A message from the director
Dear Friends, Family, and We Are the Seeds supporters:
Please consider contributing to our capital campaign this year end. Last year, We Are the Seeds celebrated the opening of our first public space, Seeds Contemporary, located among the artist studios at Cherry Street Pier. We held gallery exhibitions, flute making workshops, dance classes, on-site artist residencies, and became a home for Native artists living in the Philadelphia area. Thanks to foot traffic in this busy area, we also saw our impact on many non-Indigenous visitors who encountered contemporary Native art possibly for the first time.
Our new home transformed us from a largely virtual organization to one with real physical presence. As much as we appreciate our artistic community on the waterfront, we’ve learned that the free-flowing energy during the overlapping events at Cherry Street Pier isn’t always in harmony with our activities. We now understand how necessary it is for us to have control of the sound level, as many of our programs include deep listening. In addition, we now have a vision for real estate that includes a kitchen and an area to prepare meals to expand our programming around food sovereignty.
Next spring, we plan to move to a new location in Old City. For those outside Philadelphia, Old City is a quaint neighborhood of cobblestone streets, home to art galleries as well as landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and the Ben Franklin Bridge. We Are the Seeds needs bigger and better space, but our move is also strategic. Visitors to Old City experience a colonialist version of American history. We Are the Seeds wants to claim Indigenous space in Old City and make our contemporary presence known.
Our podcast “From Here, With a View” features interviews with Indigenous artists and activists, and is a fantastic way to share our work and mission with a wider audience.
Indigenous people in Philadelphia are thriving, and We Are the Seeds represents generations upon generations of artists who survived to lead us to the art we’re making today. Your support will help us secure a new home in Old City and continue promoting Native art and artists. Please help us reach our goal today!
--Tailinh Agoyo
Please consider contributing to our capital campaign this year end. Last year, We Are the Seeds celebrated the opening of our first public space, Seeds Contemporary, located among the artist studios at Cherry Street Pier. We held gallery exhibitions, flute making workshops, dance classes, on-site artist residencies, and became a home for Native artists living in the Philadelphia area. Thanks to foot traffic in this busy area, we also saw our impact on many non-Indigenous visitors who encountered contemporary Native art possibly for the first time.
Our new home transformed us from a largely virtual organization to one with real physical presence. As much as we appreciate our artistic community on the waterfront, we’ve learned that the free-flowing energy during the overlapping events at Cherry Street Pier isn’t always in harmony with our activities. We now understand how necessary it is for us to have control of the sound level, as many of our programs include deep listening. In addition, we now have a vision for real estate that includes a kitchen and an area to prepare meals to expand our programming around food sovereignty.
Next spring, we plan to move to a new location in Old City. For those outside Philadelphia, Old City is a quaint neighborhood of cobblestone streets, home to art galleries as well as landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and the Ben Franklin Bridge. We Are the Seeds needs bigger and better space, but our move is also strategic. Visitors to Old City experience a colonialist version of American history. We Are the Seeds wants to claim Indigenous space in Old City and make our contemporary presence known.
Our podcast “From Here, With a View” features interviews with Indigenous artists and activists, and is a fantastic way to share our work and mission with a wider audience.
Indigenous people in Philadelphia are thriving, and We Are the Seeds represents generations upon generations of artists who survived to lead us to the art we’re making today. Your support will help us secure a new home in Old City and continue promoting Native art and artists. Please help us reach our goal today!
--Tailinh Agoyo
