Truro art expo celebrates Black History Month

Article content

TRURO – Jahsara Gardner has always been a creative person, making art in her free time and gifting pieces to friends and family.

But for the first time, she had the opportunity to display her work for the public at the Black History Month Art Expo, hosted on Feb. 8 at NSCC Truro campus.

Recommended Videos

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Truro art expo celebrates Black History Month Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

“It’s really special to be a part of,” said Gardner. “This is my first time doing anything like this, selling my art or even putting it out there.”

The exposition, hosted by The Concrete Garden association with help from The Cowry Collective and the Black Artist Initiative, showcased creative talent from Black artists across the province to celebrate Black History Month.

The expo celebrated a variety of artistic mediums, including paintings, digital art, jewelry and musical performances.

The Concrete Garden’s goal is to provide a platform for both emerging and existing African Nova Scotian artists to display their work, celebrate their heritage and cultivate connections with the community.

Gardner said the event’s platform is a nice way for herself and fellow emerging artists to showcase their creations.

“It’s made me, and I know a few other vendors who are doing this for the first time, feel really welcomed and comfortable,” she said.

Celebrating resilience

Each piece at the expo was crafted to fit the theme of resilience, a nod to the name of The Concrete Garden Association “which was inspired by the Tupac Shakur poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete,” explained co-founder Sheldon Morris.

“It means you’re growing through harsh conditions. You’re a survivor. So, Black art essentially is that. Our people have come from some harsh conditions, so it’s great to celebrate that.”

Gardner had a painting on display titled Above the Aurora, as well as jewelry from her brand Fleur Essence, for example, necklaces made with real orchid flowers.

The artist said that her jewelry represents the theme of resilience by seeing the beauty where you are in life.

“The fact that the flowers started as living, and then drying them out to a place where they’re no longer considered living, but they still hold their beauty … I think that in itself speaks for resilience,” she explained.

“Just being in a place where you could feel … that you’re not where you were or where you should be, but still seeing the beauty in where you are and in the present.”

Providing opportunities

The Concrete Garden was co-founded by Morris and Felicity Wright.

“Our whole thing was we wanted to get African Nova Scotia artists paid,” said Wright. “We wanted to create opportunities for them to be paid and this is the prime example of that.”

All artists and live performers at the Truro expo were paid, and all work displayed at the event was available for purchase.

Proceeds from the event are also going toward the association’s scholarship fund to support African Nova Scotian artists.

The co-founders said that they hope to host more art expos in the future.

“This is our first big event, art expo type of event, and I think we’re going to try to do it yearly,” added Wright.

When asked what African Heritage Month meant to them, the co-founders said it’s associated with pride.

“In general, being an African Nova Scotian person, it’s going to mean a lot regardless,” said Wright, “but our family was always really big on being proud of who you are and knowing history and things like that, so I feel like this is extra special for us tonight.”