The Artists of Colour: Abstracted Realities

The voices of black artists reverberate through history from ancient times. They cannot be ignored. No longer absent from historical records, they continue to speak independently through media of visual art, music, and literature. The process of selective filtering has been practised in art throughout history and has rendered the black artist as invisible and without credible skill or talent. The fact that works of notable black artists of the past have been excluded from mainstream art galleries for centuries highlights a form of abstraction. Our collective voices must be raised in protest.

Today the works of many eminent Black artists are recognized as historically significant contributions and have taken their place beside other influential artists. The works in this exhibit are the narratives of The Artists of Colour.

Participating Artists:
Edward Milo Johnson, Lois Smith Larkin, Connie Lee-Turner, Dennis K. Smith, Lana E. Talbot, Nicole A. Talbot, Manzella V. Vincent, James Walls, Susan Johnson-Washington

About the Artists of Colour:
Formed in 2008, The Artists of Colour have become a positive voice through art forms by black artists within the Canadian Diaspora. The Artists of Colour is a group comprised of artists whose mandate it is to speak boldly of our history through the visual and oral language of art. It is our desire to showcase the works of black artists along with artists of diverse backgrounds, both the professional and the novice, within a professional exhibition. We want to draw awareness to the artistic expressions of this hidden and notable talent. In addition, we wish to teach and encourage novice artists to launch into the professional art world so their creative talents can be seen and appreciated. Our goal is to present art in a positive light that will develop a greater understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and how we, the visible minority, view ourselves and our world in terms of our own realities. The Artists of Colour has encouraged and showcased the works of some of Ontario’s and of Michigan’s finest aspirants. We provide “hands on,” art lessons, educational workshops and guided school tours of the exhibition. It is our goal to be a platform and a catalyst to encourage creativity and to cultivate excellence.