years that answer
Co-curated by Kamari Bright and Lydia Boss.
In a time marked by uncertainty and pressing concerns about freedoms and futures, this exhibition stands as a powerful celebration of the Black community’s enduring spirit. Through a dynamic collection of works by contemporary Washington Black artists, the exhibition weaves a narrative of resilience, joy, and unity. It explores the ways Black individuals and communities have laid the example of triumph over adversity, through creativity, cultural heritage, and collective strength.
This exhibit is a testament to the vibrancy of Black life and its ability to inspire hope and transformation. From the soulful expressions of shared experiences to the bold visions of what lies ahead, the artworks presented serve as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of today’s world. Visitors are invited to engage with stories that emphasize connection and the unyielding pursuit of freedom, offering lessons that transcend time and inspire action.
Featured artists: Berette Macaulay, C. Davida Ingram, Elisheba Johnson, Kristina Batiste, and Moses Sun.
Curators Biographies
Kamari Bright is a St. Louis-born videopoet and multimedia artist heavily inspired by human psychology and the desire to remove the vagueness of the growth and healing process. Leaning into the mechanisms of communication through the interplay of imagery and language, her works have been received at the International Poetry Film Festival of Thuringia, the Academy Award-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, Seattle Art Museum, TriQuarterly, Moss, International Video Poetry Festival of Athens, and more. The 2023 Bainbridge Island Museum of Art BRAVA Emerging Artist is currently exploring the influence of Christian folklore on present-day misogyny, as well as the impact of the environment on collective well-being.
Lydia Boss is a Seattle-based artist whose work investigates themes of identity, time, and nature through a millennial lens. Surfaces and experiences are manipulated in her work through the use of glass, photography, collage, and new media. She has been a resident artist at The Museum of Glass and Pilchuck Glass School and is a recipient of the John and Mary Shirley Award from the Pratt Fine Arts Center. Lydia is the Program Director at Artist Trust, a writing center mentor with Glass Education Exchange (GEEX), and a member of the Support for Individual Artists Committee at Grantmakers in the Arts. Her work has been exhibited internationally.
Curators’ Statement
For generations the Black community has endured the fires of adversity that have forged them as phoenixes from the ashes of history. Polished, refined, tried, true. But seldom are those experiences and ways of being used as learning points for those outside of the Black community.
In truth, many spaces, movements, crafts, and histories are incomplete without Black acknowledgement. This fact shapes the foundation of this exhibition and our vision as curators. We believe that art is both a mirror and a compass—reflecting our experiences and guiding us toward what’s possible. In this collection, Black artists share their truths, their joys, and their boundless creativity, offering us not only reflections of their lived realities but additional pathways along this human journey.
The timing of this show is not lost on us. At a point in history marked by uncertainty and pressing concerns about freedoms and futures, this exhibition stands as a powerful celebration of the Black community’s enduring spirit. The works included in this exhibition are rooted in a deep commitment to making—whether through craft, storytelling, or the pure act of creating something that wasn’t there before. Each artist’s voice is captured through their distinct use of medium, narrative, color, and style.
With joy and resilience at the center of our process, we hope you feel the rhythm of unity that ties these works together. Each artist represents a unique experience while speaking to the depth, strength, and inventiveness of the Black community. Joy is not just an outcome here; it is a birthright, a spark for growth, an anchor in the midst of a storm.
This exhibition is an invitation: to listen, to see, and to feel the power of Black voices in shaping the world we all inhabit and the futures that are ever present. The question of whether our humanity will survive through adversity is being asked of us all. These are the years that will answer.