Black Arts/West was Seattle’s first Black theatre and functioned as a three component program: theatre, dance, and an art gallery displaying the work of local and national artists. As a division of the Central Area Motivation Program, an anti-poverty agency, it was charged with getting young people involved and learning the necessary skills to survive and flourish in society.
In this image Artistic Director Teotha "Tee" Dennard talks about the latest Black Arts/West production, "Voices of Conviction," a collage of songs and dramatic readings. At the time the organization was in danger of closing due to lack of funding. Although the group disbanded in the spring of 1980, it was an integral part of a movement that created many of the region's professional and semi-professional arts organizations.
Caption information source: http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/black-arts-west Caption information source: The Seattle Times, July 1, 1979, page 167 Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 7 x 10 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Credit: MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.048.09.01, photo by John Holmberg
