To make visible the work of Black artists
Ref. (formerly BlackArt Gastown) is a travelling gallery whose work is dedicated to modelling ethical engagement of African and Black self identified creatives through collective methods of art-making, curation, presentation, programming, archival and ethnographic study, community facilitation and artist development. Ref. acts as an intermediary bridging Black and African emerging and mid career practitioners with institutions, funding or resources in kind and mentorship. In acknowledgement of the absence of Black cultural production in Canadian art landscape both historical and ongoing, Ref. aims to create space and make visible curatorial and programming initiatives.
In 2020 Ref. (formerly Black Art Gastown) fulfilled successful collaborations with the following institutions:
Massy Arts Society “Quilt of Hope”
Vancouver Art Gallery “Where do we go from here?”
Museum of Anthropology “Sankofa”
