ROM launches Roots to Rhythm: Caribana Art Exhibit

On display during Scotiabank Caribana, July 25 to August 4, 2008

Today at news conference hosted at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) by Caribana, the ROM announced that it will launch the Festival’s travelling art exhibit Roots to Rhythm: Caribana Art Exhibit. On display during the final week of Scotiabank Caribana 2008, North America’s largest outdoor event celebrating Caribbean and African Canadian culture, Roots to Rhythm will feature 50 to 70 works on canvas by artists of African Canadian heritage. Produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists and curated by internationally renowned Canadian-African artist and activist Joan Butterfield, this installation will be on display in the Museum’s the 3rd Floor Centre Block from Friday, July 25 to Monday, August 4, 2008.

“The Caribana Festival is one of the largest and most spectacular annual celebrations held in the city and the ROM is delighted to have been invited to present this year’s art installation,” said William Thorsell, Director and CEO of the ROM. “We look forward to working with Caribana and welcoming visitors from around the world to view contemporary works by African Canadian artists.”

Roots to Rhythm: Caribana Art Exhibit is a COLOURblind! travelling art exhibit produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists. Artists of African Canadian heritage are invited to submit original artworks to the Association that respond to the work Roots to Rhythm: A Visual-Art Journey - The Soul of Music written by curator Joan Butterfield. The final artworks will be chosen by the Festival’s jury in early June 2008. For more information on how to participate, visit www.caribanafestival.com.

The ROM is pleased to be a Silver Sponsor of Scotiabank Caribana 2008 and looks forward to offering a special line-up of related programming at the Museum during the Festival. A more detailed news release on the exhibit and programming will be available in June 2008.

The Caribana art exhibit builds on the ROM’s commitment of presenting art and culture from around the world. In February and April 2008, the Museum unveiled the final four permanent World Cultures galleries in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, including the Shreyas and Mina Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Based on the strengths of the ROM’s vast and diverse collections, the Ajmera Gallery features more than 1,400 objects that represent the artistic and cultural traditions of indigenous peoples from Africa, the American continents and the Asia-Pacific region, including Oceania.

Scotiabank Caribana 2008 Toronto:

Derived from Canada's 1967 Centennial Celebrations, in addition to Canada's embracement of its Caribbean community, the world famous festival Caribana attracts over one million participants and spectators from around the world to Toronto each year. It has become one of the largest annual events held in North America. This year’s Scotiabank Caribana festivities, now in its 41st year, run from Sunday, June 15, 2008 to Sunday, August 3rd, 2008. For more information, visit www.caribanafestival.com.

For more information visit: www.rom.on.ca.