Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Solange Knowles originally launched her company, Saint Heron, back in 2013 with a simple mission to create a cultural hub that amplifies the work of Black artists across music, art and film.
Now, the digital brand is looking to reintroduce itself through its next evolutionary phase as a cultural institution.
According to a press release shared with AfroTech, Saint Heron is officially expanding into a multidisciplinary platform, studio and creative agency in which its mission will continue to uphold values that “preserve, collect and uplift the stories, works, and archives” of Black and brown artists throughout our creative communities.
“Saint Heron’s vision to build and structure new worlds that connect and strengthen our identities through expression, is the foundation of its work,” Knowles told ESSENCE. “We are intentional about how we empower authenticity, and that begins from our center. I am so honored to have this incredible team of women by my side, and in leadership through their dedication to creating this legacy that will persist through time.”
The digital agency aims to continue building spaces that spark radical conversations and concepts within art, design, architecture, fashion and literature. In addition to its reintroduction, Saint Heron also plans to launch its dossier with literary and visual compilations of radical family and artists’ heritage.
For each of these pieces, they will offer a thorough exploration of the stories of both emerging and pioneering artists, sculptors, photographers, designers and artisans. The first digital installation under the creative hub will delve into the story of Saint Heron as told by its founder Knowles — also the company’s creative and art director.
Saint Heron’s digital dossier is just one of many creative projects coming to fruition in the future — including a series of gallery exhibitions and installations, an artist in residence programme, a permanent art and design collection, a non-profit library with free access to the hub’s archived collection, an in-house line of home and fashion collectibles, brand collaborations, special music projects under Saint Records, experimental art film releases and so much more.
In terms of the next phase of Saint Heron, Knowles shares that the ultimate goal is to preserve the work that Black and brown artistry has documented our history with, and uplift our authentic stories moving forward.
“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,” she says in a statement. “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.”
For more information about Saint Heron, visit its website.
