Nestled in the heart of Seattle’s Central District sits a fifth-generation Black-owned home that has blossomed into an immersive community art organization called Wa Na Wari. Situated in a historically redlined area of the city, Wa Na Wari seeks to reclaim a space for Black ownership, art, stories, and community that forefronts belonging, preservation, and possibility for Black folks.
This year, on September 27, Wa Na Wari is throwing a party called Walk the Block, which will transform Central District homes, businesses, parks, porches, and other common spaces into art installations and performance sites. Walk the Block is celebrating its fifth year, and attendees will enjoy over forty different arts spanning a wide variety of visual art, video installations, live music, dance parties, community storytellers, and more.
I visited Wa Na Wari to talk with Elisheba Johnson, one of the organization’s Co-Founders and curators, to learn more about the event and space. We sat on the porch outside of the house and talked about the genesis of the Wa Na Wari project and Walk the Block. During our conversations, locals came through and chatted, and working artists checked in about their progress ahead of the block party.
One artist I met, named Josh Nucci, sat on the porch with us and joined in on our conversations around art and community. It turned out, he too would be installing his own art contribution for Walk the Block by taking over a roundabout traffic circle down the street with a fabricworks piece. He talked to me about his experiences as a Black person in the city.
In Seattle, it can be hard to find truly Black-centered spaces, especially with the quickly rising cost of living, rent prices, and the ever-present nature of gentrification affecting the city due to the Big Tech boom, among other factors. Josh expressed to me that Wa Na Wari felt like a true third place, one where he could simply come and be without the pressure to purchase or consume. He’s found a kind of sanctuary in the walls of Wa Na Wari.
Elisheba Johnson emphasized this ethos when talking about the importance of Walk the Block in our current moment: “At a time when arts funding is being cut and cultural spaces are under threat, this festival asserts that art is essential to community life. For Wa Na Wari, it’s about honoring legacy, celebrating joy, and creating space where Black artists and neighbors are seen, heard, and valued. This is how we preserve culture and shape the future.”
Walk the Block not only brings together the community, but it also allows artists the opportunity to expand on their craft by taking bigger risks on larger projects they may otherwise not have the opportunity to showcase.
I talked to another artist who will be exhibiting during the event, named Zahyr Lauren, also known as The Artist L.Haz, a West Coast-based visual artist known for creating intricately patterned paintings with a robust array of colors. Lauren partnered with Wa Na War in the past and, through that connection, produced their first West Coast art show and textile show called Where Beauty Reigns (2020).
For Walk the Block, Lauren is creating their biggest piece yet titled The People’s Pyramid. Lauren described it as a 10-foot-tall, tetrahedron that attendees will be able to walk inside, all hand-painted with their signature, patterned style.
They told me a bit about the background of the piece, saying, “My energy was tethered to creating a structure that was timeless, created on the continent of Africa, and spoke to the regal nature of the descendants of enslaved people in the US. It is my hope that as visitors walk through this portal, they will feel the collective power of our Global Grandmothers and the fierceness they had/have to embody in order for us to be alive today.”
This year, Walk the Block will take place on the birthday of Lauren’s great-grandmother, who would be 109 years old and survived the Tulsa Massacre. “The grandeur and abundant aesthetic of the People’s Pyramid will stand as a portal monument to the future-focused determination and ingenuity of my Great Grandmother, and that of the Grands and Great Grands from oppressed communities around the world.”
In addition to giving artists the space to experiment and try new things with their work, when you buy a ticket to Walk the Block, the cost of admission goes directly to funding Wa Na Wari’s other projects. These projects include a free community meal program, an oral storytelling workshop, and community organizing initiatives like Cace 21.
Supporting events like Walk the Block is exactly the kind of community building and collective action I believe is paramount to sustaining life-giving artistic growth and discovery that is in constant threat within our nation. If you’re in the Seattle area on September 27, come through!
Walk the Block
Seattle, WA
September 27, 1–7 pm
This was made possible thanks to our partnership with Wa Na Wari. Read about our inaugural writer in residence program here.