Mediums Collective To Ignite 2026 with Brown Voices Poetry & Spoken Word Night and Upcoming Workshops
The iconic Seattle-based clothing brand Mediums Collective is once again lighting the creative scene ablaze with a Brown Voices Poetry & Spoken Word Night this Friday, February 20th. The event marks the Collective’s effort to carve out a safe, creative haven for Black and brown expression, with owners and brothers Roger and Cesar Maldonado planning to break new boundaries in 2026 amidst their storefront’s expansion.
Brown Voices Poetry & Spoken Word Night
The Poetry & Spoken Word Night is a free celebration of verbal expression in response to “ongoing community fears and challenges,” Roger Maldonado said. With a full program of commanding words from local creatives, he emphasized that the night is more important than ever.
"Community is still getting attacked,” he said. “We need more spaces to be able to have a safe space to speak.”
While the event is officially at capacity, he encouraged anyone to still pull up between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Any pre-registered performers who don't confirm within the first 30 minutes will have their slots opened up on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Next Chapter: Store Redesign and 'Build Your Own Brand' Workshop
Beyond Friday's event, the brothers are executing a major plan for 2026, kicking off with a complete redesign of their physical storefront. This transformation is designed to create a space for more intentional, dual-purpose activations, blending community events with educational workshops.
"We're really redesigning the space to be able to be more than just retail,” Roger Maldonado said.
Mediums recently secured a grant from the Seattle Office of Economic Development to invest in sewing equipment and is currently building an in-shop photography space. This shift positions the Collective to launch its cornerstone educational program, "BYOB: Build Your Own Brand," later this year. "BYOB" is a four-week, hands-on workshop designed to walk a limited cohort of students through the full lifecycle of creating a brand, including sewing and product creation, product photography, content creation, and social media strategy and presentation.
Learn more about Mediums Collective here, and stay tuned for more updates on future workshops and events.
Check out the Brown Voices Poetry & Spoken Word Night here, and visit the Mediums Collective storefront at:
705 E Pike St, Seattle
Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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