Halifax art exhibit highlights rich African Nova Scotian history

The new photo exhibit ‘Through Generations’ explores the rich history of African Nova Scotians.

A Halifax art exhibit is getting up close and personal with its portrayal of African Nova Scotians and their rich history.

The 2B Theatre Company partnered with the Black Cultural Centre to create the gallery titled, “Through Generations.” It features photos taken at an African heritage month gala two years ago.

Recently, there was interest to repurpose the portraits and create this immersive exhibit that captures the lineage and legacy of African Nova Scotians of all ages.

“What they represent is Black Scotia in its whole encapsulation,” says Jacob Sampson, 2B Theatre Company’s artistic director.

“The thing that I love the most is the joy because so often when we talk about Black art and Black narratives, so much of it can focus on our trials or some of the pain that Black people have to go through. This is the opposite of that. This is perseverance. This is joy. This is generations of families coming up in Scotia and representing in the best of ways.”

The exhibit features at least 30 portraits and has received positive feedback since its soft launch this week.

“The reception has been really special. We’ve had a lot of tourists, people who are not from Nova Scotia come in and it pulls them in just based off of the high quality of the art, the high quality of the photographs and the story that they’re telling,” says Sampson.

“The main thing that I’m taking away is people going, ‘Where did this come from? What’s the history here?’ And of course, we send them right out to the Black Cultural Centre because it’s the biggest museum for the diaspora in the country.”

The exhibit is open for viewing Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is set to stay open until September.

“We have somebody from the 2B Theatre team who will be here on site…people are free to bring their coffee, bring some writing and just experience this incredible exhibit.”

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