Wa Na Wari announces the six recipients of its inaugural artist residency program for 2021-2022: Adetola Abatan, Amber Flame, AshaAung Helmstetter, Natasha Marin, Joshua Nucci, and Ruth Zekariase.

Each artist will receive a one-month long residency in the Wa Na Wari house — a home that has been a central part of Black community life in Seattle for over 50 years and is currently an incubator for Black thought and creativity — where they can work and create new visual artwork. The new work will then be on view at Wa Na Wari for a two-month period after the residency. Each artist will also receive a stipend of $2,000. Emerging artists receive mentorship from established artists as part of their residency.

“Wa Na Wari from our inception has been about the creative use of space for the betterment of the Black community,” says Elisheba Johnson, Wa Na Wari’s Co-Founder and Curator. “We are so excited to see this phase of vision, our artist-in-residence program, that provides space and resources to our incredible Black arts community.”

Wa Na Wari is dedicated to the cultivation and presentation of Black artistry locally. Wa Na Wari is located in the Central District of Seattle, a historically redlined neighborhood that was the cultural and artistic hub for the Black community for many decades. The Wa Na Wari house is the second home purchased by Frank and Goldyne Green, and has been in the Green family for five generations.