ARTE NOIR will celebrate the opening of its new location on 23rd & Union at Midtown Square with a grand opening event on Saturday, September 17, from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm.

The grand opening celebration includes hands-on art activities, ARTE NOIR-branded giveaways & door prizes, a 360 photo booth, and guided tours of Gallery Onyx at Midtown's inaugural exhibit, Truth B Told II.

ARTE NOIR's grand opening also celebrates Wa Na Wari's second annual Walk the Block festival (www.wanawari.org/wtb), a one-day art walk that transforms Central District homes, businesses, parks, porches, and other common spaces into art installations and performance sites. As a 2022 Walk the Block partner, ARTE NOIR will curate performances and art experiences at Midtown Square, showcasing the innovation and soulfulness of Black artists and creatives.

Founded by Vivian Phillips, ARTE NOIR originated as an online publication dedicated to showcasing and uplifting Black art, artists, and culture. The publication launched in late May 2021, and the non-profit was incorporated on June 1, 2021. Under the leadership of Executive Director Jazmyn Scott, the new brick-and-mortar location expands the mission, complementing ARTE NOIR's digital magazine with its Black art gallery and Black culture retail shop.

ARTE NOIR exists to uplift Black art, Black artists, and Black culture, and seeking a gallery partner in alignment with this approach and work was paramount to ARTE NOIR's brick-and-mortar expansion plan. Onyx Fine Arts Collective (OFAC) was a natural fit as the only gallery in Seattle that exclusively showcases the artwork of artists of African descent from the Pacific Northwest.