Artist in Residence

Kemi Craig invited the community to participate in the free Pop-Up Family Dance on Wednesday, March 27 from 5-7 p.m. at 708 Douglas Street for an evening of music, dancing and laughter. The event included a free, in-person mini-dance lesson at 4:30 p.m. 

As a local dance artist who grew up with dance as a part of family life, playing records and dancing after dinner and at family gatherings, Kemi wanted to share this experience with local families. 

The dance focused on the youngest members of the family first and used music to engage various ages. The DJ played a mix of their own choices and a playlist facilitated by community contributions.

The community was invited to drop by the Blackspace Library Pop-Up at 708 Douglas Street, which featured readings with local artists and a special reading of excerpts from stories which inspired Kemi’s latest collaboration with Hololabs, Afroquatics: A Call and Response Below the Surface.

Readings were held on March 21 to 23 at various times. Initiated through programming with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Blackspace Library Pop-Up is a network of mini-libraries located around the City of Victoria, housing a collection spanning art books, children’s books, graphic novels, science fiction and speculative narratives. 

It is one of two Black libraries Kemi knows of in Canada, including the new Vancouver Black Library. Currently, three Black-owned businesses are hosting the Blackspace Library, including Liberté Barber, Who Dyd Your Hair and Stir It Up Caribbean Soul Food Cafe. 

The Blackspace Library serves as a way to share books authored by and about artists of the African diaspora, Black visual culture and Black creative expression. Kemi’s hope is to empower and inspire communities through the knowledge of what Black communities create and the criticality of our futures. 

Learn more on Instagram at @blackspacelibrary or email culture@victoria.ca. 

Afroquatics: A Call and Response Below the Surface is a projected video/interactive augmented reality, temporary public art installation that was showcased at 707 Douglas Street during the City's Winter Arts Festival over the Family Day long weekend (February 16-19). The installation is currently featured at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria until May 26, 2024. 

This public art pulls inspiration from African spiritual practices of Orisha, the little-known history of expert free divers that existed throughout coastal communities in West Africa and underwater worlds imagined by many artists and storytellers of the African diaspora, such as electronic music duo Drexciya.    

Through curiosity and contemplation, participants are introduced to the intersection of ancient wisdom, modern technology and speculative narratives. By re-imagining the stories of the past, we can craft empowering understandings that heal our present and move into our futures.   

One of Kemi's projects was an animated storefront window at 707 Douglas Street. The window featured Kemi Craig's Afrofuturism animation, a video projection in response to science fiction writer N.K. Jemisin's question, “How Long `til Black Future Month?” It encouraged viewers to reflect on what Afrofuturism offers: a way of thinking that not only values the future of the African diaspora but also traditional knowledge.  

In February, Kemi invited two local artists to showcase their films in the window space. This installation was made with support from FLUX Media Gallery. 

The City's Storefront Exhibitions program started in 2019, when local artists created textile art, time-based works and mixed media installations for available storefront windows. During the pandemic, artists and illustrators pivoted to animate the windows with vinyl wraps.  

In this workshop, Kemi Craig connected Black history and contemporary experiences by exploring relationships with Indigo alongside local fibre artists Lauren Fairweather and Valérie De Walker.

Growing, harvesting, building vats and dyeing, the goal of the indigo dyeing workshop that took place to reclaim ancestorial knowledge and help mend communities through making something beautiful

Each summer, CFUV 101.9 FM and the City of Victoria host Eventide, an all-ages, free concert series showcasing Victoria’s independent music scene. In 2023, Kemi Craig asked for the community's help to create public art as part of her curated session at Eventide. 

Luke Ramsey is an illustrator, designer, muralist and painter, and was Victoria’s first Artist in Residence.

Visit Luke's website for more information about his artworks.

Kathryn Calder is a Victoria-based musician, songwriter/recording artist and recording studio owner.

Learn more about Kathryn Calder by visiting her blog.