Altitude: Exhibition Guide

Since the launch of the bi-annual Award in 2019, the world has been reshaped by the pandemic and the awareness that Black Lives Matter as people responded to the murder of George Floyd. Values of equity, care, and interdependence have become even more important in our communities. As something we as an organization have been thinking about for a while developing the Womxn of Colour Art Award is a gesture towards materializing these values of equity, care, and interdependence.

The award attracted more than 100 applicants who have tried to continue to make art against the odds that can often limit the opportunities for womxn of colour to sustain themselves and their work as artists. We were very pleased to award Maybelle Peters this award for her outstanding work and to be able to provide some professional support and invite shortlisted artists to exhibit their work in our new galleries. This exhibition catalogue documents each artist’s process to sustain their practice and actualizes a glorious movement of coming together in uncertain times.

I would like to thank everyone that has contributed to this success. I’ll begin with Marlene Smith for her resilience, professionalism, and determination. Also my fellow judges Claudette Johnson, Eva Langret and Rehana Zaman for their time, expertise and diligence. I would also like to thank all of those associated with 198 who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this project a success. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the artists, Maybelle Peters, Charmaine Watkiss, Cherelle Sappleton, Mani Kambo, Marcia Michael, Rebekah Ubuntu, Sofia Niazi and Sola Olulode for trusting us and for their continued commitment to making art.

– Barby Asante, Trustee.