Saint Mary’s University marks milestone anniversary with powerful new exhibition

Saint Mary’s University in Halifax is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Patrick Power Library with a powerful new exhibition that’s sharing untold stories of Black Canadians.

The university’s Library and Archives Dean says the exhibition is a chance to talk about something bigger than the anniversary.

“(It’s) a national art exhibit that brings the voices of African and Black Canadians right across the country,” says Suzanne van den Hoogen.

The faces and places on display of the “Black Threads of the Canadian Tapestry” shine a light on the experiences, histories and voices of Black Canadians across generations.

“Black history runs through all the threads of Canadian history. There is nowhere in Canada that we are not representative of, or we have not lived or we don’t have some kind of history,” says Donna Paris, Black Threads artist and educator.

“It’s a study in portraiture, of regular Black folks that live across the country and their portraits combined with their interviews that were done with the same individuals,” adds fellow artist David Ofori Zapparoli.

At the heart of the exhibition is a large-scale photographic banner on the library’s first floor, featuring Black Canadians from across the country.

Throughout the space, visitors will encounter smaller portraits, each paired with QR codes that unlock their stories, which allows allowing participants to share their experiences in their own words.

The artists said Saturday was the perfect day to share their work at the library, as March 21 was the International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

“To be opening our show here and in Nova Scotia where I was born, I was born in Truro, it’s a full circle moment,” says Paris.

Both Paris and Zapparoli retired in 2019 and decided to start the project. They started by collecting stories from Black Canadians and the stories of their ancestors. Their journey started on the East Coast.

“We have no idea who we are going to interview, we just get in the car, pack up everything but the kitchen sink and travel from province to province and every time we see Black people we stop, someone tells us to talk to someone and we just interview people,” says Paris.

Paris conducts the interviews and Zapparoli captures their portraits. They say their work is dear to their heart and something they have always wanted to do.

“It’s really important to put some context behind what it means to be Black in Canada. To be Black in Canada is many different experiences. It’s a whole myriad of victories and setbacks and struggles,” says Zapparoli.

A woman by the name Zanab Echo pieces the photos together, creating a display hung at the front of the Patrick Power Library. Not only are the artists pleased by the location, as they believe a library is inclusive to all, but the library itself is grateful to share it with their students and community.

“It’s our goal to ensure students feel represented and our community are represented and this provides an opportunity for us to share in the Black Canadian experience,” says van den Hoogen.

The project has a lot more ground to cover. It’s ongoing with the goal to share as many stories as possible.

“It’s wonderful that we are starting in Nova Scotia, and we want to take it out west, and in September there is a big chance that we will be showing up in Winnipeg, but we would also like to show up in other places. We hope this project sprouts some legs and grows across the country,” says Zapparoli.

If any Black Canadians have stories they wish to share, they can reach out to Paris through their website.

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