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Malika Bennett knows Capitol Hill, and after a Howard education and ten years in the other Washington, it’s time for this Capitol Hill to know her. Growing up on the Eastside and in the Central District, Bennett took off with the Running Start program at Seattle Central during high school and got to know the neighborhood well.
Her Black Arts Love — “a welcoming community space that is inclusive to all that support our mission of amplifying and uplifting black artists” — is now open in the 400 block of E Pike.
While in her masters program in D.C., Bennett found community in arts spaces. Busboys and Poets, a local restaurant with a bookstore, gift shop, and open mic, inspired Bennet with how they represent local creatives. “You have got to find something outside of work to keep up the balance, and for me, it was going to open mics.”
Eventually, Bennett got involved with the Emergence Community Art Collective, found a mentor, and grew her inspiration into action by producing her own events. “It was just wonderful how it all came together. Everybody was having such a good time. I mean, it just warmed my heart, it was really healing. Just the collaboration, the connection, the positivity, the creators and seeing all of their beautiful art and creations and products that they handmade, or even just businesses that are popping up and they were there to promote their business. It was incredible.”
Bennett moved back to Seattle in 2014, finding work as an administrative assistant at Harborview. Becoming frustrated with the helplessness she felt in the face of police violence and other issues facing the black community, she felt called to build community through art. The creation of Black Arts Love, which aimed to support black artists and creators in the community, helped focus their energy.
“I had this dream”, Bennett told CHS. “It was this blueprint of a whole bunch of black leaders that were all top of their field. They were using their talents to come together. And there was this blueprint of what we could do to help our community. And so I woke up and I said, Malika, what are your talents? And I realized, well, I’m good at event planning and good at PR. I’m good at marketing. I love art. I love creativity. I find the arts to be very healing at the same time.”
Coming from D.C. where she was surrounded by a Black arts community, she questioned where the representation was in the Seattle arts scene.
“I know there has to be black artists in Seattle. Yo, where is it? Even in South Seattle in 2014 and 2015, we would go to the Columbia City Market and stuff and I loved it. I loved the market, but I didn’t see any black artists, or if there was, maybe one, out of all these vendors, I think there should be a little more representation,” she said. “And I was like, I’m going to create that space. I just decided, you know, that year when I created Black Arts Love after that dream.”
Giving a shout out to her friend Tim Shaw and his use of the word “Love” at the end of certain words and phrases, Bennett recounts how she decided on the name. “I noticed how much people got energized behind that, just saying ‘love’. That’s a powerful word. Love is such a powerful word, it resonates. So I say Black Arts Love as well, because it’s kind of like a call to action, but a positive action and that’s to be loving and you know, to love each other and to love black arts and black artists.”
CHS reported here on the opening of Black Arts Love making space for black art and community on Capitol Hill in the overhaul of Pagliacci’s Pike/Pine pizza headquarters.
Using COVID-19 Pandemic Relief funds to get the storefront started, Bennett is still looking for additional funding. Thanks to a unique partnership with Pagliacci, an old storage room that was unused now serves as the home to a new community space.
“They put it up for lease…we came in at the right time with the right mission,” explained Bennett. The grant funding they received helped to cut through the red tape that often plagues new ventures, allowing them to focus on their vision for the space.
The owners of Pagliacci were quick to support the group’s mission, offering up the space and their expertise to make the project a reality. “Matt and his wife, Michelle heard the vision, and they were like, I think this would be great for this space. And Matt was super supportive,” said Bennett. “So we leased from them. The space is cool and the whole Pagliacci staff are incredible. They’re super supportive of what we’re doing here in the community.”
The new art space is filling a void in the community, providing a platform for black artists to showcase their work and bringing people together through the arts. “A lot of people are excited for us to be here and they saw the void in the Capitol Hill area in terms of representation of black art,” said Bennett. “We’re filling that void, And we plan to do events and community events to try and keep them affordable and accessible and have some public benefit to them, so that we can bring people together, connect through the arts and hopefully achieve our goal of uplifting and amplifying black artists but also bringing community together.”
With the grand opening behind them, Bennett is focused on marketing and getting people into the store. “Now that we’re open, it’s like, okay, how to get people in here,” they said. “And it’s super exciting because the energy has been so incredible. I’ve had like about at least a dozen artists come in, wanting to know how do I get my work in the store? And that’s so dope.” They hope to fill Black Arts Love with art from Seattle’s BIPOC artists, giving emerging artists a place to call home that doesn’t rely on the market circuit.
“If you’re an artist, Keep creating, mastering your skill, and if there’s a way we can be supportive of that, we’re here.” Bennetts gratitude for the opportunity to bring their vision to life was palpable, “I just feel so blessed.” With the support of the community and partners like Pagliacci, the art space is poised to become a hub for creativity and connection on Capitol Hill. They will be open Wednesday through Sunday 12-7pm.
You can find updates and pop up market announcements on their Instagram, @blackartslove. For more information, visit blackartslove.com.
PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.
