DYKWTCA

(Do You Know Where The Children Are?)

DYKWTCA is an ongoing initiative addressing critical existential issues in migration and climate that are affecting the most vulnerable— accompanied immigrant children and their families. It is a ongoing call to action that results in direct acts in policy and programs that iterate through the cultural realm. This is in concert with other organizations, institutions, individuals, and adjacent disciplines.

Started in 2018 by the artists and activists Mary Ellen Carroll and Lucas Michael, DYKWTCA engages deeply in the issues related to migration and climate and commits to acts that directly impact the most vulnerable. When the world saw the U.S. policy in 2019 of separating children from their families Carroll and Michael continued to act as did 100+ international artists. They invited the artists to be in solidarity with the whistleblowers and the children to create a material history with their Flores accounts for DYKWTCA and this included: Dan Graham, Julie Mehretu, Jesse Presley Jones, Kay Rosen, Amy Sillman, Walead Beshty, Paul Pfeiffer, Molly Gochman, Boris Torres, POPE.L, Lisa Tan and Johnny Chang, and Xaviera Simmons, just to name a few.

In 2019, one mile from the White House, a new cultural institution was founded in Washington, D.C. — The Corner at Whitman Walker by the curator and art historian, Ruth Noack. They made the bold decision to exhibit all of the artworks created for DYKWTCA that would ultimately benefit organizations working directly with the children in the exhibition When We First Arrived.

DYKWTCA launched a new program RSVP—in partnership with Terra Firma. This initiative introduces unaccompanied immigrant children to the arts as an acculturation pathmarking experience to make New York City their home. The program was developed by Dr. Alan Shapiro-Terra Firma, Jessica Marshall PhD, Suchi Reddy/Reddymade Design, and Mary Ellen Carroll/ MEC, studios. RSVP is funded in part by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund through their Arts & Mental Health initiative.