Sadé DuBoise, A’Shirah Revisits King School Playground, 2023

Portland-based artist Sadé DuBoise’s painting A’Shirah Revisits King School Playground was unveiled at KSMoCA during Assembly 2023, the annual PSU Art and Social Practice MFA program event held at Dr. MLK Jr. School. It was commissioned and donated to KSMoCA’s permanent collection by the Richard and Helen Phillips Charitable Fund and is installed at the main entrance closest to the playground.

“This painting shows A’Shirah visiting the playground of the Dr. MLK Jr. School, where she attended first through fifth grades, 2015–2019. She is standing tall on the playground equipment where she spent time moving her body, making friends, and having fun. The bright colors and lively brushstrokes in the artwork make us feel the imagination that filled the playground. Let it remind us of the lessons we learned and the fun we had while in school,” said DuBoise.

Sadé DuBoise is an acrylic painter, visual storyteller, and orator of Black experience(s) in the Pacific Northwest. Growing up in Oregon—specifically Northeast Portland—she developed a deep appreciation for nature at a young age, which has greatly influenced her painting practice. DuBoise’s work explores the experiences of multiracial people, predominantly Black folks and their connectedness to the great outdoors. She considers her work sociopolitical, and seeks to dispel the notion that Black folks prefer urban settings because they fear nature. She does this by painting portraits of Black people, namely Black women, in various outdoor settings that she has personally visited while hiking and backpacking.

Related: A Moment Outside: Sadé Duboise with Ms. Tran’s Second Grade Class