a safe and nurturing community for 2sqtBipoc arts and culture
Our story
Founding Director: Storme Webber
Organization Leadership 2007 - 2024
Voices Rising foregrounds Black, Indigenous, POC/multicultural arts & culture, and by documenting our shared stories we create a repository for that culture. We are an arts incubator for queer communities of color. VR began as a grassroots cultural organization at Richard Hugo House. Since then we have presented at Langston Hughes Cultural Center and are Anchor Tenants at Washington Hall. We have presented over thirty cultural events since 2007, including interdisciplinary performance, dance, live art, healing arts, and generative workshops. This includes a well-received culture bearing quilt project, created in a series of community quilting circles.
Home of Good: A Black Seattle Storyquilt
2017-2024
Concept, Curation and Production by Storme Webber
When Voices Rising Founding Director Storme Webber first conceived of VR in 2007, it was her intention to create and nurture a safe community for LGBTQ+ artists of color. She conceived, curated, and produced all programs and projects from 2007-2024. Tory Trujillo began leading as Artistic Director in 2025 and continues to serve the community through producing and programming.
VR has successfully produced many such projects and programs while highlighting the tremendous talent within our community and raising awareness about our community within the society at large.
12/10/2012 Event
Concept, Curation and Production by Storme Webber
Photos by Naomi Ishisaka
We work from an intersectional space, inviting multigenerational wisdom sharing and mentorship. We cultivate health and healing through the arts, for communities that have been deeply impacted by systems of oppression. As Founding Artistic Director, Storme Webber provided nurturance and elevation to many artists of color including, for example, THEESatisfaction, Soulchilde, Dakota, Amber Flame, Justin Huertas and many others. Many have gone on to successful careers in the arts.
“Rough Ground” - 2017
Concept, Curation and Production by Storme Webber
Photos by Naomi Ishisaka
In the Two Spirit tradition, we work “to keep the fire lit in the village”, meaning our work has existed as a means of community empowerment, healing and evolution. While this moment presents a new chapter of the Voices Rising story, we are grateful for and honor with love, the work and inspiration of our founder. Our path forward is rooted in our intention, as a team of cultural, community and healing activists to continue to grow, while remaining, with the blessings of the community we serve, a sustainable cultural asset for years to come.
In Liberation, the Voices Rising Team …
Support the art of 2SQTIPOC in THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Amplify the voices that shape our diverse creative community
Our Team
tORY TRUJILLO
Artistic Director
2025 - Present
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Tory Trujillo is a Two-Spirit, Mixed-Blood Mexican Indigenous Facilitator of Healing (Sound Medicine, Body & Energywork, Ritual), Professional Vocalist, and entering Artistic Director of Voices Rising as of 2025. As a previous Teacher, Non-Profit Program Coordinator, and Administrative Assistant, she is skilled at wearing many hats.
She is motivated to bring healing, connection, encouragement, and a felt sense of safety to the Community that she serves. Connection, joy, offering artistic gifts, receiving, and rest are resistance, revolution, liberation, self and mutual care, and our birthright. We need these things now more and than ever and she looks forward to curating the container of Voices Rising to offer these opportunities.
Sr. sharifa V. meytung-ma
Consulting Advisor and Storykeeper
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As a Healing Arts practitioner, Sharifa sees every moment in this precious life as an invitation to learn and as an invitation to teach. Every poem, picture, and mindful moment of clear seeing, becomes a way of connecting with all of life. It is her practice to create and to openly share inspiring moments with others, continuously; and to build creative community connections and practices. Mindful breath by mindful breath.
As a Zen Haijin (a writer of haiku poetry), a Buddhist practitioner and lay teacher; an Ifa/Santeria practitioner and a Catholic lay religious, her spiritual work and contribution to Community is informed uniquely by each of these practices.
Her craft and charisma speak of ancestral memory, philosophy, feminist theology, rituals, love, politics, spirituality, history and herstory. Through community storytelling, Sharifa also creates collectively with other artists, activists, spiritual practitioners and teachers, theologians, and everyday people to transform our singular truths into a shared human experience.
YOU!
Valued Collaborators
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Donors, attendees, artists, and general community are essential to Voices Rising. We are exceedingly grateful for your support.
If you haven’t yet collaborated with Voices Rising, we welcome you to join us!