THE COLLECTIVE

Fellow artist, colleague, and friend of artist Pope L , Theaster Gates noted, “He gave us the constant question of ‘Are you being sincere in the work that you make?’   It’s the kind of questioning that Pope L embodied in his work which tracks directly to his self-description as the “fisherman…” His work was provocative and made people uncomfortable. He mined what lay beneath the surface to see the absurdity of society and made it into art.   Examples of his provocative work c

We're not necessarily resolutions people but we can always get behind setting a goal to read more books. If that's something you're aiming to do in 2024, we encourage you to check out our neighborhood bookstore, LOVING ROOM: Diaspora Books + Salon , which is running a BLACK FUTURIST BOOK CLUB . Beginning this past October, Reading Our Futures: A Black Futurist Book Club, meets on the fourth Monday of every month at 6 PM. Meetings are hosted by Brooke Bosley, who holds a Ph.

“One can tell a great deal about a country by what it chooses to remember: by what graces the walls of its museum, by what monuments are venerated, and by what parts of its history are embraced.”  The above quote comes from Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian and the first African American to hold the post, from an essay in The Atlantic . The stories of African Americans have been taking a slow crawl out of darkness and are now taking up rightful space in

If you haven't experienced the soulful, laidback vibes of singer-songwriter and Pacific Northwest native LIV† , née Olivia Thomas, then you need to get your tickets ASAP to THE FLY BALL: An “I Just Want My Bitches To Fly” EP release show on January 27th. The talented multi-disciplinary artist (who also directs short films and her music videos in her spare time) is headlining Neumos along with friends and fellow hip-hop artists Laza, Yonny, and Saint Deon. LIV† already has tw

Last February, Dr. Henry Louis Gates wrote an opinion essay for the New York Times titled, "Who's Afraid of Black History?" The article is written against the backdrop of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' declarations that schools should not be places of indoctrination. Gates counters this by reminding us that schools are the first places where we are shaped as Americans. That would definitely be a form of indoctrination. While this essay is almost a year old, we bring it back

Brooklyn-based experimental musician Josiah Wise, known as serpentwithfeet , is bringing a new theatrical production centering queer Black nightlife to Seattle's Moore Theatre on November 1st. Together with seven dancers in a theatrical dance and musical performance, Heart of Brick, tells the story of two men finding themselves and falling in love in a gay dance hall — and captures the multi-generational spirit of the Black queer community. The dance hall is where the utopian

One hundred and two years ago, in May 1921, 10,000 Black people were mostly just living their lives and minding their business in the neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma when their existence would be shattered. The destruction and pain that would befall the residents of the Greenwood neighborhood, aka Black Wall Street, after the Tulsa Race Massacre , would send a devastating signal to Black people around the country that whatever you strive to build will ultimately be destroyed

In the spirit of “gathering (n. / v.), To Gather supports and elevates the work of artists who use movement to excavate the rich stories that exist within the Black and Brown dancing body. ARTE NOIR is especially looking forward to the upcoming performances of To Gather at On the Boards, featuring some of the most talented dancers and artists performing right now, many of them from Seattle or currently residing here, all curated by beloved friends, Nia-Amina Minor and David

Fade to Black is the section that is often dedicated to honoring a Black arts leader who has transitioned, and for recognizing work that has had profound impacts on Black culture. We've also used this section to spotlight work that continues to lead to new pathways for Black artists. The very first entry was dedicated to Langston Hughes’ poem, I, TOO, acknowledging the fact that Black Americans often feel betrayed rather than embraced as Americans. We have embraced the conce

Up now through September 10th in the ARTE NOIR Gallery Space, MIDTOWN SOUL celebrates the beauty and soul of the Central District. Featuring works by Juan Alonso-Rodríguez, Myron Curry, Adam Jabari, barry johnson, Yeggy Michael, Perri Rhoden, and Takiyah Ward, the artists in this exhibition are representative of the historic and growing Seattle community of Black art and artists. Reclaiming a sense of place and presence, they exhibit a range of artistic excellence, while also

