ON VIEW IN THE GALLERY

YOUTH ART SHOWCASE

Celebrating the Creativity of Black Youth in our Community

February 12, 2025 - March 30, 2025

ARTE NOIR’s first Youth Art Showcase is a celebration of the creativity, talent, and unique voices of Black youth in our community. This exhibit highlights the diverse perspectives of young artists, offering a platform for them to share their stories, dreams, and vision through their art. From paintings and drawings to sculptures and mixed media, this showcase is an opportunity to experience the brilliance and potential of the next generation of creators.

MEET THE ARTISTS

Annabelle Baker

My name is Annabelle. I am 12 years old. I was born in Seattle. For the first few years I attended public school but after the covid 19 pandemic began I started homeschooling. I currently enjoy folding origami, reading books, painting, and gardening.

Scarlett Baker

My name is Scarlett, and I’m 10 years old. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I am homeschooling, currently in 4th grade. I love to read, make art, bake, explore the outdoors, and I also really, really, really love animals!

Gabrielle Donaldson

Gabrielle Donaldson is a bright and passionate student at Seattle Academy with big dreams of becoming an attorney and making a difference in her community. She loves bringing her friends together for fun and meaningful moments. Whether she’s exploring the outdoors, painting something beautiful, or spending quality time with family, Gabrielle always finds joy in the little things.

Adela "Always Pluto" Griggs

I am a storyteller. I create to understand my feelings, process the world around me, and because I genuinely really enjoy it.

My stories often center around black queer folk. When I was younger (and now), most media I consumed was centered around cis het white people. It was hard to connect with, to see myself. I used my imagination to put myself in those stories, to have fun adventures, visit different worlds, touch the stars, etc. I still imagine myself in these stories, now I just write them down and illustrate them. I love being black and queer, and that's something I try to always share through my art.

Isha Hassan

Guilite Kamanda

Guilite was born in Kinshasa, Congo, as one of seven siblings. Painting with oils is his passion, and he loves to feature portraits, native animals, and montages depicting dramatic scenes.

Ayla-Jean Major Banks

A driven student with a love for her art, Ayla-Jean consistently earns top marks in honors classes, often taking the initiative to explore complex concepts further through independent research. Ayla-Jean is an active member of the Foster High School band, where she plays at her school basketball and football games while holding a 3.9 GPA. Beyond academics, she loves to draw portraits and animated characters.

Andrew Seffernick

Andrew Seffernick is a 16-year-old mixed-medium artist living in Gig Harbor, WA. From an early age, Andrew enjoyed sketching, creating LEGO creatures, woodworking, and making art from discarded objects around him. When he was 14 years old, he discovered a love for metal work after enrolling in a welding art camp. Now that he’s invested in his own welding tools - he’s found a passion for creating sculptures of birds & other animals along with imaginary figures. He finds inspiration from nature - and his extensive imagination in what a simple object can become with a little creativity.

Adib Thomas

Adib Thomas, 12 years old.
Adib Thomas is many things. He is a writer, an artist, a basketball player, and more recently, the creator of the oil pastel series Unification Nation. Adib also loves fashion, and he often spends his time outside or on adventures. Almost every part of his personal life is planned out in specific ways so that the outcome is beautifully unexpected. This is the way that Adib is hoping and expecting to live his life - Unexpectedly. Unification Nation is now a big step in Adib’s expectedly unexpected turn of events.

PAST EXHIBITS

PARALLEL PERSPECTIVES: AN ART + APPAREL DESIGN SHOW

THE TIES THAT BIND US:WOVEN STORIES OF CELEBRATION

ON VIEW IN THE GALLERY

YOUTH ART SHOWCASE

MEET THE ARTISTS

PAST EXHIBITS

THE WOMEN, THE PAPER, AND THE LIGHT

PARALLEL PERSPECTIVES: AN ART + APPAREL DESIGN SHOW

ONCE UPON A SPACETIME

THE TIES THAT BIND US:WOVEN STORIES OF CELEBRATION