that seeks to evolve the role of culture in society. Gossy focuses on real estate development, cultural investments, branding and PR, and cultural consulting. In 2021, Ratcliff received the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts 10 Fellowship given to ten artists working on issues on climate change and racial equity. Ratcliff is also a contributing arts writer for The Dallas Morning News where he covers the North Texas visual art scene. In 2022, Ratcliff received the Rabkin Foundation Prize for Visual Arts Journalists. In 2019, Ratcliff along with Krissy Bodge, created Dallas The Remix, a conceptual art piece that reimagined the 80s TV show Dallas as a tool for political education and equity. He has received artist awards from the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, City of Dallas, D Magazine, Dallas Observer, Embrey Family Foundation, George and Fay Young Foundation, Carnegie Mellon Foundation, and Common Field. He is also the co-founder of Ash Studios and Michelada Think Tank.

MIRANDA MCCLELLAN is an engineer focused on improving consumer security products used by billions of people. Her interest in technology inspired her to earn her BS and MEng in computer science from MIT and conduct research as a Fulbright scholar in Spain. In her free time, she enjoys giving back to the community by teaching cybersecurity and digital privacy to educate students of all ages.

Miranda's passion for the arts started by attending summer musicals and art museums with her dad as a kid and led her to reconnect with the local art community when she returned to Dallas in 2020. She still dabbles in creative expression, whether crocheting, writing, or enjoying nights at the symphony. She hopes that Black Arts DFW can help build a community between artists and art lovers in the area.