June 14, 2006
Spence Gallery Celebrates One Year of Adding Diversity to the Toronto Art Scene
One year ago, Spence Gallery opened Toronto's first art space explicitly devoted to contemporary expressions of Caribbean, Latin and African culture. Founder and Director, Joan Spence, inspired by her travels and the diversity of Toronto, says "In a city as multicultural as Toronto, why not have a gallery that represents that experience."
In its first year, the gallery hosted six exhibits showcasing international artists from Cuba, Trinidad, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Bolivia. Canadian with heritage from Bukino Faso, Egypt, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Martinique, Haiti, Cuba and Mexico also presented works in these exhibits.
To recognize its commitment to affordable art, the gallery asked six of its artists to produce new pieces under $500 for the Anniversary Exhibit. Three of the artists have exhibited with the gallery in its first year; the others will be represented for the first time.
Rosslyn Berot-Burns still-life pieces on canvas conceal stories that bring them to life.
Opal Dunbar-Adams portraits and figurative works of children are hauntingly beautiful and seem to carry secrets that the viewer must discover.
Angela Haynes sculpts cameo-like pieces evoking images of characters in a Caribbean cultural milieu.
Hawa Kaba works with mixed media to create abstract pieces textured with meaning.
Miranda Mafe interprets and illustrates Yoruba proverbs with witty scepticism.
Marcelo Sauznabar takes the viewer into a world of magical realism set against the landscape of his native Bolivia.
Please join us for the Anniversary Exhibit running from June 23 to July 23, 2006. The celebration for the one-year anniversary will be held on Friday 23rd starting at 7:00 p.m. There will be entertainment and refreshments will be served. All the artists will be in attendance.