IN FOCUS

This month's Noir Focus shines a light on African singer-songwriter, Somi.

Dr. Quinton Morris is an inspiration. Barely into his 40’s, one would wonder what more there is for someone who has achieved as much as Quinton has? Morris would probably answer, “wherever there is a need, there is more to do!” His story is one about drive, determination, overcoming, leading, passion, and an attitude that will not allow him to sit idle. I met Quinton when he was sixteen years old. I was in attendance when he took home the NAACP arts competition top award. His

In July of 2020, over 300 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color theater-makers penned a letter that challenged White theater to change. The letter, “ We See You White American Theater ,” called into question the sincerity of white theatre leader promises to diversify, yet whose actions kept the Great White Way mostly white. But before the delivery of this letter, one Black man was crusading for change and changing the color of theatre producers on Broadway. Ron Simons , of

Chelsea Riddick-Most is an Emmy Award-winning producer and project manager who has worked for major entertainment affiliates including the National Basketball Association and ViacomCBS/Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. A former Garfield High School graduate, Chelsea returned to Seattle from the east coast to start her new position this past summer. In her role at Seattle Center, she oversees six working groups including arts and community programming; cultural programming;

Jake Prendez and Judy Avitia-Gonzalez made a space that sits on the border of the West Seattle and White Center neighborhoods to host monthly exhibits focused on marginalized communities and communities of color. Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery expresses the meaning of the word from the Aztec language, which describes being in the middle, or the space in the middle. In November, they took that space and centered the work of Black artists from the Pacific Northwest. Curated b

The section of this website entitled 'Savoir Faire' creates space to highlight "Black Art Shaping Community" and it feels imperative to include Christopher Paul Jordan and his sculptural artwork andimgonnamisseverybody within these (web)pages. Located in the main plaza of the AIDS Memorial Pathway on Capitol Hill in Seattle, just a short walk from Cal Anderson Park—which was named after Washington's first openly gay state legislator who died in 1995 of AIDS-related complic

Last month, the renowned Metropolitan Opera performed Fire Shut Up In My Bones , composed by Terrence Blanchard with libretto by Kasi Lemmons. This marked the first time The Met has performed an opera by a Black composer in their 141-year history! This event made headlines. Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, another Black composer was making their own headlines. Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Darrell Grant premiered his site-specific jazz chamber opera, Sanctua

We celebrate art in community and we’re taking this celebration to the next level! Arté Noir is now a non-profit arts and culture organization (!), and in a few short months, we will be expanding our footprint and taking up physical residence at Midtown Square! Located at 23rd & Union in the heart of the historic Central District, we are creating a permanent retail location to showcase Black art and culture with the online publication becoming a portal to the brick-and-morta

An impassioned tide of crimson-lacquered waves sweeps across Lisa Myers Bulmash’s trio of works, “The Manticore and the Mermaid,” connecting the collages she created to honor Ona Judge. A former slave of President George Washington, Ona Judge “absconded” from his estate in 1796 and successfully remained free, despite Washington’s many attempts to recapture her. An important foundation of Lisa’s art is to center the African American and female experiences, and these striking

Tedde Gibson, the Mighty Wurlitzer Organist

In 1959, Lorraine Vivian Hansberry became the first African American woman to have a Broadway production of her work. A Raisin in the Sun, named for a line in the Langston Hughes poem Harlem , debuted on Broadway in 1959, just six years before her death in 1965 at the age of 34. An artist/activist, Hansberry’s life and body of work served as the inspiration for The Hansberry Project, a professional Black theatre company dedicated to the artistic exploration of African Americ

This month's Noir Focus shines a light on African singer-songwriter, Somi.

Dr. Quinton Morris is an inspiration. Barely into his 40’s, one would wonder what more there is for someone who has achieved as much as Quinton has? Morris would probably answer, “wherever there is a need, there is more to do!” His story is one about drive, determination, overcoming, leading, passion, and an attitude that will not allow him to sit idle. I met Quinton when he was sixteen years old. I was in attendance when he took home the NAACP arts competition top award. His