Wonder Is Coming: The WOW Gallery Closes With Sankofa Celebration

The WOW Gallery, a vibrant cultural destination in downtown Seattle, recently hosted their Closing Celebration Sankofa, marking four and a half years of fostering healing, connection, and empowerment in the Pacific Place Mall. While the physical space is left behind, the spirit and vision of Wonder of Women International, the organization behind the gallery, continue to evolve into its next chapter.

Veronica Very, the founder and visionary of Wonder of Women International, described the gallery as a healing hub and cultural destination. She explained that her original vision in 2021 was to create a space for the community to heal and connect safely, especially during the Black Lives Matter uprisings and the pandemic. 

Very highlighted the mission of “Dear Sister, I See You,” a critical exhibition within the gallery meant “to shine a bright light on the plight of what was happening with Black women." Very clarified that the closing was not the end of Wonder of Women, but merely the closing of this particular chapter. The organization's next step is to build a healing retreat center to connect the community with nature.

WOW co-creator and artist Hiawatha D. reflected on the gallery's journey, which began with the vision to travel his Iconic Black Women collection. Due to the challenges of Covid, he and Very sought their own physical space, leading to the establishment of the WOW Gallery in Pacific Place. 

The gallery molded Hiawatha’s artwork into more than just an aesthetic, but as part of the community’s healing through trying times. He recounted a powerful story of a customer who, despite being bedridden, insisted on having his art for her healing space, a testament to his impact. Although saddened to see the gallery close, Hiawatha saw it as “an opportunity to do something even better.”

Heru TchaasAmen, a Qigong instructor partnered with Wonder of Women, described his experience at the WOW Gallery as a dream come true. “People have literally been healing their high blood pressure, their physical ailments, addiction issues..we've had people that have have overcome suicide issues here in this space." he said when reflecting on his workshops hosted at the gallery. He also emphasized the legacy of Black women of power who have taught the Black community how to heal and love. 

Shanell Powell, a WOW Gallery Board Member, Powell described the gallery as a place where visitors could chronicle over 450 years of black American history, and enter sacred spaces for contemplation and affirmation. She expressed a sense of hope for the future, stating, "if we were able to create this in the middle of a global pandemic... I can't imagine what the next phase looks like."

Attendees of the celebration echoed the sentiment that "wonder is coming," a powerful affirmation of hope and future possibilities for the Wonder of Women International and its continued mission to empower and uplift communities through art and healing.

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