Kuumba Artist Feature: Karen Carter

By Harbourfront Centre

Karen Carter gets stuff done and doesn’t ask for permission. Easily bored, her hyperactive passion has rocketed her to various leadership positions within Toronto’s arts and culture sector. As a kid, she was rebellious, leaving home at 18. She worked to support herself while earning an education degree at York. She knew she could make it work, partially because of the values of her Caribbean parents, who would tell her, “You’re complaining about what? You’re not in shackles. Suck it up and go sort yourself out. I don’t want to hear you complain.” Karen adds, “My father was very old-school Jamaican and not having it.”

Reflecting on her career, Karen notes the importance of having an entrepreneurial spirit. She adds, “I dread being comfortable. It’s the worst thing for me. With discomfort, there’s growth. I find it interesting, sometimes even frightening and fascinating, that so many cultural people are really comfortable and aren’t pushing the envelope, yet claim to want to make disruptive spaces for others. I’m very aware of the need for me to be uncomfortable. That’s part of the penance you pay to be in this sector. You have to demand more of yourself.”