‘Unapologetically BLACK’ Art Exhibit Opens at Bloomfield Art Gallery
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“Fierce” (2017), an exhibition piece by Happiness Bhoke John.
A unique and impressive art exhibition opened January 30 at the StFX University Art Gallery in the Students’ Union Building.‘Unapologetically BLACK’ Honouring the Black Identity is an art project conceived by Kelsey Jones, StFX African Descent Student Affairs Coordinator, and StFX Art Gallery Director Dr. Andrea Terry.
The opening was attended by a full crowd of artists, students, staff, employees, professors, and community members. The exhibition features art that examines Black identities, and highlights how artists of African descent understand and engage with their Blackness. The show aims to emphasize the vast narratives of being Black in today’s society. On display are some unique and beautiful pieces in a wide range of formats including paintings, sketches, photographs, video, poetry and even a stunning quilt reflecting the experience of The Underground Railway.
In her opening remarks, Gallery Director Dr. Terry welcomed everyone to the exhibit and congratulated the artists for their beautiful submissions, and for their vision to share their talent. She says events like this are what draw visitors into the gallery.
Kelsey Jones said in her opening address that the idea for the exhibition came about through an initiative of the BLACC Students Society on campus. She explained what BLACC stands for: Biracial, Latin X, African, Caribbean and Canadian. She said that as the campus community celebrates African Heritage Month, the University must recognize the struggle of the ancestors of Students of African Descent, learn from the past, and move forward toward an equitable future.
Jones noted that while walking around campus, she saw no art from the Black community. She felt the importance and the need to be seen, and thought that the talents and artwork of her community should be recognized and celebrated.
Jones thanked Dr. Terry for her support and her enthusiasm. She said that all groups are represented - including the University community, the Town, the County and local schools. She has received feedback that a variety of field trips, school tours, and meetings are being planned around this exhibition. Jones says the whole month of February is slotted for the show which will give everyone enough time to plan a visit.
Both Jones and Dr. Terry thanked members of the support staff and curatorial assistants who helped get the Gallery ready for opening. They included Allanique Hunter, Kammy Carrington, Teresa Olsen, Parker Poole, Bruce Campbell and Kyra Lambert. Jones then invited several of the participating artists to introduce themselves and describe their submissions. The audience quickly became absorbed in and enchanted by what they heard and saw.
Student Perissa Forbes described her two pieces – one a sunset painting and the other a stained glass. She says she got her inspiration in art class last semester. She used layers of color for effect, and even though it took a lot of work, she is so pleased with the final result.
Sydney Augustine said that while working on her piece: The Hanging Garden, it became a reflection of her own identity, and that was of great importance to her. She wanted to exhibit Black space; the Gothic subculture; her dreams, and her personal interests. Her use of dark tones and steel drums reflects her Trinidadian heritage.
Tracy Kinyenye, another StFX. student from Kenya, explained that the inspiration for her work came from her homeland where wildlife is so important to her culture. She has incorporated elephants, rhinos and lions into her pieces. She wanted to show the close connection with nature, her culture, country, and family. Her move to Antigonish was a major event in her life, and with the total support from her family she knows she will succeed in her dream of an Engineering degree.
Third year Nutrition student Happiness Bhoke John is from Tanzania. Her work is in photography and she submitted four pictures along with a slide show. She has been taking pictures for over seven years and finds it invigorating and a great stress reliever. She says that when she came to StFX she noticed that the photographs of Black students on campus needed attention with regard to quality and clarity. Since no one specialized in this field, she worked hard to correct the technique and the results are impressive. She says she is the only Black photographer on campus and her services are needed and in demand. “My work shows who I am and captures the Black identity at the University.” Happiness is also a photographer for the Xaverian Weekly.
Jasonique Moss showed her beautiful blue-tinted print of a skull which she began as a class assignment. Why a skull? She explained that the skull is a base for all humans no matter what skin color, religion, belief or orientation. “We are all the same,” she says. Jasonique explained that creating artwork is a wonderful way to deal with the stresses, anxieties and frustrations of university and everyday life.
Kelsey Jones not only expressed her enthusiasm for the wonderful artwork, but beamed with excitement when she discussed her own submissions. One exquisite work is her redemptive piece from a heartbreaking incident entitled Shattered Mirror. Kelsey received a beautiful glass memento from her mother just before she died, but due to an unfortunate accident it was left in pieces. Kelsey was heartbroken but she gathered the pieces together and fashioned a wonderful new creation, a type of reflection painting. She says, “the reflection now is not what the world sees, but how I see myself.” Her other piece is a portrait of a Black male in a hoody. She emphasized his eyes in order to challenge the stereotype of Black males as being aggressive. His eyes show him as passive and sensitive.
The exhibit is open until February 29 at the StFX Art Gallery. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 12 to 6 pm and Friday and Saturday from 12 to 5 pm. The Gallery is located on the first floor of the Bloomfield Centre. The exhibit and the Gallery are supported by StFX University and the communities of Northeastern Nova Scotia, and are on the unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki.
For more information phone, please reach out to Andrea Terry at 902-867-2303, aterry@stfx.ca, or www.mystfx.ca/art-gallery.
