CONTEXT + CULTURE

As we approach Women’s H is erstory Month, we turn our eyes toward not only the women making moves today, but also toward the women of the revolution. We remember that the Black Panther movement largely focused on men, with regular nods to the most prominent women in the movement. A new account, Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party , co-authored by Ericka Huggins, activist, political prisoner, and leader in the Black Panther Party, puts a spotlight on the lesser

Seven years ago in 2016, the Savannah African Art Museum in Georgia opened its doors to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations about the power, diversity, and spirituality of African Art. The museum collection is one that was developed over 30 years by a Savannah businessman, private collector, and museum founder, Done Kole, and represents more than 28 African countries and over 180 individual cultures spanning from Guinea to Tanzania. The museum a

As time passes, so does the memory of legislated restrictions on housing in American cities. In Washington State, the history of “redlining,” a term that indicated areas deemed as “hazardous”, aka predominately Black, existed until 1977 when Governor Dixie Lee Ray signed House Bill 323 prohibiting the practice. A 1975 report by the Central Seattle Community Council Federation outlined redlining practices in the Central Area and Rainier Valley and defined it as, "the practice

Unless you have been under a virtual rock, you already know that Central District eatery Communion, led by the indefatigable mother/son team Kristi Brown and Damon Bomar, has appeared on every recommended food list worth watching, up to and including being named a James Beard Award semifinalist and Condé Nast Traveler Best New Restaurant in the World: 2021 Hot List. We simply cannot get enough of That Brown Girl stuff and we are also pretty excited about the notice a few of

The past year gave us all kinds of cinematic thrills and chills, taking us on storytelling journeys of the past and pushing our consciousness into future realms of Blackness. We grouped together to show the power of the Black cinematic dollar and pushed opening weekend box office takes to the outer limits, and we triumphed after tragedy and loss. The movies gave us much life, more one-liners for the ever-loving Black vernacular, and it’s not over. Nope! More Black stories ar

The ancient and otherworldly art of Egypt continues to mystify archeologists and tourists alike. Much is talked about in terms of the ancient pharaohs, the kings, and queens, and while all of the stories and documentation of these lives are etched into the walls of tombs and temples, little is spoken about the keepers of this culture; the artisans. It wasn’t until I made my second journey to the place where history books during my educational years—never referred to as a part

Paul Rucker is a man of many talents, thoughts, ideas, and actions. He is a multi-media visual artist, composer, and musician. He is outspoken on the topics of social justice and has dedicated his art-making as a social practice. One could surmise that Paul is the butter that gets churned by a Southern upbringing and the maturation process of a Black man in the racially covert environs of the Pacific Northwest. His art seeks to examine the complexities of life in a country th

Born in Seattle, Syvilla Fort began dancing at the tender age of three, and by just nine years old, bolstered by private lessons, she started sharing her love for dance with those in her immediate surroundings by teaching modern, tap, and ballet to neighborhood kids. In 1932, Syvilla entered Cornish College of the Arts, having been the first person of color to enroll there, and after having been denied admission to several Seattle ballet programs because of her race. Fort wa

In 2019 the Metropolitan Museum of Art began a new series of contemporary commissions for installations that would fill the empty alcoves at the museum entrance. The first installation was by Kenyan- American artist Wangechi Mutu entitled, The NewOnes, will free Us . The commissions are intended to establish a dialogue between the artist’s work, the collection, the space, and the audience. One of the sculptures installed at The Met, The Seated IV , continues this dialogue aft

Zora Neale Hurston wrote, “Folklore is the arts of the people before they find out there is any such thing as art.” She was a pioneer of African American ethnography and dedicated her craft to excavating the stories of her people. Seattle's own Ben Hunter is a modern-day Hurston of sorts – a scholar, a community advocate, a musician, and a proud carrier of human stories. If you don’t know Ben Hunter, chances are you have had some glimpse of his impact and didn’t know it. For

On a recent short visit to Accra, Ghana, I was once again reminded of the ways in which art there is a simple matter of daily living. The enormity of creativity can be overwhelming, particularly when moving through markets like the Accra Art Centre. Situated just next to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and Museum, the center opens in early morning and is teeming with artisans of every kind all day, along with an eager array of tourist visitors. This is the kind of place that is il

Come with us to the November 5th performances of Dance Theatre of Harlem's SOUNDS OF HAZEL at The Paramount Theatre and experience the inspiration of musician Hazel Scott.15% discounted tickets (+ no ticketing fees) are available only at ARTE NOIR, 2301 East Union, Seattle, now through November 1st! H azel Scott was the first woman of African descent to host a television program in America. Caribbean born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she was a Julliard-educated jazz pianist an

Black leadership is on the rise in the arts, all across the country! In Seattle, we are also seeing some major movements to elevate the leadership status of a number of worthy arts practitioners. On September 21, Pacific Northwest Ballet announced the appointment of Kiyon Ross as the new Associate Artistic Director. Arriving first at PNB nearly 25 years ago as a student, Kiyon has held many roles at the organization; from dancer, choreographer, teacher, Director of Company Op

Our focus on creating space for community has always been at the core of our plans while building our new Black arts-centered space in the heart of the historic Central District community. It is a historic location and nothing less than a space that celebrates the legacy of connections would do. Those of us with roots in Seattle are not unfamiliar with the ways in which this corner has changed over the years. But we remember the post office, The Mecca, the laundromat that Jes

You might not expect it, but in Seattle, we have a pretty healthy helping of art and culture from Africa. I love it when I happen upon some new treasure that celebrates African creativity and such is the case with local shop, TASWIRA. TASWIRA, which stands for Transformative Action for Sustainable Women’s Initiatives & Resources in Africa, opened as a pop-up shop recently in Pioneer Square and is a non-profit African Art and Design organization. All products are sustainabl

One of the most intrinsic values at ARTE NOIR is leadership. In everything we do, we value leadership qualities in every aspect of our work and we encourage all of our collaborators to acknowledge and witness leaders who are engaged in making our community better. Not as passive observers but as active servant leaders. One such leader to be celebrated is Ebony Arunga. Ebony is a member of the honored Arunga clan of Kenya and Seattle, and even though her life takes place on

The work of ARTE NOIR is greatly inspired by the creativity of our African ancestors. In fact, our name translates to " Black art "and is an homage to the many West African countries where French is the second most popular language. Countries including Senegal, Benin, Togo, Coté d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Guinea, and others, have provided the seeds for the creative fruits we enjoy today. We don’t have to look far back, however, to find connections to our ancestral r

Nearly every major city in America has a Black High School rivalry of some kind. In Seattle, you are either a Garfield Bulldog or a Franklin Quaker. Even though we believe the Quaker tag may have been deemed politically incorrect years ago, we’re going to go ahead and make people mad by saying BULLDOGS REIGN! Fight me. But that’s just an aside to the point we are here to make...the big news is that after years of planning, organizing, lots of cajoling, and fundraising, the Ga

Seattle, like so many American cities, is not unique in its "out with the old, in with the new" mentality when it comes to physical structures. As much as there is a push to include art in new development and public spaces, there is also a tragic history of excavating and turning into rubble, icons of place and memory revealed through art. When the popular Ethiopian Habesha restaurant closed, which was at 1809 Minor Avenue, now the location of Kinects, a 35-story residence bo

The confluence of art and activism often results in major civic actions. Such is the case with the founding of the University of Washington's Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. In 1966, Central District artist Eddie Walker began his secondary educational journey at the University of Washington. Imagine, if you will, coming from a rich multi-cultural community as an honors graduate from Cleveland High School and walking onto the University of Washington campus, home to 3