Threads of presence: Weaving Black artists into BC classrooms
- syoung679
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Nikitha Fester (she/her), BCTF staff
When you walk into an art gallery today, you’ll find works that don’t just adorn the walls—they speak. They speak of migration and memory, of joy and resistance. They speak of Black presence in a province that has often overlooked it. From Jan Wade’s soulful assemblages to Chantal Gibson’s razor-sharp installations and the legacy of Grafton Tyler Brown’s 19th century landscapes, Black artists in BC continue to shape and reshape how we understand our relationship to history and identity.
Brown was part of BC’s early wave of Black migrants, arriving in the province in 1882. His primary vocation was as a lithographer, and he came here with a geological survey party. Brown, however, gained notoriety as a painter and artist. Prior to arriving in BC, he owned his own business in San Francisco, G.T. Brown and Company. Under his company name, he commissioned work for John Sullivan Deas, the Black entrepreneur and owner of one of the first salmon canneries in BC.
Upon arrival in BC, The British Colonist published “The Great Interior on Canvas” about Brown. This news article reads, “Mr. GT. Brown an artist of more than local celebrity in California and elsewhere joined Mr. Bowman’s geological survey party” and encourages readers to visit Brown’s studio at the Occidental Hotel. Later, in 1883, Brown held an art exhibition, where a newspaper noted, “Yesterday was the opening day of the exhibit from the brush of our local artist Mr. G.T. Brown. The scenes portrayed are 22 in number comprising views of Victoria, surrounding area and the mainland. Several of the paintings have already sold." (1)
Brown’s story and that of Deas are lost in the pages of BC and Canadian history and their erasure contributes to the narrative that Black folks are not part of BC’s story. Yet, they are significant threads in the tapestry of our history that bind past to present and shape the contemporary presence of Black artists in BC and across Canada.
Gibson and Wade have been contributing to the reimagining of Canadian art by centring Black voices and experiences within the cultural landscape of BC. Both artists work through themes related to spirituality, joy, resilience, colonial narratives, and diasporic identity. In addition to visual arts, Gibson, a poet and writer, uses text to elevate messages in her art. For example, un/settled (2021) includes the following:
we know the empty space in our arms that our lost children will never fill this is not our liberty we are not free to forget
This short poem by Otoniya J. Okot Bitek, coupled with an image of a person cradling braided rope, as if it were their child, encourages the viewer to reflect on those very themes of diasporic identity, spirituality, and colonial narratives. The use of the braid is particularly significant as it connects to African heritage and the preservation of cultural identity despite displacement.
Wade, similarly, prompts a call and response in her piece Breathe, which is a piece inspired by the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The quilters of Gee’s Bend practice the handed-down art of quilting, initially a functional practice of stitching together scrap fabric to create insulation for homes and shoes for children, and later burned to keep the mosquitoes away. This quilting practice is now understood to be an important contribution to African American art. Wade’s interpretation, which was on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2022, was inspired by the quilters of Gee’s Bend and Eric Garner’s final words: “I can’t breathe.”
For Wade, “Black people are living in a society that is so unaccepting of them,” and so Breathe is a reflection and a response to this experience. (2) Again, the themes of diasporic identity and colonial narratives are highlighted, and through the colour selection, calm and chaotic patterns, and the accompanying playlist, the audience also experiences the joy, resilience, and ingenuity of Black Canadian art.
Art is an invitation for students to engage with com-plex themes like identity, belonging, race, and erasure. Providing students with the space to consider art, how they respond to it, and what it evokes within them, can provide an opportunity to have deep and important conversations. Consider a virtual gallery field trip to experience the works of Wade and Gibson. Allow senior students to listen to Wade’s playlist and have them discuss how the music affects their experience of her art.
With intermediate students, you may consider the work of Brown’s alongside Carr’s. You could share both artists’ biographies and ask students to reflect on why it was difficult for them to be known for their work and why Brown’s work is seldom discussed.
Lastly, with primary students, consider including Pearl Low’s short film Hair Love (BC artist of Jamaican Chinese descent) or read the junior novel Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (Black Canadian graphic novelist) to have conversations about representation.
Black artists in BC remind us that art is both memory and possibility. The work of Brown, Gibson, Wade, Low, and Christmas challenge erasure, celebrate identity, and invite us to imagine new futures. As educators, offering students the opportunity to engage with these voices goes beyond the art curriculum, allows for sincere engagement with core competencies, and demonstrates a commitment to truth, representation, and joy in the classroom.
More information
To continue the conversation, follow the links below to learn more about each artist.
1 BC Black History Awareness Society, “Grafton Tyler Brown: First Professional Black Artist in the Pacific North West,” Community Stories Collection, Digital Museums Canada, 2020: www.communitystories.ca/v2/bc-black-pioneers_les-pionniers-noirs-de-la-cb/story/grafton-tyler-brown-1st-professional-black-artist-in-the-pacific-north-west/#:~:text=In%201882%20Grafton%20Tyler%20Brown,Mr
2 Vancouver Art Gallery, “I Am Jan Wade: On Breathe,” 2022: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEEs6njuaWo
