In 2013, Solange launched her label and website, Saint Heron, to highlight the artists she wanted to bring attention to. Today, she took things a step further, turning Saint Heron into a full-on creative agency. Meanwhile, the Saint Heron website has been updated to function as a sort of digital mood board which will highlight a new artist every week.
In addition to visual stories, the site will also feature interviews with Shala Monroque and artist Cassi Namoda, and conversations between poets, authors, and artists like Helga Davis, Okwui Okpokwasili, Barbara Chase-Riboud, and Ilyasah Shabazz.
As far as physical endeavors, Saint Heron also announced plans to hold a series of gallery exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, a permanent art collection, a non-profit library, and art films. Saint Records will continue to release music, as well.
In a press release, Solange said: “Worldmaking has been a huge part of my practice. The idea of leaving behind cities, meccas, and universes that were occupied and celebrated by bodies, voices, celebrations, and rituals to be discovered down the line. As we transition to an institution, the answer and the vision become abundantly clear. We are creating a legacy where we not only continue the work we have already built but preserve collections of creators with the urgency they deserve. Together we want to create an archive of stories, and works we deem valuable. We want to open up these works publicly and make them accessible to students, and our communities for research, engagement, and consumption, so that the works are integrated into our collective story and belong and grow with us. We are creating an embodiment of living testaments to the glory of expression, and how that recharges and reaffirms the reverence we hold for our own cultural and artistic worth. We look forward to furthering the pursuit of authenticity that empowers the stories of our people.”
You can find more information here.
