St. FX art show highlights works celebrating Black love and joy

A new digital art exhibition called Black Love, Joyful lessons, celebrating Black lives and Black art was launched this week at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Tara Reddick, the Black student adviser at the university, and Andrea Terry, the director of the university's art gallery.

Speaking on CBC's Information Morning on Thursday, Reddick said they knew they wanted to collaborate on a project and Black love came to mind because of the desire to prioritizejoyfulness during difficult times.

She said the exhibition was inspired by a collaboration betweenRoy DeCarava and Langston Hughes on a project involving photography and poetry called The Sweet Flypaper of Life.

"it just captured moments in Harlem of Black individuals in joyful times," Reddick said.

"I thought, wouldn't this be nice if we prompted students in our community to think of love in all its forms."

Reddick said she was flooredby many of the submissions and cited a pastel work submitted by student Jasonique Moss thatdisplayed a Black woman in various shades and various stages of carrying a child.

In the artist's statement, Moss said the work celebrates a mother's love as she creates new life and the growth she experiences on the journey.

Displayed across campus

The digital submissionswereprojected at the gallery on Feb. 14.

From Feb. 15 to March 5,the works areprojected on screens in campus buildings, as well asFacebook and Instagram so the public canhave access to see them.

Terry said she was grateful the artists trusted them to care for and share their works.

"It's made being confined in COVID enjoyable in the sense that, I don't wish this on anyone, but I'm so appreciative of people being willing to share their art," Terry told CBC's Information Morning.

"Because it's an exercise in trust, and I hope that they're pleased with the results."

Terry said when she first started working at the gallery she wanted to make it a meeting place.She said it has allowed her to meet new people like Reddick and the artists, and she would like to bring those conversations to future shows at the gallery.

For Reddick, seeing experiences reflected on screens in the university's halls shows there is a place for art that reflects the Black experience.

"I think that we have the capacity to really make sure that our students are reflected around our campus, right? It's not just white walls," she said.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.

MORE TOP STORIES