Two years ago when we launched this publication, this section, Fade to Black , was thought to be a space for sharing the last word, if you will. It’s been a perfect close for many issues, and it has also served as a place to honor the transitions of far too many Black arts makers who have left us on this plane to take up creativity in another realm. When we started to think about how to celebrate our first anniversary at 23rd & Union, Fade to Blac k provided us the perfect wa

Self-taught, award-winning Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo brings Soul of Black Folks , his first solo museum exhibit, to Seattle Art Museum now through September 10th. In the series, Boafo explores the concept of “double consciousness,” the way in which Black people must navigate their self-identity through the gaze of others. From SAM's website: The portraits on view in Soul of Black Folks reinterpret what it means to elevate and “see” Black people. He considers his work to

Arts organizations often struggle to find their footing when long-standing artistic leadership departs. Patrons often get nervous about the direction of new leadership and doubt can cloud the positive nature of change. Such is definitely not the case for Dance Theatre of Harlem, where very strategic and thoughtful actions have made room for Founder Arthur Mitchell’s artistic successor Virginia Johnson to hand over creative reigns to her longtime collaborator Robert Garland.

Basic internet searches on the origins of hip hop will undoubtedly lead to a top listing on DJ Kool Herc, a New York deejay, appropriately linked as one of the most influential figures in the early years of the art form. But before the 1970s other influences can be found. In 1964, when he was still known as Cassius Clay, Muhammed Ali delivered one of the most intriguing poems ever spoken before a broad audience by a Black athlete. Every Black household in America was riveted

On May 14, 2022, an eighteen-year-old self-described white supremacist opened fire on shoppers at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo New York, killing ten people and injuring three. In Targeted , the latest work in the "Insidious Trilogy" from Spectrum Dance Theater Artistic Director + choreographer Donald Byrd, Byrd explores the now widely embraced view of "the great replacement theory" and what buoys white supremacists in their attacks on native-born black and brown people as

In theater, a fade-out/fade-down is known as a fade-to-black, a shift to complete darkness. In a symbolic and narrative sense, fade-to-black marks the end of the scene. It happens that a local theater company, Sankofa Theater, a Black-led organization committed to opening doors for Black and Brown artists to share their work, build community, and make a living, recently faced the threat of losing their space which would mark the end of a passionate and dedicated effort to ser

It's baseball season and regardless of your feelings about the Mariners, there's something to be said for enjoying a sunny day at the park in all of its ambiance, the crack of the bat, hot roasted peanuts, a hotdog with lots of mustard, and an ice cold beer. Still not sold on the baseball, but like the part about enjoying a cold beer? Then skip the game and head straight down to Steelheads Alley to enjoy a cold one from our friends at Métier Brewing . Not only are they in pa

Harry Belafonte, March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023 When it comes to superstars, none compare to the superstar status held by Harry Belafonte. By profession, Belafonte was a singer and actor. By necessity, he was an activist and humanitarian. On January 19, 2013, the eve of Barack Obama’s second inauguration and just preceding the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, an 86-year-old Harry Belafonte held a full audience at The Moore Theatre, engrossed in his story-telling for more tha

Join us as we put on our dancing shoes to celebrate the fourth year of Wa Na Wari! On Tuesday, April 4th, Wa Na Wari is hosting a birthday fundraiser at Washington Hall with the theme Cake Dance , presenting a 21st-century version of the Cakewalk - a Dance of Black Resistance and Celebration. Cakewalks were birthed out of the artistic ingenuity of formerly enslaved Africans during the mid-19th Century – it’s where the phrase “take the cake” came from because a cake was award

If you haven’t yet tapped into the PBS series Beyond the Canvas , this is a perfect time. Season 3 is absolutely stellar! These are the times when being a public broadcasting nerd really pays off. Remember Charlayne Hunter-Gault? Charlayne was a news anchor superhero for little Black girls growing up in the 70s with broadcasting dreams. From 1978 -1983 she sat proudly at the anchor desk for the MacNeil/Lehrer Report. Yes, they were two white guys and Charlayne! For a time aft