Portrait of Garfield Hillson

Garfield Hillson

Originally from South Florida, Garfield Hillson is a Black-Queer poet and educator working in Seattle. He believes in the beauty of words and the power of story-sharing. He believes in trauma-informed social justice healing and that art and education are the building blocks to achieve this. Garfield imagines being Black and Queer is nothing if not a study in silence. So he writes to reclaim the language that was stolen from him, to empower others, and to push imaginations to craft a better NOW !! Garfield is a Seattle Poetry Slam Grand Slam Champion (2015); a Rain City Slam Grand Slam Champion (2017); and a five-time Seattle Poetry Slam National Team Member (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Garfield has appeared in Rising Up: A Queer Social Justice Play (2017); and Dear White People—Resistance (2018).

2023 Writers Program

Sound Clips
  • Inching Towards Joy - Garfield Hillson
Recent Posts
Announcing Summit Sound, a public audio gallery at the Seattle Convention Center

December 19, 2023

Jack Straw is thrilled to announce Summit Sound, an audio gallery at the new Seattle Convention Center Summit Building on Pine St. Summit Sound was envisioned by the SCC Art Program as “an outdoor space where residents and visitors can immerse themselves in one of our region’s revered creative disciplines–sound.” As the new home to […]

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Wooden bench and platform adjacent to a glass and metal building in the background. Speakers mounted on black columns over the bench.

Categories: Art and Heritage Partnerships, Artist Support Program, Writers Program, Youth Education Programs

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