Founded by Douglas Q. Barnett in 1969, Black Arts/West was Seattle’s first Black theater. It evolved out of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and eventually became nationally recognized for its three-component program: theatre, dance, and an art gallery displaying the work of local and national artists. As a division of the Central Area Motivation Program, an anti-poverty agency, it was charged with getting young people involved and learning the necessary skills to survive and flourish in society. After 11 years, Black Arts/West closed its doors in the spring of 1980.