A Black Renaissance at the Columbia City Gallery

by Troy Landrum Jr.

"We are living in a time of a new renaissance — what we are calling the Black Renaissance — the third great cultural revival of Black Americans, after the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. After the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and1970s."

This is a quote by Ibram X. Kendi from his piece in Times Magazine, "Ibram X. Kendi: This is the Black Renaissance." It speaks of a period proclaimed by Kendi following the racial reckoning in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement — a period that is still on the rise and brilliantly blooming at the Columbia City Gallery. The gallery is partnering with artists' collective SEABRA (Seattle Black Renaissance Artists) to present a new exhibit, also called "Seattle Black Renaissance Artists." SEABRA's mission centers around promoting Black artists and making Seattle a destination for "Blacknificent" modern art.

"Seattle Black Renaissance Artists" will run through Sept. 8 and features local artists such as Charde' Brown, Myron Curry, Yolanda Galery, Vincent Keele, Rodney King, and T.R. Miles — all marked out by SEABRA as the Seattle area's most exciting Black visual artists.

In its program, the Columbia City Gallery wrote:

"Charde' Brown brings to life her internal struggles with mental health in a tangible way, inviting viewers to explore beyond their physical sight. Myron Curry is known for his impactful public art that not only beautifies but also serves as a source of inspiration and empowerment. Yolanda Galery strives to add more color to our everyday field of vision. Vincent Keele retells history, bringing back phenomenal people and places that have been misplaced or forgotten. Rodney King celebrates the greatness of Black culture, with his signature touch being the use of vibrant color. The works of T.R. Miles, a self-titled 'pixel painter,' is a captivating blend of abstraction and realism, which suggests dynamic movement and mythical characterizations."

"Seattle Black Renaissance Artists" opened to the public on July 10, and on July 13 the gallery held an artist reception to introduce the brilliant artists and their prized pieces. The exhibit is one to remember. The individual artworks sit prominently at the entrance to the gallery with the past and present of Black beauty gazing at all who enter the space, each piece bringing a specific artistic reflection on the beauty of Blackness. Some paintings depict prominent figures like Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye, while others reflect on what I interpret as moments of pure Black expression through the characters in the paintings. Individually, these works illustrate individual stories, but together they sing of the multifaceted lives of Black folks. We are more than what others interpret us to be. We are layered, we are complicated, we are everything that makes up the human experience.

T.R. Miles, the exhibit organizer and one of the SEABRA artists, had words that perfectly aligned with that historical period that Kendi claims for us all, the Black Renaissance.

"A renaissance is happening in the Black Artist community in real time. We are each having impacts in distinctive ways. We're like the 'Seattle Art Sonics' — innovative, bold, and must-see. We are creating a historical legacy as we collectively introduce ourselves to a broader audience."

As artists, we receive inspiration from the world around us. It could be through songs, another human we brushed up against on the bus, words from other creatives, or the orchestra of nature around us. We breathe in the world and breathe out our own interpretations of that world through many forms of expression. We do this for the world to interpret our work, to breathe it in, to be inspired with the grand hope of helping others move through the rugged terrain of life. T.R. Miles and the other SEABRA artists are taking Kendi's words to heart and reimagining it for us here in Seattle. They are creating something that is needed, something we all thirst for. And they are centering what has always been beautiful and deserving of a platform: Black beauty.

Most powerfully, the title of this exhibit speaks to the very time we are in. A time when the political divide is deep and wide in our country, but also a reminder of the sweet resistance of art and expression. A time in history that we as Black artists have to utilize if our work is to speak as the works of Black Artists and prophets before us have spoken. Especially through the periods such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement, each building on the other as catalysts for our current moment.

Artists — Black artists — must continue to rise, express, and change the landscape through our art just as the artists of our past shaped the landscape of this country in their own times. The Columbia City Gallery is shaping our landscape through the powerful work in the "Seattle Black Renaissance Artists" exhibit. Step into this exhibit and experience not only art, but a movement that historians will be reminiscing about through the decades.

The Columbia City Gallery is located at 4864 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle. You can see the Seattle Black Renaissance Artist exhibit through Sept. 8, 2024.

📸 Featured Image: "Healin'"by T.R. Miles. (Photo courtesy of Columbia City Gallery)