(EMAILWIRE.COM, July 08, 2011 ) Toronto, Ontario -- Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival and Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue (BAND) are proud to present Caribbean Carnival Exhibitions 2011, featuring two complimentary art exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and The Gladstone Hotel. These exhibitions mark the world premier of Toronto artist Nation Cheong. Toronto’s Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today will be on view at the ROM on Level 2 in the Hilary and Galen Weston Wing from July 16 to August 1, 2011.


“This is the fourth year the ROM is proud to support the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival," said Janet Carding, ROM Director and CEO. "We celebrate this year with a unique exhibition showcasing the vibrant history of the festival and Caribbean culture in Toronto. It is a pleasure to welcome the work of Nation Cheong to the ROM. His photographs alongside archival images from the festival’s past forty-five years create nostalgic connections to the many dimensions of the Carnival experience."

Toronto’s Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today features 26 photographs, organized thematically, exploring different aspects of Emancipation, Mas (masquerade), Pan (steelpan performance), and Calypso (live vocal performance and dancing). The exhibition will also include CBC archival video footage from the 1967, 1968 and 1969 parades. In this exhibition, Nation's contemporary photography is juxtaposed with archival photos and film footage to capture and communicate the myriad of experiences that have been a part of the Carnival in Toronto since its roots in 1967 to today.

“2011 is an exciting year for Toronto’s Carnival, as the festival evolves to welcome new and exciting opportunities for celebration,” says Denise Herrera Jackson, CEO of the Festival Management Committee (FMC). “Nation’s exhibitions and our partnership with the ROM and the Gladstone Hotel could not be more appropriate. As we look to the future of Carnival in Toronto, we can never forget the forty-five years that got us here.”

“BAND is excited to be a part of this collaboration with Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the ROM and the Gladstone hotel,” says Karen Carter, Director of BAND. “These exhibitions shed light on some of the very important work the black cultural community has been doing with Carnival in Toronto for over 40 years.”

Toronto's Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today and The Art of Carnival are presented by Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival and BAND, in partnership with the ROM and the Gladstone Hotel. The exhibition was developed in consultation with Christopher Pinheiro, Dr. David Trotman, Dr. Gary Miedema, Dr. Ramabai Espinet and Dr. Sheldon Taylor. The organizers also wish to thank Heritage Toronto, Local 183 Labourers Union of North America, CBC Archives, and Toronto Star Archives for their contribution.

For more info visit http://torontocaribbeancarnival.com/

About Scotiabank Toronto Carribean Carnival

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Now in its 44th year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America’s largest outdoor festival.

Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Opened in 1914, Canada’s largest museum of natural history and world cultures has six million objects in its collections and galleries showcasing art, archaeology and natural science. For 24-hour information in English and French, please call 416.586.8000 or visit the ROM’s web site at www.rom.on.ca. Tickets to the ROM are available online at www.rom.on.ca.

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