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The Creative Advantage’s “1619” Exhibit Resource Guide

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The Creative Advantage invites visitors to engage thoughtfully in Mr. Delbert Richardson’s exhibition, 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation, on view at ARTS at King Street Station through January 15, 2021. 

They are collaborating with educator consultant Rachelle Horner on these support resources for the general public and educators. 

About The Exhibit

Created and curated by Mr. Delbert Richardson of The Unspoken Truths, 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation takes viewers on a chronological journey – from the beginnings of our origins in Africa, American Chattel Slavery, and the Jim Crow Era to modern-day African American originators, inventors, and innovators.

*Please note: 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation may contain works that some visitors could find upsetting. Please connect with a visitor services staff member for more information and references.

Learn More

Exhibit Resources

*Please ensure you give yourself time to center yourself before you visit the gallery. Please make sure to prepare young people for the exhibition experience and follow-up learning too. 

About Rachelle Horner

Courtesy of Rachelle Horner

Rachelle Horner (she/her) is a 14-year teaching veteran of the Lake Washington School District. She taught AP US History and the University of Washington in the High School Composition 131 and Comparative Literature 240; a social justice-focused English class. She led her school’s equity team that provided professional development on social justice pedagogy and cultural humility for staff members through collaborative and equitable partnerships with parents and students. She started a Student Equity Advisory Board and was the Black Student Union Advisor. In both spaces, she built students’ capacity for leadership on equity issues which culminated in a variety of student-led initiatives to create an equitable school culture. As a consulting teacher, she now mentors first and second-year teachers throughout the district. In addition, Rachelle is a social justice consultant working with companies around equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. Her motto is “social justice is not an additional burden you have to shoulder; it is the lens with which you choose to see the world.” 

Digging Deeper

  • Seattle Public Schools Antiracist Arts Education Task Force has developed The Roots Framework that The Creative Advantage supports.

The Unspoken Truths Museum comes to ARTS at King Street Station

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November 16, 2021 – January 15, 2022

This November, ARTS at King Street Station will host 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation from November 16, 2021, through January 15, 2022. The exhibition features stories and objects from the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths that are new and unfamiliar to many.

The exhibition, created and curated by storyteller Mr. Delbert Richardson, takes viewers on a chronological journey through the beginnings of our origins in Africa, American Chattel Slavery, the Jim Crow Era to modern-day African American originators, inventors, and innovators.

Ceremonial Mask, 20th Century, Wood, Beads, Cowrie shells, courtesy of the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths

“As the “story” goes in August of 1619 “20 odd negroes arrived” in the British colony of Virginia (which was not yet America). American Chattel Slavery as an institution, had the primary function of feeding the greed of wealth and capitalism by white men of European decent both in Europe and the Americas. The commodification of human beings primarily from the continent of Africa provided a free labor force for over 400 years. There are many histories that are still debated and told through different lenses, but stories that are centered on the attributes, perseverance, and courage, of a great people are rarely shared.”

Mr. Delbert Richardson

About the Exhibition

The mission of The Unspoken Truths’ 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation is dedicated to the education of children, students, and adults of all ages to tell and share through a non-sanitized version of American History, using authentic artifacts, multi-media presentations, storyboards, and the ancient art of storytelling. This work is centered around an anti-racist curriculum, unbiased histories, and the journey of African people to the Americas and Europe in an effort to recognize and strengthen positive identity development and a positive self-concept and image of African people of the Diaspora. 

The exhibit is organized into four themes: 

Mother Africa, which features some of the great contributions that Africans have made throughout the world. This section connects Africa’s global impact in the areas of its rich traditions, cultures, rituals, and ceremonies.  Equally as important, are the global contributions in S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math)  

American Chattel Slavery breaks down the type of slavery where human beings are considered to be property and are bought and sold as such. This section utilizes authentic artifacts, documents, and storyboards, to expose the Impacts on enslaved Africans physically, spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically.  

Jim Crow Era is an explanation of the racial caste system geared around white superiority. Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-black racism.  

Still We Rise highlights African American inventors and inventions. A 40-foot display features everyday items that African Americans have invented or improved upon.  

For over 30 years, Richardson has collected and amassed an assortment of artifacts that symbolizes Africans’ contributions to Africa and the Americans. 

