A new exhibit at The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library’s Level 8 gallery features artwork inspired by archival materials from the Douglass-Truth Branch’s African American collection.
“Rooted & Rising: Stories from the African American Archive” is curated by local interdisciplinary artist Imani Sims of Vivid Matter Collective. Sims brings a personal and innovative lens to the African American collection, reintroducing the public to the richness of Black history housed right in their own city.
The African American Collection, which is located at the Douglass-Truth Branch and features more than 10,000 items, was started by donations from the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which saved the branch from closure in the 1960s.
“Rooted & Rising will transform the gallery into a space of active participation, creative exploration, and community ritual,” said Sims. “Seattle residents will have the opportunity to connect past to present, memory to imagination, and personal reflection to collective legacy.”
The artists featured in the exhibit used archival material from the collection to create works that aim to reimagine the future while contributing new layers to the archive. The artists are Akoiya Harris, DJ Summersoft, Natasha Green, Quenton Baker, and Rae Akino. The artwork features mixed media installations, printed digital art works, reimagined archival texts, black out poems, and nail art.
“I think these five artists really bring a very Black Seattle lens, and it was really important for me to find artists who have known Seattle over multiple years,” Sims told the Seattle Medium, in an article that published today. “Some were born here, and others are transplants. But I really wanted that sort of cross-pollination of folks who have been here for a long time and folks who have called this their oasis and their home to really reflect on the history that’s in the archive.”
Opening celebration: In addition to the curated exhibit, which is available for viewing through Sunday, Oct. 5, “Rooted & Rising” will include a gallery opening event this Sunday, Aug. 17, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Central Library Microsoft Auditorium and the gallery. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the installation, watch performances, and engage in an artist talk back, in an event that promises to transform archival memory into communal ritual and creative action. Everyone is invited!
Artist conversation and creative session: There will also be a “Rooted & Rising Artist Conversation and Creative Session on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Douglass-Truth Branch. Check back at www.spl.org/calendar for the registration link and more details.
“Rooted & Rising” is supported by a grant from the TEW Foundation and by donors to The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
Find out more about the exhibit
Read the Seattle Medium article
Learn about the African American Collection
Learn more About Vivid Matter Collective
– Elisa M., Communications