Black Arts West Alumni Association, LLC

Preserve Black Theater History Before It’s Lost

Black Arts/West shaped Seattle’s Black theater legacy. Now that the legacy is at risk of being lost.

Original members are aging. Some have already passed. Stories, photos, and cultural history are disappearing.

Much of this history has never been fully documented.

Your support helps preserve and share it through a public exhibition at King Street Station.

Founded by Douglas Q. Barnett, Black Arts/West created space for Black artists, voices, and stories to be seen and heard in Seattle.

With no formal training, he stepped into theater and built something that didn’t exist before.

“I can do that.”— Douglas Q. Barnett

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

This history has gone under-recognized for decades.

Many of the artists who built Black Arts/West are no longer here. Others are aging. 

Stories, photos, and materials are at risk of being lost.

This may be the only opportunity to document and share this history fully.

If we don’t act now, their stories may be lost forever.

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING POSSIBLE

• 40+ historical exhibit panels
• Archival video storytelling
• Community events and conversations
• Youth engagement experiences
• Digital preservation for future generations

WHAT YOUR GIFT DOES

$25 → Helps preserve archival materials
 $50 → Supports youth storytelling
 $100 → Captures one oral history
 $250 → Sponsors one exhibit panel
 $500 → Supports community programming
 $1,000 → Helps bring the exhibit to life

COMMUNITY VOICES

“We built something powerful, and too much of it has already been forgotten.”

“This isn’t just history. This is our story.”

CREDIBILITY

• Exhibition planned at King Street Station, 
• Exhibit dates August 8th through October 3rd, 2026
• Supported by 4Culture
• Fiscal sponsor: Shunpike
• Community-driven effort

Help preserve this legacy before it’s gone.

Donate today and ensure these stories are never lost.

This history has gone under-recognized for decades. If we don’t preserve it now, we risk losing it forever.

Donate today and help ensure this legacy is documented and shared.

Dream On Monkey Mountain/1971 
(Author, Derek Walcott; Director, Jason Bernard)

Theater poster artwork by Al Doggett (http://www.aldoggett.com/)

                                                     Slave Ship/1971 (Author, LeRoi Jones/aka Amiri Baraka; Director: Beatrice Winde) Black Girl/1971 (Author, J. E. Franklin; Director: Buddy Butler)

  Wine in the Wilderness/1970 (Author, Alice Childress)

Sty of the Blind Pig/1974  (Author, Phillip Hayes Dean, Director: Buddy Butler)

Black Arts West Dance Company Debut Performance  Song Of The Lusitanian Bogey/1971 (Author, Peter Weiss; Director: Allie Woods Jr.) The Great MacDaddy/1973 (Author, Paul Carter Harrison; Director: Rafic Bey)The River Niger/1973 (Author, Joseph A. Walker: Director: Buddy Butler)Evolution Of A Sister/1973 (Author, Francine Major, Director: Francine Major) Five On The Black Hand Side/1974 (Author, Charles Fuller: Director: Buddy Butler)    Simply Heavenly/1974 (Author, Langston Hughes, Director: Buddy Butler)

   Kibibi Moniè: Founder & Artistic Director Kibibi Moniè: Founder & Artistic Director   The Colored Museum (Author, George C. Wolfe, Director: Kibibi Moniè)
The Homecoming (Author, August Wilson, Director: Kibibi Moniè)  
Dark Divas/2019 (Authors, Demane Hall & Kibibi Moniè)