This Juneteenth is all about Black history and Black Panthers

This Friday is Juneteenth, a day Black Americans celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday coincides this year with a wealth of exhibitions and community projects in the area that honor the legacy of the Seattle Black Panther Party, which fought for the liberation of Black people during the late 1960s.

You’re reading Art x NW, a weekly arts and culture newsletter from Cascade PBS. Read past issues and subscribe for more.

< And on that tip, just down the street at Arte Noir, the new-ish exhibit Central District Legacy: Black. Power. Black Panthers (through Aug. 2) showcases the impact of the Seattle Black Panther Party (the first chapter outside California) and the role of the Central District in that history. The exhibition features works reflecting on the Black Panthers’ legacy by contemporary artists like Charles Conner, Tony Toney, Thaddeus Hunnicutt, Tasanee Durrett, Ed-Lamarr Petion and others. 

< Over in Skyway, Black Panther Park opened in late April, thanks to a team effort between Nurturing Roots, King County Parks and Stone Soup Gardens. Its main point of focus is a giant community garden — a nod to the Black Panthers’ free breakfast program — with raised herb and medicinal beds, a central gathering area and a lending library available to all. There are also a ton of murals by local Black artists like Al-Baseer Holly, Ari Glass, and Cristina Martinez. 

< And, downtown at the Metropole Building in Pioneer Square is the new Seattle Black Panther Interpretive Center(Friday-Sundays, 11a.m. – 4 p.m.). Their inaugural exhibition, “Power to the People,” focuses on tracing the history of the Seattle Black Panther Party starting with Aaron and Elmer Dixon’s founding of the chapter in 1968. There’s also a Panther Reading Circle (held IRL and via Zoom) and volunteer opportunities. Keep an eye out for more programming!

The Frye Art Museum has been on a roll with exhibitions as of late. I really dug the retrospective on Tom Lloyd, a pioneering Black light artist whose flickering geometric sculptures from the mid-1960s glimmer with color and soul (up through Sept. 20). 

Now, the museum has opened Lotus L. Kang’s I hear the hollow boom of time (through Sept. 27), a deliciously heady exhibition on time, place and process. In one particular installation called “Molt,” Kang hangs industrial-sized sheets of unfixed photographic film that she calls “skins” (they are appropriately fleshy) in the center of the room. Over the course of the show, the chemicals on these “skins” will respond to the light, humidity, and air in the room, changing over time in a process she calls “tanning.” 

So, in a way, these art works live on in their own right, as records of where they’ve been and the breath of everyone who’s seen them. Kang scatters tiny cast-aluminum objects throughout these sheets, like little surprises. Appropriately, the colors of these “skins” remind me of bodily fluids – a little offputting but familiar. And if you stand just right, you can see your own reflection in these reams of film. Don’t forget to say “cheese.”

If you’re looking for more immersive art installations, get over to West Seattle where ONCE REMOVED’s Sammy Skidmore and Zoë Hensley have transformed a home into a domestic gallery full of freaky, bespoke art by Seattle creatives including Cathy McClure, Julia Monté, Beni McCallister and Isabella Rinald.

This is the second iteration of their Once Removed project, which acquires soon-to-be-demolished houses and commissions artists to make artworks that respond to the space. At their February debut in Greenwood, I was delighted by the liminalness of the space and the ideas that grew out of each work. Plus, it was refreshing to be art hobnobbing in something other than a white-walled gallery space. I haven’t had a chance to check out their West Seattle pop-up (address available upon request), but Skidmore and Hensley say they will be hosting open hours on upcoming weekends (check the Once Removed Instagram for address and updates).

As if the World Cup festivities weren’t enough, the summer season is off to a terrific start this weekend with festivals bringing Seattleites together over murals, naked cycling, and the solstice.

< Welcoming the World Night Market takes place tonight (June 18, 5-10 p.m.) at Pike Place Market. There will be over 60 local craftspeople hawking their wares as well as 20 food vendors, 13 farmers, and two live art demos. Behind the decks will be KEXP’s Larry Mizell Jr. who will spin tunes throughout the evening. Go to rub elbows with soccer (err…football) fans from across the globe and give them a hearty welcome to the Emerald City. 

< Time to strip off your clothes and ride a bike in your birthday suit at the 35th annual Fremont Solstice Parade (June 20). Of course, there will be naked cyclists, giant puppets and stilt walkers shuffling down N 36th Street, but after the parade you can poke around the craft market and wolf down snacks from one of the many food vendors on site. And if this whole affair isn’t furry enough for you, come through for the Dog Parade the next day. 

< Across town in the Central District is Summer in the Square at Midtown Plaza, hosted by Arte Noir and the Urban League, featuring the 5th annual Juneteenth REVIVAL Black Market (June 20, noon-5 p.m.). The market puts you in direct contact with local Black makers and artisans who will be vending their handmade goods. In addition to KEXP DJs playing music during the evening, there will also be food vendors and community organizations to connect with. 

< Can you believe it? Punk Rock Flea Market is now in its 20th year. This weekend (June 19-21) we can all wish them a happy two-decades at the Quality Flea Market on Capitol Hill. Fork over the $1 entrance fee, and you’ll find cool VHS tapes, freaky stickers, vintage treasures, bug earrings and the like from weirdo artisans who form the bedrock of this incredible city. It’ll likely be a scorcher that day, but there will be cold drinks on site to keep ya cool. 

< Bring in the summer solstice at Seattle Center! Put on your roller blades to cruise through the skate park at Skate Like a Girl’s Go Skate Day (11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Skate Plaza). Or, for something less likely to end in a wipe-out go see several tethered hot air balloons lit up for the Hot Air Balloon Glow (8-10 p.m.). Life is as magical as the day is long. < American car culture gets a dose of high culture thanks to the Seattle Chamber Music Society kicking off its annual Summer Festival (June 18-July 6) with a roving Concert Truck. This stage/truck transformer parks and pops open to reveal esteemed chamber musicians ready to rock. The ensembles play live from the truck “stage” for outdoor crowds at venues across the region, from Seattle Chinese Garden to Bellevue Botanical Gardens. What fun!