About Mr. Delbert Richardson

Mr. Delbert Richardson, the founder of The Unspoken Truths, is a self-taught educator, second-generation storyteller, ethnomuseologist, and community scholar. Born in Detroit, his family of six siblings moved to the Seattle area in the mid-1960s. He attended Coleman Elementary, Washington Middle School, Franklin High School, and graduated from Antioch, Seattle with a B.A. in Liberal Arts: Global Social Justice.    

Mr. Delbert Richardson is a husband and father of four amazing children. Richardson has won numerous awards including:    

  • 2013 National Campus Compact Newman Fellows Award  
  • 2017 National Education Assoc. (NEA) Human and Civil Rights Award  
  • 2019 Seattle Mayor Arts Award  
  • 2019 Seattle Crosscut Courage in Culture Award  
  • 2020 Assoc. of King County Org. (AKCHO) Heritage Education Award  
  • 2020-2021 National Maquis Who’s Who Award
  • 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards (GAHA) 
  • 2021 MOHAI’s Educator of the Year 

ARTS at King Street Station will have two additional installations on view in the gallery space: Diversity by Design by AIA Seattle’s Diversity Roundtable and Home of Good: A Black Seattle Storyquilt by Storme Webber. 

Ethiopian Coptic Bible, 19th Century, Cowskin and wood, Ethiopia, courtesy of the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths

Exhibition Exploration for Educators with Delbert Richardson (December 11, 2021)

The Creative Advantage invites educators to this special exhibition exploration session to tour the exhibit and think critically together about ways to share this exhibit and its themes with students.

December 11, 2021
11am  – 1pm
Free
ARTS at King Street Station

RSVP

ARTS at King Street Station is free and open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. In accordance with King County’s vaccination verification guidance, people ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter. Masks are required, regardless of vaccination status. 

The Unspoken Truths: 1619 – Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation is organized and presented by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and is curated by Ricky Reyes in partnership with the ARTS at King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood. 

ARTS at King Street Station Reopens with ‘Close to Home’ Exhibit

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ARTS at King Street Station is proud to announce its official reopening with the exhibit, Close to Home, on view from July 22 through August 14, 2021. 

Created by 14 BIPOC artists, this exhibit showcases artworks that explore definitions of “home” using abstract and literal representations of their experiences of home and place. 

About the Exhibit:

Close to Home challenges audiences to think intentionally about the idea of “home” through the use of paint, sculpture, quilting, and textural arts. The representations of “home” also span depictions of historical artifacts, to abstract illustrations, to what home might look like in the future.  

While being some of the most vulnerable to forced migration and displacement, the 14 artists in Close to Home actively celebrate the resilience of people of color using nuanced understandings of place.   

Close to Home asks viewers to actively engage with questions of what makes our homes distinct. Who gets to define what makes places important or meaningful? Where do we individually fit into community definitions of belonging? What does it look like to keep records and pay respect to our community members who have stewarded the land for generations? The 14 exhibiting artists’ practices grapple with these questions using ideas and physical objects that represent meaningful parts of their own homes and communities. 

The exhibition also displays the range and growth of the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection, which includes pieces by instrumental Pacific Northwest artists. This exhibition consists of portable artworks in the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection, purchased between 2020 and 2021 in partnership with Seattle Together and Seattle City Light. Close to Home is organized and presented by ARTS (Office of Arts & Culture). The exhibition is curated by Ricky Reyes in partnership with the King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood. 

  • Metaphor of my mother, missTANGQ, Mixed Media, 2018
  • Salmon Spirit, Crystal Worl, Gouache Paint, 2017
  • My Jazzed Mountains, Gwen Maxwell Williams, 100% Cotton, 1998

Featured Artists:  

  • Romson Regrade Bustillo 
  • Ka’ila Farrell-Smith  
  • Jonathan Wakuda Fischer 
  • Hongzhe Liang /名媛  
  • Micah Mccarty  
  • missTANGQ  
  • Miya Sukune  
  • Earnest Swanson  
  • Robert Running Fisher Upham  
  • Markel Uriu  
  • Gwen Maxwell Williams  
  • Jennifer Angaiak Wood 
  • Crystal Worl  
  • Junko Yamamoto 

Close to Home is on view at ARTS at King Street Station, Thursday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, from July 22 through August 14, 2021.  For your safety, and that of our staff, visitors must wear a face covering while inside ARTS at King Street Station.

