It’s that time of year when we look back and assess our progress on all those things we promised ourselves we would do in the New Year. These promises, aka resolutions, hold a great deal of significance when we first proclaim them, but as time passes, we often forget that we vowed to eat less sugar until, one day, those pounds around the middle have multiplied rather than diminished.
Making promises is easy; keeping promises is where the focus, discipline, and dedication are all tested.
It has taken massive doses of focus, dedication, and, most of all, discipline for ARTE NOIR to stay true to our promises, especially when there are so many lanes we could drift into. As we assess how well we’ve done this year and prepare for the next, we reflect on promises made and promises kept.
· We promised we would create space stability, and this month, we celebrate one year of ownership at our Midtown Square location.
· We promised to increase the viewpoints presented in this newsletter by inviting new voices. To date, we have commissioned 16 writers and added photojournalism features.
· We promised to enhance access to opportunities for the vast diversity of Black artists in King County. This summer, we launched the Black Artist Roster, and in just a few short months, over 120 artists have become members of the roster.
· We promised to build a maker space to provide artists with free access to space for creating, and we just completed the Barbara Earl Thomas Maker Space for this purpose.
· We promised to build a small recording studio where young people could learn and explore the world of music production. The Source of Labor Recording Studio is near completion, and soon, we will launch our partnership with The Residency to serve aspiring music producers.
In the coming year, we will continue to deliver on our promises. We will continue to seed revenue to Black artists through gallery and product sales. As we create more community partnerships, Black artists will remain at the center when we consider how any and all partnerships best serve them. We will continue to place a high value on employee support by making certain all ARTE NOIR staff are well compensated and provided benefits and support that keep them well and healthy.
2025 will see us enter our third year of operation in the physical space. This milestone is significant because statistics show that 80% of Black businesses fail in their first 12-18 months, and only 4% make it past the start-up phase.
We promised to join other efforts to reclaim and restore our community, using Black art and culture. Our promises were made with integrity, focus, and hard-earned trust. It is our hope that the trust you have placed in us will continue to earn your support.
As we come to the close of another year, you can trust that every gift to ARTE NOIR goes toward helping us deliver on our promises.
THANK YOU!
Vivian Phillips, Founder + Board President
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