Earthseed, a New Black Arts Alliance, Announced in Northern New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM, September 02, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Earthseed is a newly-formed, Black-led arts non-profit dedicated to centering and amplifying Black voices in northern New Mexico, as well as to collaborating with Indigenous artists, artists of color and other northern New Mexico arts communities. It has been formed based on the principles that artists are at the forefront of change and are critical to the preservation of culture; that Black art has enormous healing potential and is a powerful tool for necessary communication, expression, and validation; that representation matters and Black artists in New Mexico need to be represented and centered in the courageous conversations around race and representation that are happening now (and will continue to happen) at both a national and micro level.

While African-Americans make up a small sector of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico populations, “We are here,” says Raashan Ahmand, artist and founding member of Earthseed. “Our numbers might be small, but our impact is great. We are business owners, entrepreneurs, students, creatives, parents and workers. Our children attend schools here and we are invested in this community that we live in and love.”

Building community is one of the core values of Earthseed, and it is calling on Black artists of all mediums throughout New Mexico to join in the development of art shows, installations, lecture series, residency and educational programs, along with live online events. Earthseed is also calling on community allies to show up and put action to words by donating time, money, materials, resources, space, and getting creative with their access, privilege, position or connections, because Black representation, culture and expression lifts all communities.

“We have an opportunity here to be the change we want to see. This is the time for action to follow up words of solidarity and support. Supporting Black arts in Santa Fe is one way for our community to stand together in unity and love for one another,” says Tigre Bailando, artist and founding member of Earthseed.

Earthseed, as a member of the local arts community, will work towards making Black people more visible in northern New Mexico. It will amplify Black voices in the dialogue regarding the development of public and city funded arts & culture programming. Earthseed has a vision of what Black representation might look like in Santa Fe County and the greater northern New Mexico region. Here are just a few examples:

- The presence of a Black person appointed to the city arts and culture department

- Black representation among the nine-person volunteer arts commission, appointed by the mayor.

- A city sponsored public art project that acknowledges, celebrates, and honors the history and contributions of Black people in New Mexico.

“In light of the current international spotlight on systemic inequalities at play in our society, we see this as the ideal moment for Black New Mexicans to have a voice in the conversation on how to address and heal this inequity, specifically as it relates to Black people,” says Nikesha Breeze, artist and founding member of Earthseed.

Earthseed’s first community event and fundraiser will take place on September 5 - a community dance party celebrating black music and the artists themselves. Find event details on Earthseed’s website, www.earthseedblackarts.org Help make Black arts, Black people, Black culture more visible in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico.

Earthseed is fiscally sponsored by Vital Spaces, a Santa Fe based 501(c)3 organization that aims to support BIPOC artists, a population whose work has historically been underrepresented in contemporary art spaces in Santa Fe.