CONTEXT + CULTURE

Recently, Earshot Jazz presented Winter in America – An Homage to Gil Scott Heron envisioned and directed by bassist Camilo Estrada. Sitting in the audience listening to profound songs like Ghetto, Almost Lost Detroit, and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised , it got me to thinking about how Black art and culture have so many defining moments that have created a lineage intersecting across multiple genres and generations. Without social political poets and commentators Gil

The world of museum collections is experiencing shifts that have begun to broaden the values that guide approaches to both collecting and exhibiting. For instance, just last year, the Seattle Art Museum opened a reimagined American Art installation that for the first time in 15 years presents art that is more relevant to the present moment . What this seems to mean is that museums are discovering that the “white gaze” may not be the most important view, especially at a time w

The art of Ernie Barnes is forever immortalized in one of his most recognizable paintings. Barnes’ Sugar Shack , which graced the cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1976 album I Want You , sold last year for $13.5 million. The art of Ernie Barnes and Sugar Shack , in particular, changed the way Black artists entered the lives of millions in Black communities around the world. Our favorite music was wrapped in collectible art and for many, the obsession of reading liner notes is where we

Step into her shop off Rainier Avenue in North Columbia City and find yourself immersed in an upgraded frequency experience. The vibrations emanate from every corner—lovingly selected vintage art and jewelry, energy-infused crystals, and one-of-a-kind adornments, including her in-demand Soul Chains. This is the world of Rainbow-Renee Wyola Manier , a Reiki Master, Jewelry Designer, Soul Alchemist, and Sound Healer. It's in this space that Rainbow created a profound and unique

Justin Emeka wears many hats and dons multiple titles. His most proud titles include father, son, husband, and brother. Being a man whose roots are never far from connection to family, Justin has found his way through arts families as an actor, director, writer, and now, filmmaker. And like so many creatives from the Seattle area, Justin found much of his artistic grounding in Seattle at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Although the path has not been straight, Jus

August 2019 marked the 400th anniversary of the first Africans being stolen from their Ghana homeland and shipped to America. The Ghanaian government marked this anniversary by deeming it The Year of Return , which invited thousands of Africans in diaspora to flock to the shores of their ancestral homeland. The designation of this 400th anniversary was reason for many, to throw off those procrastinations and hesitations about traveling to Africa, and to just go. But if you di

Seattle Art Fair returns to the Lumen Field Event Center this week and we combed through the galleries, festivities, and digital spaces to bring you a list of locations to catch Black art + artists throughout the fair. From special programming to artists represented by esteemed galleries, along with affiliated and non-affiliated events, pick one or pick them all and discover your next favorite Black artist! *FYI: we cannot boast that this is a fully comprehensive list... AT T

Sharon Nyree Williams's footprint is stamped across most sidewalks leading through Seattle’s art scene. A self-described storyteller, Williams is most often found making pathways for others to also tell their stories. This North Carolina native knows what it feels like to knock on doors that seem sealed shut for people who look like her. But after a few doors opened for her in Seattle, her foot has remained firmly lodged in spaces to assure safe passage for others. One would

On a recent trip to Ghana, I sat with a group of women with whom I had traveled and we talked about the enormous value of the extracted export of people from the continent. We imagined what it might mean if there truly was a “Great Return,” and with that, an enrichment of lives lived within a majority population directly tied to our ancestral roots, with measures of creativity that are derived from within our own majority community. At almost the same time, Amoako Boafo: Sou

The oral traditions of the griot originate in 13th-century West Africa. Often accompanied by musical instruments like the kora or balafon, griots are storytellers, witnesses, poets, historians, genealogists, musicians, and keepers of the culture. Today, the griot tradition has long inspired the origins of hip-hop, making its way from Africa to Jamaica, where toasting (chanting/talking over rhythms) thrived in the 1950s, via the Caribbean immigrants living in the Bronx. The ar

The Pacific Northwest is quite well known for its music history. Names like Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Ernestine Anderson flow easily from the tongues of anyone making mention of what the city of Seattle has contributed to the overall music scene in the country. We know that the whole grunge movement started in Seattle, and the popularity of Sir Mix-a-lot and Macklemore has given the world a glimpse of the diversity of innovation that gets brewed with that clean Northwes

When it comes to creative solutions intended to push us to a higher and better place, girls are definitely leading. Who run the world? Girls for certain! We’ve highlighted a lot of them on these pages and we are not done! Taking the center spotlight this time is a young woman who is a mother, singer/songwriter, published writer, and founding member of Sway and Swoon Collective. Truth is, she has had our attention for some time and now we want her to be on your radar. JusMoni

Passionate, authentic, humane, keeper of the culture, eMCee, spoken word artist, leader, coach, actor, dancer, arts educator, theater-maker, and now, executive director. Olisa Enrico is all of these things and then some! The Cultural Space Agency, the first Public Development Authority to be established in Seattle in 40 years, recently named Olisa Executive Director of the agency. The Cultural Space Agency was chartered by the City of Seattle as a Public Development Authori

How do you give adequate notice to the hundreds of Black artists and culture makers who have contributed so much to our Seattle arts community? Well, even though it may seem a largely unattainable goal, you just gotta try. And that’s exactly why Crosscut’s Black Arts Legacies project has been so warmly embraced. With the mission to highlight the long-standing, vital, and ongoing role of Black artists and arts organizations in Seattle, Black Arts Legacies launched last year an

The coffee culture that has become synonymous with American life is far different than that of the East African countries we have to thank for the production of the precious beans used to create our favorite pick-me-up libation. Science and research confirm that coffee originated in Ethiopia and South Sudan. In these places, the culture of coffee is very different from the drive-through habits our American coffee chains promote. Finishing a cup of coffee in the East African c

Pop Quiz: · He inspired Prince, Michael Jackson, and discovered James Brown · Pat Boone and Elvis sold more copies of his song than he did · Jimi Hendrix played guitar for him · His signature phrase was SHUT UP! Who was…We’re talking about the inimitable, irreverent, outspoken, bona fide style icon, master of the ivory keys, and innovator who inspired generations with his music. Little Richard! Before there was Billy Porter, there was Little Richard. In f

Have you ever received a cold call from someone and within the first 30 seconds get the feeling that whatever this person is selling, you’re buying? My first encounter with Simon Okelo was like that. Simon wasn’t selling anything, but if he had been, a purchase from me would have been easily won; the same way he easily won my heart. Simon Okelo is the founder One Vibe Africa , an organization dedicated to creating a liberated African narrative through collaborations among Af

Our first published issue of ARTE NOIR in May 2021 featured Dr. Quinton Morris . A young man, still barely in his 40s who has accomplished more than most who have lived to twice his age, Dr. Morris is still creating change throughout the community and he’s also putting a spotlight on others. Q, as his closest friends affectionately know him, continues to make waves in the world and his work continues to enhance the lives of many, mine included. Part of the reason we find it

Interview conducted by Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud “Everybody remembers their street block, everybody has a childhood memory that matters to them. They don't want to see a landmark or a space disappear that helps them to remember.” I am speaking with the formidable Berette Macaulay , an artist, writer, curator, and historian. I’ve known Berette for two years, and first met her when she became a curatorial fellow at On the Boards. But I’ve known of her work for much longer, inclu

Fact: Black women are fashion icons of the world. Find the lies. And once more, we can tout the sheer genius as we joyously celebrate the design history Ruth Carter just made as a two-time Oscar winner for her magnificent costume work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ! Ruth is a magician when it comes to clothing design. All “YASS QUEEN” confirmations should be directed to her right now!!! 👏🏾 We’re holding up some extra light over here too and shining it on a woman in the