BAND: Black artists breaking barriers

By Dagmawit Dejene in Canculture Mag

BAND’s mission is to support, document and showcase the artistic and cultural contributions of Black artists and cultural workers in Canada and internationally.

“[We want] to draw attention to the fact that there is a wide breadth of artists and cultural workers,” said Karen Carter, co-founder of the organization. “And that our voices as black Canadians are an important part of the overall narrative of our cultural tapestry.”

The gallery and cultural center was founded in 2008 by Carter, Maxine Bailey, Karen Tyrell, and Julie Crooks after they saw a need for an artistic and cultural space to have a dialogue about black culture.

“I believe culture and the arts create safe spaces for difficult conversations,” said Carter.