This work from artist Takiyah Ward will grace the development’s central square — “A past, present, future timeline of what was, what is and what can be if people look to humanity and treat their neighbors as they would themselves want to be treated. To tell the colorful history of this block with images and words that have stood the tests of time and aided in the perseverance of all who encounter them. To tell the truth of our past, live in our present and set intentions for the future.” (Image: Midtown Square)
Myron Curry’s portraits — including this image of CD legend DeCharlene Williams of the Central Area Chamber of Commerce and D’Charlene’s — grace the building’s 23rd Ave-facing street front (Image: Midtown Square)
Construction is nearly complete on the Midtown Square apartment complex. Leasing for the mix of market rate and affordable apartments is beginning. And Arté Noir, a new Central District arts center focused on “Black art, artists, and culture,” is getting ready to fill the core ground floor commercial space, a one of a kind “anchor tenant” for the new development.
“Honing in on the vision, creating a business structure that takes us from a lease to ownership at the end of the lease, and raising the needed funds to support the plan we have for creating a permanent home for Black arts and culture in a reparative wealth generating structure, have all been challenging,” founder and editor-in-chief of Arté Noir Vivian Phillips said.
With the launch of an online magazine in May 2021, Arté Noir formed as a way to bring attention to the city’s creators and is now preparing to bring the same spirit to a real world center with room for art, artists, and the community.
Arté Noir seeks to contribute to Black culture in the Central District. “Being from the Central District and having watched the numerous changes, I want the message to be that Black culture remains a significant part of the foundation and fabric of this community,” Phillips said.
CHS reported late last year on the unique set of circumstances that led developer Lake Union Partners to tab Phillips and the arts center and gallery plan for the Midtown project’s key retail space after years of planning for a major drugstore chain.
It’s part of a mix of neighborhood and BIPOC-owned businesses in the project put together amid increasing awareness around gentrification and displacement in the Central District.
“My hope is that Midtown Square will be viewed as a project that was done with sincerity and purpose, and took an incremental step in helping to curb the affordability issue in the area and was the catalyst to welcome back people to the neighborhood who moved away years ago,” Patrick Foley of Lake Union Partners told CHS last year. “At a minimum we want all people to feel welcome at Midtown Square.”
Arté Noir wants to be a beacon for restoring and maintaining a sense of Black presence, Black pride, Black art and culture in the Central District, Phillips said. “We’ve lost a lot in the past couple of decades, and we’re joining in the movement for restoration,” she said.
The arts center will showcase Black art, Black artists, and create a space where they are celebrated. Future programming within the arts center will involve Black creatives and is hoped to elevate Black culture in the community.
A new Arté Noir arts center will anchor the development’s 23rd and Union corner
Phillips said the art center will create opportunities that generate a revenue stream that directly supports artists.
“Our financial and fundraising model provides for the organization to underwrite operations so that 100% of sales on items created by artists can go directly to them,” Phillips said. “For the art gallery, they will have a slightly different sales model based on how they have operated already. But for the retail shop, this is how we plan to put more dollars into the pockets of artists,” Phillips said.
The planned center has already shaped the development with its influence. Arté Noir helped select the nine artists who have contributed their work to the building’s murals and installations.
Looking ahead, Phillips hopes Arté Noir will be an asset to the community of the Central District. Support and encouragement for the project have humbled Arté Noir as many, including those who have lent their support and expertise, want to see the arts center prosper.
Arté Noir’s indicators for success are continuing community support and the positive impact the arts center has on the community of the Central District.
“The greatest impact I think will be in owning our space, and owning our destiny,” Phillips said.
Arté Noir will open later this year at 2301 E Union. Learn more at artenoir.org.
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Interesting project, but what’s with the accent aigu over the “e” in “Arté”? Is it pronounced “Artay”?
Given the second word in the title is “Noir” it is presumably French. But the French word for “Art” is….”Art”. No “e”, no accent.