The city of Seattle to Temporarily Close ARTS at King Street Station, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute to Public to Prevent Further Spread of COVID-19

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ARTS at King Street Station and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute closed, March 13 - April 13

To prevent the further spread of COVID-19, the Office of Arts & Culture will close ARTS at King Street Station and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute to the public. All programming, rentals, and events at both locations are canceled.  All closures will take effect at 6 p.m. today, March 13, and will last until at least May 2. The City will be in continuous contact with public health officials to evaluate our facilities beyond this timeline.

This announcement follows the State and County’s new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including a prohibition of events with more than 250 people, and a prohibition on events with less than 250 people if they don’t meet public health guidance on social distancing and hygiene, and the City’s decision to temporarily close Seattle Public Library locations and community centers.

The Office of Arts & Culture continues to provide support for local arts organizations and artists through our grants, creative youth, cultural space, and public art programs. Staff will continue working during the temporary closures of ARTS at King Street Station and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and remain available to respond to email and phone inquiries from the public.

The City of Seattle is working to combat the spread of COVID-19 in our region. For up-to-date Public Health – Seattle & King County guidance, visit kingcounty.gov/covid.

New exhibition at ARTS at King Street Station

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Opening reception Thursday, November 7, 2019, 5-8 p.m.
Featuring CityArtist Shareout, a facilitated artist Focused conversation

Brighter Future: To be heard. To be seen. To be free., on view at ARTS at King Street Station November 7, 2019 through January 11, 2020, is an exhibition featuring artworks created by more than 50 local artists of color reflecting on freedom. The exhibition is organized by the Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery (EHAG) Board, a collective of City of Seattle employees including people who are of Black, Latinx, Native, White, Asian, and Indian backgrounds who showcase local artists of color and build appreciation for diversity and social commentary expressed through art.

Marilyn Montufar, Dani, Mexico City, 2011. C-Print, 16"x20"

The exhibition features 100 artworks including paintings, photography, sculpture, print, video and four installations. Artists on display include Aaliyah Guptah, Angie Hinojos Yusuf, Barry Johnson, Blanca Santander, Carina del Rosario, Erin Shigaki, Hugo Moro, Juliana Kang Robinson, Lauren Iida, Marilyn Montufar, Naomi Ishisaka, Susan Ringstad-Emery, Tatiana Garmendia, Vikram Madan and Xavier Lopez Jr.

Brighter Future: To be heard. To be seen. To be free. was organized through an open call, asking artists of color what it means to be heard, to be seen, and to be free. The call was open to the Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery artist roster, the Office of Arts & Culture Ethnic Artist Roster, and artists of color from the general public. All artists who submitted work were accepted in the exhibition.

“We believe in the power of artists and the voices of those most impacted to redefine how we as a society address structural racism,” says Bradley Wilburn, Land Use Planner IV at Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections, the Ethnic Art Heritage Gallery Board Chair. “Brighter Future asks artists to envision a place where we can foster trust, respectful discourse, openness, liberty, and expansion of the human spirit.”

The Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery Committee was founded in 2009 to build and strengthen relationships with communities of color, and to foster pride and appreciation for diverse cultures. In collaboration with Arts & Culture, EHAG presents quarterly exhibitions showcasing local artists of color selected by the EHAG‘s team of City of Seattle employees.

ARTS at King Street Station is a new kind of cultural space where communities of color have increased opportunities to present their work, and be seen and heard. Grounded in community feedback, the programming and cultural space on the third floor of King Street Station is an incubator for artists and communities, experimenting with the best ways to respond to the cultural needs of an ever-changing city. A cohort of King Street Station Advisors select and respond to community exhibition and programming ideas. ARTS’ goal for King Street Station is to be a resource for the city and the embodiment of the Office’s commitment to racial equity. Admission is free.

Tagalog sa King Street

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A workshop production of one-act plays written and performed in Tagalog (with English surtitles), September 5 – October 5, 2019 at ARTS at King Street Station
Admission is free

September 5-October 5, 2019
Free to the public, all ages
ARTS at King Street Station
303 S. Jackson St, Top Floor
Seattle, WA 98104           

Intermittent open rehearsals in the gallery
Tuesdays-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; First Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.  
Performances: Thursday, October 3, 6:30 p.m.;
Saturday, October 5, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
RSVP button

ARTS at King Street Station will host the workshop production of Tagalog sa King Street, a collection of one-act plays written and performed in the national language of the Philippines. With creative use of live English surtitles and shadow puppetry, non-Tagalog speaking audience can enjoy the innovative, brave, new voices selected from the prestigious Virgin Labfest of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

This is a workshop production that will be presented in two parts. The first are open rehearsals as the creative team comprised of Lorna Velasco, Joyce Juan Manalo, Ai Lalo, Alyza DelPan-Monley, Arlo Magpoc, Nina De Torres Ignacio, Leah Mitts, Manny Golez, and Pia Rivera will transform the space into a world of shadow and light. The open rehearsals will culminate with three performances of the completed work that are free to the public on Thursday October 3rd and Saturday, October 5th. Tickets are available here. The production was made possible through at grant by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. The performance is ADA accessible.

 Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady (How I became the Leading Lady), by Carlo Vergara, is a story of two sisters, Mely and Viva, who turn a small grudge into a superhero battle between good and evil.

Hintayan ng Langit (Heaven’s Waiting Room), by Juan Miguel Severo is about 67-year-old protagonist Manolo meeting his unrequited love, 64-year-old Lisang in purgatory. Their spiritual ascent is delayed until they resolve a lifetime worth of heartaches and regrets.

 ARTS at King Street Station is a new kind of cultural space where communities of color have increased opportunities to present their work and be seen and heard. Grounded in community feedback, the programming and cultural space on the third floor of King Street Station will be an incubator for artists and communities, experimenting with the best ways to respond to the cultural needs of an ever-changing city. A new cohort of King Street Station Advisors will select and respond to community exhibition and programming ideas. ARTS’ goal for King Street Station is to be a resource for the city and the embodiment of the Office’s commitment to racial equity. Admission is free.

Indigenous Art Installation Debuts on King Street Station Plaza

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Free celebration includes blessing, and storytelling.
Friday, June 21, 2019, Noon – 3 pm
King Street Station Plaza, 303 S. Jackson Street at the corner of 4th Avenue S., Seattle

Brings the Medicine Sundial, a temporary public sculpture intended to bring healing, recognition, and awareness of this land’s First People by activating the King Street Station Plaza, debuts on Friday, June 21. The installation, which features six, 28’ tall fir tree poles that form a semicircle and public gathering place, is created by artist and architectural designer Kimberly Corinne Deriana (Mandan/Hidatsa) in collaboration with Coast Salish carvers. Brings the Medicine Sundial is Deriana’s first major public art commission.

On the day of the installation’s debut, the summer solstice, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in collaboration with yəhaw̓, will host an afternoon of celebration and arts engagement, aligning with its goal of creating an outdoor gathering area honoring the Earth. Planned activities – all free and open to the public – include a land acknowledgement and blessing by Denise Emerson (Skokomish/ Navajo) and storytelling by Jill and Sasha LaPointe (Upper Skagit/Nooksack).

The sculpture Brings the Medicine Sundial features free-standing tripod structures forming a sundial/dais and gathering circle that honor the Earth. Six fir lodgepoles will stand on what is now King Street Station Plaza for the first time since 1855, when the Treaty of Point Elliott outlawed the construction of Indigenous structures within Seattle city limits. The logs, sustainably harvested by Skokomish foresters, illustrate a shared cultural reference central to the theme of “lifting the sky” from the inaugural exhibition at ARTS at King Street Station, yəhaw̓ (on view through Aug. 4). yəhaw̓ is inspired by the Coast Salish story of Indigenous people from many tribes coming together and using poles to hoist the sky above the Earth. The word yəhaw̓ is used across languages to communicate and to form unity in this process.

yәhaw̓ is a year-long Indigenous community-based project culminating in the inaugural exhibition at Seattle Office Of Arts & Culture’s ARTS at King Street Station from March 23 – August 4, 2019. The exhibition is accompanied by a mentorship training cohort, satellite shows, residencies, vendor opportunities and partner programs. yәhaw̓ features the work of 200+ Indigenous creatives at over 20 sites across Seattle and beyond. Curated by Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole), Asia Tail (Cherokee), and Satpreet Kahlon, yәhaw̓ celebrates the depth and diversity of Indigenous art made in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at yehawshow.com.

About the artist: Kimberly Corinne Deriana is a Mandan and Hidatsa architectural designer and artist who specializes in sustainable, environmental, Indigenous architecture, housing, and planning. Her design methodologies focus on incorporating Indigenous lifestyle practices in relationship to past and present: design for seven generations. Deriana strives to achieve exceptional design by weaving together respect for individuality, honor for cultural identity, and appreciation for contemporary quality, manifested in the shape and structure of sustainable buildings and communities.

