Tariqa Waters facts for kids

Tariqa Waters (born in 1980) is a modern artist. She is known for her fun, large artworks. These include fabric sculptures, paintings, and art setups. Tariqa uses many different materials. She works with wood, plastic, ceramics, paint, glass, and photos.

2019 NO series in conjunction with The Seattle Art Museum.

Her art has been shown in many places. These include the Seattle Art Museum and the Frye Art Museum. Her work has also been in magazines like Rolling Stone France.

In 2016, Tariqa had a popular show. It was called "100% Kanekalon: The Untold Story of the Marginalized Matriarch." It was at the Northwest African American Museum. In 2020, her show "Yellow No.5" opened at the Bellevue Arts Museum. Her amazing "Gum Baby" art setup opened in 2022. It was a five-room display made of blown glass. In 2023, her big art piece "4th Sunday" was shown.

Tariqa also owns the Martyr Sauce Pop Art Museum & Gallery. It is in Pioneer Square, a historic art area in Seattle. She works to create art spaces and bring artists together. She has helped many art groups. In 2015, she helped start the Re:Definition gallery. This gallery is at the Paramount Theatre. It helps show new art in old spaces.

In 2021, Tariqa made Martyr Sauce bigger. It became the MS PAM pop art museum. Tariqa asks other artists to work with her. They create exciting art experiences for everyone. In 2022, Tariqa started a new TV show. It is called "Thank you, MS PAM." This fun and educational show is for all ages. It airs on The Seattle Channel KCTS9 PBS.

Early Life and Learning

Tariqa Waters was born in Richmond, Virginia. She has lived in many cities. These include Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, and Sicily. She moved to Seattle, Washington in 2012. Tariqa is a self-taught artist. This means she learned art on her own.

Her Work as an Artist

Tariqa opened Martyr Sauce in 2013. It was an art gallery led by artists. It showed art from artists who were not often seen. In 2015, she started RE: DEFINITION with Jonathan Moore. This gallery was at the Paramount Theater bar. It also aimed to show art from underrepresented artists.

While running Martyr Sauce and RE:DEFINITION, Tariqa kept making her own art. Her solo show, "100% Kanekalon: The Untold Story of the Marginalized Matriarch," opened in 2016. It was at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle.

Tariqa also organized a group art show. It was called Yellow Number 5. This show was at the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) in Bellevue, Washington. It ran from 2020 to 2021. Tariqa was the first Black woman to be a curator at BAM. She worked to make the museum more fair and welcoming for all artists.

In 2021, Tariqa made Martyr Sauce into the MS PAM pop art museum. In 2023, Seattle Magazine named her one of Seattle's most important artists.