Name: BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED: The Wisdom of African Proverbs
Start: 2021-05-15T13:40:00-0700
End: 2021-05-15T14:00:00-0700

ACES is a BIPOC-centered and led art conference. Our vision is to establish a space for artists of color to celebrate and center ourselves. ACES features performances, presentations, workshops, artist talks, films, discussions, and opportunities to meet local arts organizations. All programming will be offered online, with an in-person Gallery available to visit at ARTS at King Street Station.

How to attend and navigate ACES 2021

Please update your Zoom software so when you sign in, you can self-select different breakout rooms to enter.

Zoom Link to join ACES: https://zoom.us/j/94369338718

The rooms are named The Mainstage, The Lab, Artist Talk Space, and Opportunity Room.

The Mainstage - Keynote address by Shontina Vernon, keynote address by Elisheba Johnson & Inye Wokoma, performances, and several workshops.

The Lab - Workshops, presentations, and discussions.

Artist Talk Space - Hear from the visual artists exhibited in the ACES Gallery at Arts at King Street Station.

Opportunity Room - Learn about opportunities for grants, mentorship, paid gigs, and more from local arts organizations.

How to visit the ACES Gallery

The Gallery is located at ARTS at King Street Station, and is open to visitors by reservation only.

Address: 303 South Jackson Street Top floor, Seattle, WA 98104

Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Tuesday - Thursday, May 4 - 21

Reservations: To make a reservation, go to the ACES Program Schedule and reserve a timeslot. You will also need to submit a COVID-19 Assessment the day before your visit.

Virtual Tour

If you are unable to visit the ACES Gallery in person, please experience the exhibit via the ACES Gallery Virtual Tour.

Community Agreements

ACES is intended to be a safe and celebratory space, for those who are not often seen and heard to bear witness to one another’s artistry, brilliance, and value. Any language or behavior that an ACES moderator deems racist, sexist, ageist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or violent will not be tolerated, and will result in the offender being banned from the event.

In a time of social distancing, let’s connect with each other through our art and our joy.

ACES is co-presented by 4Culture, Arts Corps, Langston Seattle, Northwest Film Forum, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and The Vera Project

Funding for this event provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Seattle Foundation, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and 4Culture.

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BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED: The Wisdom of African Proverbs

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Black Lives Have Always Mattered: The Wisdom of African Proverbs, is a collaborative performance by 10 members of the African American Writers Alliance (AAWA). Inspired by the wisdom of proverbs from our ancestors, members wrote original pieces that illustrate the diverse genres and writing styles of its members including poetry, historical fiction, science fiction, research, and educational writing styles.

AAWA members are published and non-published authors who are committed to sharing their stories with audiences and encouraging others to do the same. This presentation premiered in February 2021, as part of the Black Lives Matter in American History Exhibit curated by the Highline Heritage Museum.

Presenters

Georgia McDade

COO, Communications Enterprises

Georgia S. McDade, a charter member of the African-American Writers’ Alliance, began reading her stories in public in 1991 and credits the group with making her write poetry. Many poems are inspired by artists. Georgia writes for South Seattle Emerald and Leschinews. She also does... Read More →

Merri Ann Osborne

Executive Director, The Mahogany Project

As an artist, I'm intrigued by the intersections of art, social trends and politics as seen through a multi-cultural lens. My personal work has been in theatre, film, voice over, music, dance and bringing new works to life. Having lived and performed in Japan and the UK, I enjoy collaborating... Read More →

Artists

African American Writers' Alliance

The African-American Writers' Alliance, a diverse and dynamic collective of Seattle-area writers of African descent, provides an informal and supportive forum for new and published writers. We help one another polish our skills, provide peer review, and create opportunities for public... Read More →

Gail Haynes

Gail is an author and poet. The title of her first book is Soulful and Sassy Reflections and Poems. Gail has a passion for uplifting and inspiring people through her passion as a poet and wellness educator. She’s been an active member of the African American Writer’s Alliance... Read More →

Gaylloyd Sissón

President, Sissón International

Helen Collier

Helen Collier, a prolific science fiction writer, has excelled in many genres enjoyed by her readers. She has eight titles listed in her collections of novels and short fiction. These include a trilogy, 'Ms. Anna and The Tears from The Healing Tree', 'The Two Worlds of Ms. Anna... Read More →

Jaye Ware

Jacqueline Ware, often referred to as Jaye, works in the legal system, but has buttered her bread, breaded her fish, and seasoned her greens on poetry, spoken word, and as a playwright.Jaye is a long-standing member of the African American Writers’ Alliance. She has presented at... Read More →

Margaret Barrie

Raised in a loving community of family, neighbors, and friends when the Central District of Seattle was village. Margaret has three major goals as a lifetime learner: continuously develop her writing skills, thrive in and support her intergenerational community, and gather her work... Read More →

Minnie Collins

African American Writers Alliance

Minnie A. Collins is poet and author of The Purple Wash (2012), Palm Power: Hearts inHarmony (2018), Commemoration Plaques at Seattle’s Historical Liberty Bank BuildingApartments (2019), screenplay Troubled Waters for The Mahogany Project and We Out Here(2020), and essay “Sojourner... Read More →

Noni Ervin

Noni Ervin found early success in writing and published Verbatim: Living, Loving, Surviving. She is also the creator of the Kinara Park Kids® and author of the 8-book mini-series which incorporates the seven principles of Kwanzaa with positive images of young Black / African-American... Read More →

Saturday May 15, 2021 1:40pm - 2:00pm PDT
The Mainstage

Performance

ACES // Artists of Color Expo & Symposium 2021