Watch the Videos
As part of our effort to document the longstanding and ongoing impact of Black artists in the region, the Black Arts Legacies project produces written profiles, photographic portraits and short videos.
In Season 1, producer and director Tifa Tomb created five videos, each showcasing two Seattle artists working in the same genre across different time periods. In Season 2, she profiled five individual artists, and she will do the same for Season 3, with new episodes starting May 31, 2024.
Published here and on Crosscut, new videos are also broadcast on KCTS 9 on Friday evenings.
Embracing risk on stage
As her influence grows, actor/director Shermona Mitchell is seizing her role as a change agent.
Inscribing Blackness on the landscape
Born and raised in Seattle, poet Luther Hughes imbues their work with an evocative sense of place and queer identity.
Sculpting glass botanicals
A pioneer in her field, Debora Moore has been forging new techniques for nearly 40 years.
Spinning an expansive soundtrack
A pillar of Seattle music, Riz Rollins mixes genres, expands minds and liberates the dance floor.
A dance with deep heritage
Cipher Goings discovered tap at a young age and has since become a teacher and part of tap’s growing renaissance.
Defining dance and breaking barriers
Syvilla Fort helped put Seattle dance on the map and influenced generations of dancers.
Dreaming up delightful, inclusive programming for the small screen
Valerie Thomas-Matson’s show Look, Listen & Learn is grounded in brain development research.
Bringing Black stage history to the present
Seattle actor/playwright Reginald André Jackson pays tribute to the Black theater-makers who paved the way.
Singing the soul of the city
Blending gospel, R&B and poetry, Tiffany Wilson is inspiring the next generation of Seattle musicians.
Multimedia art with a mission
Preston Wadley wants ‘to make the world better’ through thought-provoking art and influential instruction.
Bringing Black history and bold color to the cityscape
From intricate portraits to multistory murals, Al Doggett and Barry Johnson honor the history of Black art in Seattle and paint its future.
The history and future of Black theater in Seattle
Douglas Q. Barnett and Sharon Nyree Williams on the importance of bringing Black stories to the stage.
The soul of Northwest rock ‘n’ roll
Meet Seattle music pioneer Dave Lewis and see how contemporary band The Black Tones is carrying the DNA of Northwest rock forward.
Pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance
For dancer-choreographers Donald Byrd and Jade Solomon Curtis, social engagement takes center stage.
The art of creating space
Zoë Dusanne and Elisheba Johnson, two Seattle curators separated by decades, turn homes into galleries with a mission to support artists.
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