Facebook: @kimberlyderiana, @seattlearts, @yehawshow
Instagram: @kimberlycorinne, @seaofficeofarts, @yehawshow

Project Credits: Kimberly Corinne Deriana (Mandan/Hidatsa) – Artist & Designer; Rob Purser (Suquamish), Delbert Miller (Skokomish), Tina Kuckkahn-Miller (Ojibwe), Sayalts Miller (Skokomish) – Carvers; Absalom Shantz – Lead Fabricator; Christopher C. Shaw – Professional Engineer; Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole), Asia Tail (Cherokee), Satpreet Kahlon – Curators; S Surface – King Street Station Program Lead, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.


Free celebration includes blessing, and storytelling.

Friday, June 21, 2019, Noon – 3 pm

ARTS at King Street Station is open

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Open hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.;
 First Thursdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
ARTS at King Street Station
303 S. Jackson Street, Top Floor
Seattle, WA 98104

On Saturday, March 23 ARTS at King Street Station officially opened its doors to the public. Mayor Durkan cut the Ribbon, Ken Workman the great, great, great, great-grandson of Chief Seattle welcomed everyone, and the Lummi Black Hawk Dancers opened the gallery. More than 2,700 visitors came to the opening and enjoyed the new space and more importantly had a chance to see yәhaw̓, a year-long Indigenous community-based project.

yәhaw̓ features the work of 200+ Indigenous creatives at over 20 sites across Seattle and beyond. The exhibition is accompanied by a mentorship training cohort, satellite shows, residencies, vendor opportunities and partner programs. Curated by Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole), Asia Tail (Cherokee), and Satpreet Kahlon, yәhaw̓ celebrates the depth and diversity of Indigenous art made in the Pacific Northwest.

If you didn’t get a chance to join us at the opening, please stop in anytime during our open hours.

For more information about the exhibition visit yehawshow.com,

For information about how to propose your event or exhibition to happen at ARTS at King Street Station, the application portal is open!APPLY buttonFor more information about King Street Station visit here.

What’s next for ARTS at King Street Station? Propose your event or exhibition now

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New King Street Station Advisors group will review applications for and advise City on creating and maintaining a radically inclusive space for arts and culture

Now open, the King Street Station Portal provides a place for community to propose their ideas, events, performances, and exhibitions or art installations for the new arts and cultural hub. ARTS at King Street Station invests in exhibitions or events that promote arts and cultural participation, celebrate diversity, build community connections, and enhance the visibility of artists of color. The portal offers artists and communities the freedom to imagine, create and realize their programs hosted at ARTS at King Street Station. Guidelines and the ARTS at King Street Station information packet are available.

The new ARTS at King Street Station space responds directly to feedback from community focus groups with an emphasis on people of color. It is a dedicated cultural space that provides more than 7,500 square feet of cultural space and access to presentation and creative spaces, ARTS staff and resources, space for city convening’s, and professional development, meeting space and other services.

Individuals, artists, curators, organizations and groups are encouraged to propose projects that foster community, encourage participation, and reach diverse audiences. All projects must take place at ARTS at King Street Station (303 S. Jackson St.), have a significant arts and culture component, and be free and open to the public. ARTS may provide funding for events/performances and exhibitions for direct project expenses, including artist fees. Interested parties should submit applications at least two months before prospective events and six months before exhibition projects envisioned for the ARTS at King Street Station space. Projects will be selected by a panel of King Street Station Advisors; proposals may be paired with other projects. 

King Street Station Advisors:

King Street Station Advisors is a newly formed group of community leaders and arts/culture enthusiasts who will work with ARTS staff to ensure that the programming at ARTS at King Street Station centers racial equity, represents and welcomes diverse communities, and showcases many creative disciplines. Advisors are provided with a small stipend and serve a two-year term.

Inaugural King Street Station Advisors: Tom Bardwell, Cecilia DeLeon, Akilah Franklin, Bryan Garcia, Emnet Graham, Duncan Gibbs, Laurence Hicks, KERRI, Jasmine Jackson, Frances S. Lee, Lhorna Murray, Catherine Nueva España, Shin Yu Pai, Keanna Rose Pickett, Chukundi Salisbury Sr., Ixtli (Ixtlixochitl) White Hawk, Laurie Wilson, and Sunny Ysa.

ARTS at King Street Station is located at 303 S. Jackson St., top floor, Seattle, WA 98104. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm; First Thursdays, 10 am – 8 pm. Admission is free.