When you give to BES, you’re investing in Black arts infrastructure. You can make a cash donation by clicking "Contribute" above. You can also support us by choosing one of the items below—your selection counts as a donation, and we’ll send the materials as a gesture of our thanks!
First up, have merch designed by Berlin-based artist Diana Ejaita.
Ejaita's artistic practice is rooted in illustration and textile design—you can see her work on New Yorker magazine covers and in museums and in the garments she creates. We gave her just one prompt: to incorporate the phrase "You are having a black aesthetic experience." For many years, we began our Arts Writing Incubator sessions by talking about participants' recent black aesthetic experiences. This could include trips to museums to watching black movies to simply being in space with black people. One of the very first people to be in the Incubator, Brian Evans, suggested using the phrase on merch. We're super excited to have Ejaita continue our legacy of manifesting this phrase, and we couldn't be more ecstatic about what she dreamt up for us.
We worked with Oregon Screen Impressions, an independent print shop in Portland, OR to produce everything. (We love supporting independent businesses as much as we love your support of BES.)
We also have a limited edition publication by ruth gebreyesus, "Untold Time."
Since Fall ‘25 we have embedded Emily Mulenga’s piece The Time is Now in online ad spaces throughout Seattle. Now, we love the internet but we also love print projects that you can hold on to, so we’re excited to offer a limited-edition publication about Mulenga’s work.
Written by ruth geybreyesus, “Undoing Time” is begins with the fact that “It’s unclear if the clocks [in Mulenga’s piece] are counting up or down to zero,” and ruminates on the existential urgencies of the present. Her writing is interspersed with images of artists’ work, photographs of protests, cartoon stills, political posters, and more. The publication’s bright yellow paper reflects the cartoon styling’s of Mulenga’s work and makes the publication as visually alive as the work it responds to.
This project was edited by Jessica Lynne, designed by Zoë Pulley, and printed on Neenah ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers at Girlie Press in Seattle.
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Products
Since Fall ‘25 we have embedded Emily Mulenga’s piece The Time is Now in online ad spaces throughout Seattle. Now, we love the internet but we also love print projects that you can hold on to, so we’re excited to offer a limited-edition publication about Mulenga’s work.
Written by ruth geybreyesus, “Undoing Time” is begins with the fact that “It’s unclear if the clocks [in Mulenga’s piece] are counting up or down to zero,” and ruminates on the existential urgencies of the present. Her writing is interspersed with images of artists’ work, photographs of protests, cartoon stills, political posters, and more. The publication’s bright yellow paper reflects the cartoon styling’s of Mulenga’s work and makes the publication as visually alive as the work it responds to.
This project was edited by Jessica Lynne, designed by Zoë Pulley, and printed on Neenah ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers at Girlie Press in Seattle.
This perfect heavyweight hoodie with a sightly boxy fit is made by Independent Trading Company (you can find the size chart by clicking this link.) The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($55.23), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
We picked this long-sleeve because there's room for hips; it has a chill open cuff; and it's not too light, not too heavy. Made by Shaka Wear (you can find the size chart by clicking this link.) The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($48.68), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
A classic dad cap, what else is there to say? Embroidered detail and an adjustable band (surprise, the band also snaps in the back). The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($48.68), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
We love a tote—and this one is gusseted, meaning it has a flat bottom. 15"W x 16"H x 3"D and 100% cotton canvas. It's got 20" handles which means its perfect for slinging over your shoulder and won't drag if you're swinging it around by hand. The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($34.70), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
Since Fall ‘25 we have embedded Emily Mulenga’s piece The Time is Now in online ad spaces throughout Seattle. Now, we love the internet but we also love print projects that you can hold on to, so we’re excited to offer a limited-edition publication about Mulenga’s work.
Written by ruth geybreyesus, “Undoing Time” is begins with the fact that “It’s unclear if the clocks [in Mulenga’s piece] are counting up or down to zero,” and ruminates on the existential urgencies of the present. Her writing is interspersed with images of artists’ work, photographs of protests, cartoon stills, political posters, and more. The publication’s bright yellow paper reflects the cartoon styling’s of Mulenga’s work and makes the publication as visually alive as the work it responds to.
This project was edited by Jessica Lynne, designed by Zoë Pulley, and printed on Neenah ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers at Girlie Press in Seattle.
This perfect heavyweight hoodie with a sightly boxy fit is made by Independent Trading Company (you can find the size chart by clicking this link.) The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($55.23), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
We picked this long-sleeve because there's room for hips; it has a chill open cuff; and it's not too light, not too heavy. Made by Shaka Wear (you can find the size chart by clicking this link.) The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($48.68), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
A classic dad cap, what else is there to say? Embroidered detail and an adjustable band (surprise, the band also snaps in the back). The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($48.68), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
We love a tote—and this one is gusseted, meaning it has a flat bottom. 15"W x 16"H x 3"D and 100% cotton canvas. It's got 20" handles which means its perfect for slinging over your shoulder and won't drag if you're swinging it around by hand. The suggested donation covers the true cost of production and design ($34.70), and every dollar above that directly supports BES in all that we do. Give at the level that feels right — and if you’re able to give a little more, your generosity helps keep our creative community thriving.
