Artwork copyright Storme Webber. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2024.

Grace Notes, 2017

Storme Webber
(Black | Sugpiaq, born 1959)

Location: Star Lake Elementary, Kent

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Storme Webber's 'grace notes' letterpress print presents some lines from a much longer poem she wrote. It explores history, lineage, gender, race, and sexuality. The full text on the print is: "i told a story until it transformed. i sang a song until the melody lifted rose from the dirge & i could feel the grace notes.

This artwork is part of a curated collection by Asia Tail in April 2024 for three Federal Way Public Schools in South King County. Asia chose graphic works that are as bold and diverse as the students, by artists with ties to South Puget Sound. Images of language, people, and the natural world create a poem for this place where students live and learn. She notes, "School is a place where we can connect with new families. And families are always strongest when working together."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Federal Way Public Schools.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Storme Webber is a two-spirit, Black and Sugpiaq (Native Alaskan) poet and interdisciplinary artist. Her art practice explores liminal identities (a state of being between social roles and/or identities), survivance, and decolonization by combining text, performance, audio, installations, archival photographs, and collaboration.

Webber holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The New School in New York City and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard University in Vermont. She has devoted years to foregrounding marginalized voices, most recently via "Voices Rising: LGBTQ of Color Arts & Culture (2007-present)". She's second generation Two Spirit and lesbian.