Kitchener exhibition explores Blackness and Freedom
A two-day event highlighting work from twelve local Black artists and exploring the themes of Blackness and freedom is being held at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum.
The Black and Free exhibition runs Saturday, March 25 to Sunday, March 26.
"Black and Free is a research creation project that I started in 2017 and we’re looking to bring together artists, academics, scholars and the general public to think about Blackness and freedom, to just have that conversation in its many complexities and ways," said Naila Keleta-Mae, Black and Free principal investigator. “Over the course of the weekend, we’ll be doing interviews with each artists to learn about their process, what they were creating, and to open up the space to audiences to ask questions as well.”
Attendees also have the opportunity to browse a pop-up market which features cultural food and clothing.
“We have a lot of vendors here who are sharing things that they’ve made themselves, as well as small businesses,” said Keleta-Mae. “We also have some community organizations here too who are just sharing some of the work that they do in the community. So you can come for the art, stay for the interviews, and do a little shopping.”
The event focuses on Black culture and history, but Keleta-Mae said it’s an exhibit for everyone to attend.
“Black and Free is for people who are curious, who are casual, and who are engages,” she said. “It has really been designed in all of our programming to think about being relevant to Black communities but to also connect with people who are concerned with these issues who don’t identify as Black.”
This is the first year the exhibit has run at the museum, but according to Keleta-Mae, it will be a multi-year partnership.
“We will be doing annual events here. The scope of the events, we’ll see, but Black and Free will be commissioning new artists every year to create new work.”
The final day of this year’s free event is Sunday, from noon to 3 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.