New expo spotlights Afro-descendant New Brunswickers

Coming into Black History Month, a new exhibition at the UNB Arts Centre features prominent Afro-descendant New Brunswickers.

The new expo, a collaboration with the UNB Human Rights and Equity Office, was launched on Jan. 23 at the University of New Brunswick’s Memorial Hall.

Photographer Gary Weekes presented a series of works titled “Trayces” which features portraits of Afro-New Brunswickers overlayed on baking trays. At the show opening, Weekes revealed he had been interested in working with the baking trays for a few years because he was exposed to them during his day job. He was finally able to obtain them recently.

Weekes overlaid striking portraits of folks from the Afro-descendant community on the richly coloured trays, then covered the result in epoxy. The resulting artwork combines natural forces of fire (baking) and metal (tray) with Weekes’ photographic talent and the stunning faces of the participants photographed. The trays have a sepia quality to them, making the faces of the participants seem timeless.

Weekes asked local friends and others to participate, making a diverse collection of individuals that goes from well-known local activists like Mary McCarthy-Brandt and Dexter Noel, to other artists, like Angel Terry, and students from the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.

The gallery hosting Weekes’ exhibition is also home to a glimpse into his new work-in-progress, titled “Secret Codes,” which overlays pictures of the same individuals with geometric patterns inspired by Indigenous cultures.

In the West Gallery, Weekes’ pieces are accompanied by electronic music by Mike Lukaszuk who is teaching music in the Department of Culture and Media Studies, where Weekes is a Media Artist-in-Residence.

In the East Gallery, the UNB Arts Centre is featuring its long-term project called Rediscovering the Roots of Black New Brunswickers which features posters that have images and texts about individuals who have been crucial in activism around Afro-descendance in the province of New Brunswick.

The Rediscovering the Roots of Black New Brunswickers project, started in 2019 with the help of student and established researchers, now includes over 70 posters and the associated banners will also be hung in downtown Fredericton.

Mary McCarthy-Brandt and Jennifer Dow, historical researchers both of Black Loyalist descent, have been crucial to aiding in the archival work necessary to this ambitious project.

The exhibitions will be open to the public until March 27, 2026. Gary Weekes will be giving an artist talk on Feb. 5 at 5:00 p.m. He will also be speaking on a panel discussion titled, “The Art of Belonging,” on March 21 at 2:30pm to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Sophie M. Lavoie is a member of the NB Media Co-op’s editorial board.