Earthseed Black Arts Alliance

Earthseed Black Artist Alliance was founded in 2020 by Nikesha Breeze, Tigre Mashall-Lively, and Raashan Ahmad to amplify Black voices through the power of art. Inspired by Octavia Butler’s novel Earthseed, this Black-led initiative collaborates with LGBTQ+, Indigenous, and BIPOC artists to champion cultural preservation, liberation, artistic activism, and presentation of African Americans within New Mexico.

The collective seeks to highlight the presence of New Mexico’s small but powerful Black community by creating spaces for visibility, dialogue, and healing from systemic inequalities. Education is central to Earthseed’s mission, as It strives to build a sustainable, community-driven environment for the underrepresented artist-activists and cultural workers of New Mexico.

City

Santa Fe

Country

United States

Region

N. America

Year of Creation

2020

Featured Project

Black Story, Black Song: History Through the African American Lens

Black Story, Black Song is an educational program designed for teachers, providing a comprehensive overview of Black History. Covering Topics such as the history of hip-hop, the Civil Rights Movement, African ancestry, and more, the program provides engaging resources, including videos, guides, worksheets, and interactive material.

Black Story // Black Song

Resources

Bundrage, Zahra. “New Mexico Black Artists Weave History and Art.” The Paper., 19 Feb. 2021, https://abq.news/2021/02/new-mexico-black-artists-weave-history-and-art/.

Duke, Ellie. “Amplifying the Voices of Black Artists in NM.” Southwest Contemporary, 7 Sep. 2020, https://southwestcontemporary.com/earthseed-black-arts/.

form & concept. “A Towering Cosmic Sculpture by Tigre Mashaal-Lively Finds a New Home.” Hyperallergic, 26 Jul. 2021, https://hyperallergic.com/664529/tigre-mashaal-lively-solacii-cosmic-sculpture-finds-new-home/.

Simpson, Michael Wade. “Meet Nikesha Breeze: Earthseed Black Arts Alliance.” Pasatiempo, 24 Jun. 2022, https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/performance/meet-nikesha-breeze-earthseed-black-arts-alliance/article_fd31d136-ee55-11ec-98d7-fff3134999a6.html.

White, Charles. “Sound of Silence.” Color lithograph on white wove paper, 1978. (Utilized by Earthseed Black Artist Alliance on their public website— likely due to the White’s connection to Octavia Butler and their shared neighborhood of Altadena in Los Angeles, California.)

More Information

earthseedblackarts.org

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