In this episode of the Black Studies Podcast, Kenneth Montague and Liz Ikiriko discuss curating, collecting, and making art in a Black Canadian context. 

Dr. Kenneth Montagu is a Toronto-based dentist, art collector, and the founding director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a nonprofit arts organization. Since 1997, Montagu has promoted emerging and established artists via exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. His focus is African Canadian and diasporic art, which he also showcases in his privately owned Wedge collection. Montague's art activities include serving on the African Art Acquisition Committee at Tate Modern in London, UK, and the Photography Curatorial Committee at the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is currently an AGO trustee and an advisor to their Department of Arts of Global Africa and the diaspora.

Liz Ikiriko is a Toronto-based Nigerian Canadian artist and curator with over 15 years of experience working with national institutions and artist-run organizations and was a member of the curatorial committee of the 13th edition of VAMACO Encounters, the African Biennial of Photography in Mali. She is currently curator at Gallery TPW and, along with Toleen Touq founded Waveform Projects, a collaboration that studies intimate and relational curatorial practice. She held positions as inaugural curator of collections and art and public space at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto and curator of collections and contemporary art engagement at the Art Gallery of York University. She has published critical texts in Aperture, Public Journal, Sea Magazine, and Black Flash, among others.

Chapters

03:01 Kenneth Montague: From Dentist to Art Collector

04:39 Liz Ikiriko: A Nigerian Canadian Artist and Curator

07:33 The Impact of Representation in the Art World

10:53 Photography as a World of Possibility

19:31 The Continuous Support and Collaboration between Collectors and Curators

29:36 Exploring the Diversity of Black Canadian Identity

33:00 The Importance of Physical Space and Personal Expression

43:08 Cultural Connections and Family Heritage

53:12 Art as a Tool for Building Relationships and Supporting Artists

56:35 Towards a More Inclusive Understanding of Black Canadian Identity

Guests: Kenneth Montague and Liz Ikiriko

Hosts: Daniel McNeil and Toleen Touq

Executive Producer: Daniel McNeil

Producer: Toleen Touq

Associate Producer: Anna Jane McIntyre

Audio Engineer: Chancelor Maracle

Music: Marc Mac presents Visioneers, Ike's Mood I

Artwork: Anna Jane McIntyre

To find out more, please visit @blackstudiespodcast on Instagram

Next Time: A Global Sense of Blackness with Kenneth Montague and Liz Ikiriko

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