request a presentation by the authors
dayton schroeter
Dayton Schroeter is a Vice President and National Design Director at Smithgroup. He is a social activist, artist, exhibition designer and Architect with over 20 years of experience championing ‘Design Justice’ advocacy throughout his career at SmithGroup. As a leader of the firm’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, his charge is to lead design projects that address the systematic injustice that architecture and planning have perpetuated for historically disenfranchised communities of color. Leveraging his tenacious passion for design justice with authenticity and creativity, he is currently leading Antiracism efforts in design projects including The National Slavery Museum at Lumpkins Slave Jail, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Expansion and Renovation project, The Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) and a traveling art exhibition called “The Culture Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century” which will advance a sweeping social art history of Hip Hop and its myriad expressions across the globe, bringing together poetry, music videos, couture fashion, painting, sculpture, photography, and film by the most innovative cultural producers of the last 50 years.
julian arrington
Julian Arrington, Associate, is a lead designer in SmithGroup’s Washington, DC Cultural Studio. A proud graduate of Howard University, Julian has shaped concepts for multiple projects, including a museum to address the history of slavery in Richmond, Virginia, a traveling hip hop exhibit, “The Culture Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century”, a multicultural center at Michigan State University, and others. As a co-design lead for Society’s Cage, Julian directed the project from concept - to erection - to traveling exhibition and has presented the work to design professionals and students at university and architecture school programs globally. A proponent of community-informed design, Julian has helped lead community-engagement efforts to craft designs that reflect the collective goals and aspirations of the stakeholders. He takes pride in his Puerto Rican and African American roots, seeking to leverage his diverse upbringing to assist others in fostering strong foundations that connect to identity.
Society’s Cage is designed to educate; its platform extends beyond interpretive content to empowering underrepresented students through funding for scholarships. Extending that mission, lead designers Dayton Schroeter and Julian Arrington speak to select audiences sharing the story behind the design of Society’s Cage.
We welcome speaker requests from institutions and organizations dedicated to social justice in action through design, art, activism, scholarship and business, or who promote awareness and social justice reform around issues of state violence. The team is committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse design profession, and to fighting for racial justice and equity.
Due to high demand, we request that organizations interested in booking a lecture ensure they can assemble a large audience virtually. We encourage smaller organizations to team up with other institutions to build larger audiences. We cannot accommodate requests for groups fewer than 100 at this time.
If you would like to inquire about the lead designers speaking to your organization, please contact:
Dayton Schroeter
dschroeteraia@gmail.com
(202) 974-0734
Julian Arrington
julianarrington@gmail.com
