Voices from Down Home

Dialogues on Community Connections in Black Canadian Art

Presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie Art Gallery, Dalhousie University’s African Nova Scotian Strategy, and Halifax Public Libraries.

Chantal Gibson, Souvenir, 2017. Collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, purchased with funds donated by the Charles Anthony Law and Jane Shaw Law Charitable Trust, 2021. Photo: Steve Farmer

Voices from Down Home: Dialogues on Community Connections in Black Canadian Art

February 27, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Road
ASL interpretation will be provided.

The event is free to the public. Registration is encouraged! For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit agns.ca.

Join us in celebrating African Heritage Month with a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring artists from Down Home: Portraits of Resilience, an exhibition at the Dalhousie Art Gallery curated by Fabiyino Germain-Bajowa. Through their unique works, these artists share layered stories that illuminate the strength and vibrancy of African Nova Scotian and Black Canadian life and identity. Drawing on their distinct cultural backgrounds and personal experiences, the artists will engage in a conversation exploring themes of diverse representation and cultural continuity through art and creative expression.

The discussion will be moderated by Pamela Edmonds (Director and Curator, Dalhousie Art Gallery) and Fabiyino Germain-Bajowa (Curator of Down Home; Assistant Curator, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia). Presenters include:

Chantal Gibson – African Canadian author, poet, artist, and educator
Kayza DeGraff-Ford – African Canadian visual artist
Rebecca Fisk – African Nova Scotia visual artist and educator
Preston Pavlis – African American visual artist
Vanessa Thomas – African Nova Scotian digital artist/muralist
Letitia Fraser – African Nova Scotian visual artist

Installation view of Down Home: Portraits of Resilience at Dalhousie Art Gallery, 2025. Pictured (left to right): Kayza DeGraff-Ford, Ritual 1-3, 2004; Letitia Fraser, Auntie’s Boy, 2023; Vanessa Thomas, Florcy (Memories from Up Home and Out Home), 2025. Photo: Steve Farmer

The panel discussion is being held in conjunction with the exhibition Down Home: Portraits of Resilience. Curated by Fabiyino Germain-Bajowa, Down Home is an exhibition that brings together nine contemporary artists of African Nova Scotian and African Canadian descent, whose portraits and mixed media works explore different aspects of self, family, and community. These artists delve into the distinct experiences of Black communities in the Maritimes and across Canada, drawing from rich traditions of oral history, textile arts, and faith to reveal the intricate layers that shape Black life across generations. The exhibition fosters an intimate and layered exploration of both personal and collective narratives, offering diverse perspectives on Black identity, resilience, and creativity.

The artists of Down Home navigate histories of migration, settlement, and displacement, exploring how those legacies have come to foster a sense of self deeply intertwined with communal identity. Justin Augustine and Kayza DeGraff-Ford’s works pay homage to the Baptist church as a cornerstone of spiritual and social life. Similarly, Letitia Fraser and Preston Pavlis incorporate textiles into their portraits of family and community, illustrating the layered nature of identity and heritage through the tactility of fabric. Both Rebecca Fisk and Chrystal Clements critique the beauty and fashion industry, exploring how representation influences racial identity, while Saba Blyden-Taylor and Vanessa Thomas delve into the power of familial relationships and generational connections.

As an exhibition, Down Home substantiates the power of alternative archival forms—including visual art, memory, and embodied practices—to preserve diasporic knowledge, sentiment, and cultural legacy. Fostering a space for reflection and connection, the exhibition celebrates the resilience and creativity of Black communities, honouring past legacies while envisioning future possibilities.

Installation view of Down Home: Portraits of Resilience at Dalhousie Art Gallery, 2025. Photo: Steve Farmer

Dalhousie Art Gallery
6101 University Avenue, Halifax, NS
B3H 4R2 • gallery@dal.ca
artgallery.dal.ca
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Public Hours:
Wednesdays to Fridays, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday until 8:00 pm
Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Free admission

Accessibility
The Dalhousie Art Gallery is located on Level 1 of the Dalhousie Arts Centre. There is a permanent ramp located at the front entrance of the Arts Centre on University Avenue and automatic doors to assist with entry into the building. The lobby is carpeted and there are wide pathways throughout the building. There is an elevator on the main floor with access to all floors including the Art Gallery. There is a gender-neutral, single-occupancy washroom with automatic door and accessible stalls in the women’s and men’s washrooms on the second floor which can be reached via the elevator. There are two accessible parking meters located on Seymour Street by the side entrance of the Arts Centre. The Gallery floors are a smooth, hard surface.

Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that the Dalhousie Art Gallery is located in Kjipuktuk, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This land is governed by the treaties of Peace and Friendship which Mi’kmaq, Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet) and Passamaquoddy Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.

We also recognize African Nova Scotians as a distinct people whose contributions have enriched that part of Mi’kma’ki known as Nova Scotia for over 400 years.