She's more than Beyoncé's sister, Solange Knowles is a singer, songwriter, actress, artist, and the mastermind behind Saint Heron, a multidisciplinary institution that appreciates the spiritual act of producing art and design through its protection and collection of outstanding works that help expand the world of Black and Brown voices.
Recently, the brand announced that it's moving into a new stage of growth. In 2013, Saint Heron began as an online community, but this new phase will transition the group into an institution, studio, and agency. This evolution aims to reimagine the urgency in building and preserving permanent collections and archives from their own artists' works.
The new Saint Heron Dossier will concentrate on publishing pieces from influential literary voices and showcase works from artists, designers, and artisans within a range of virtual exhibitions. Not only will the shows be virtual, but Small Matter, the in-person gallery and studio, will exhibit continual collections, house artists in residency programs, and become a free public library for both students and the community.
The Saint Heron website gets laid out in a highly artistic editorial style; clicking through the pages feels like an ethereal adventure. One page speaks to the history of Saint Heron and includes a statement from Solange, reading, "I recognized what I was seeking most was to find a community. To find a space that aspired to enrich and expand the world with nuances, thoughts, and discovery through both my individual and communal identities. It was in that moment Saint Heron was birthed."
The intermittent releases of art will include works from people such as Barbara Chase-Riboud, the visual artist, sculptor, bestselling novelist, and award-winning poet. Cassi Namoda, a painter and performance artist who explores the intricacies of social dynamics and mixed cultural and racial identity, will also be showcased.
This institution is impactful, immersive, inspiring, and inclusive, and the multidisciplinary brand is creating a sense of community for artists, onlookers, and curious minds. It's a poetically refreshing take on the art world and a new way of showcasing works virtually, digitally, and physically.
