Spend Like It Matters: Intentionalist Founder Laura Clise Tours Colman Commons and Previews Takiyah Ward’s ‘RETROspective’
Laura Clise (left) and Takiyah Ward (right) stand in front of Ward’s first solo exhibition RETROspective in Colman Commons.
Here at Colman Commons, every detail of our 4,000+ square foot space in historic Pioneer Square was designed with the intention to serve as a cultural sanctuary where art, community, and economic equity intersect.
Today, we had the absolute privilege of welcoming one of Seattle’s most visionary civic and business leaders through our doors: Laura Clise, Founder and CEO of Intentionalist.
Guided on an insider walkthrough by Colman Commons Director Ashleigh McCurdy, Laura got a first look at our venue’s versatile layout and experienced an intimate, one-on-one preview of master artist Takiyah Ward’s upcoming exhibit, RETROspective.
Shared Values: Why Laura Clise’s Visit Matters
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, chances are you’ve felt the impact of Intentionalist. Founded by Laura Clise, Intentionalist is a movement and platform built around a powerful, transformative call to action: "Spend Like It Matters."
Intentionalist makes it simple for consumers and corporations to intentionally direct their everyday spending toward small businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and disabled entrepreneurs. Laura’s work has fundamentally shifted community support from transactional charity into sustained, long-term economic power.
At Colman Commons, our core value, Community Over Commerce, is directly aligned with Intentionalist’s mission. We built this space to ensure local creatives, independent media producers, and Black entrepreneurs have a permanent, high-caliber venue in downtown Seattle to gather, celebrate, and build wealth. Having Laura step inside to explore future collaborations is a meaningful validation of the ecosystem we are building in Pioneer Square.
Air Jordans hang in Colman Commons as part of Takiyah Ward’s first solo exhibition, RETROspective.
Inside the Space: Laura’s First Impressions
During her walkthrough with Ashleigh McCurdy, Laura explored the complete footprint of the venue, from the light-filled gallery hallway to our flexible meeting rooms and expansive main event hall.
"It is in a beautiful building. The entryway is full of light on the hardwood floors,” she said. “And then as you progress through the space, there are meeting spaces that could be used for a variety of purposes, and ultimately the space opens up into an event space that is perfect for parties, events, cocktail hours.”
Deconstructing an Icon: Takiyah Ward Explains RETROspective
The centerpiece of Laura’s visit was a walkthrough of RETROspective, guided directly by artist, muralist, and cultural organizer Takiyah Ward.
Standing in the hardwood gallery hallway, Takiyah explained how her exhibit deconstructs classic sneaker culture, transforming iconic footwear into high art. Focusing on the legendary Air Jordan collection, specifically models 1 through 13 (the "OGs"), Takiyah broke each shoe down into exploded architectural diagrams.
"I was exploring texture, relationship, intersection, ebb and flow, curve, and all these sorts of things," she explained while referencing her pieces. "I wanted to imagine these different ways of looking at shoes in a fine art kind of way... looking at the parts that I appreciate the most from each shoe, the different ways the lines speak to each other, and the relativity between certain shoes."
Laura Clise (left) and Ashleigh McCurdy (right) stand in front of Takiyah Ward’s first solo exhibition RETROspective in Colman Commons.
A New Lens on Sneaker Culture: Laura’s Reaction
Watching Takiyah break down the intersection of fine art and technical restoration made an impression on Laura. In fact, Laura candidly admitted that Takiyah is the reason she started paying attention to what she puts on her feet in the first place.
When asked about her reaction to the exhibit, Laura offered a reflection on Takiyah's mastery.
“What I love about Takiyah’s perspective and retrospective are the ways that she draws inspiration from the construction, from the colorways, from the design elements that are differentiated across each iteration of the Jordan shoe,” Laura said. “It's through her expertise and through the way that she experiences each Jordan shoe that we're invited to deepen our own understanding of commonalities and differences across material, texture, and meaning."
Looking Ahead
We are deeply grateful to Laura Clise for spending time with us today, sharing her insights, and celebrating the power of local Black art. As we prepare for our upcoming public grand opening and slate of community programming, partnerships with visionaries like Laura reinforce why physical community space matters now more than ever.
RETROspective opens tonight, July 23, at Colman Commons from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Looking to host your next private event, panel, or showcase at Colman Commons? Explore our venue specifications and inquire about bookings today at www.ColmanCommons.com.
