Travel back in time to February 2006. You are walking down 124 Street on the lookout for an exquisite pastry, but to your disappointment Duchess Bakery would not be open for another two years. Instead, in its future spot you come across the Tu Gallery. It doesn’t take much for your attention to drift towards this snug space, which is pumping with music, free wine and a diverse catered menu. This is the birthplace of the 5 Artists 1 Love exhibition. You smile knowingly, because most of the the revellers in its first year don’t know that the event will still be going strong in 2026.
In 2006, producer and curator Darren Jordan was on a mission to promote Black artists in a space that felt like a chill house party. “That was the vibe, I wanted you to be able to roll by and hear music and want to go in,” he says.
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the program that started as a small, chill project has grown to find a place within the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA). From Valentine’s Day to April 19, 20 returning Black artists are unveiling new artwork that asserts their creative voices. It might not be as modest as their first installation, but it continues to be an intimate affair.
Within the walls of the AGA, you will see a compilation of contemporary visual art pieces — it highlights different media, from painting to sculpture to photography to digital art. “This is a space where artists can use their craft to convey Afrocentric commentary if they choose but are not beholden to any theme,” Jordan says. He wishes for these creatives to make art that is meaningful to them, regardless of format and style.
“He doesn’t come at us with any type of restriction, he curates, picks the artists and lets them do what they do,” artist Keon Courtney says. “All artists are different and they get to do their thing and be passionate in the way that they want to, and show that in the way they want to.”
Courtney has been part of 5 Artists 1 Love for more than 10 years and his work continues to develop. You might have seen his first spray-painted mural in Rado alley of a Black woman with a purple voluminous afro — a potential title for it was “Don’t touch the ’fro,” a reference to a discussion he once had with his daughter about the all-too-common occurrence of people randomly touching Black hair. From digital art to spray painting to tattooing, he is no stranger to different media. This year’s exhibit will feature his charcoal on canvas.
Another long-standing contributor to this project, Judy Robinson, works primarily with acrylic on canvas — starting with a black base coat, she adds layers of bold colours and symbols. Her work draws inspiration from abstract artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Wassily Kandinsky to create a social commentary of her people’s history.
From attending this show for the first time in 2023 to having her art showcased within its walls, Lorelle Whittingham wants to shift the narrative of what we see during Black History Month. “It can’t always be about oppression,” she says. This year, she will be showcasing a self-portrait mosaic — a combination of sculpture and painting. “I am imagining myself as someone living in her truth without the negative beliefs that are created through racism. There are positive affirmations and I am encouraging the viewer to read them themselves and believe, ‘I am powerful, I belong and I am safe,’” she says.
The sense of belonging resonates throughout the exhibition. For Reckie Lloyd, it is deeply personal. He says the show “affirms that my story, my culture and my creative voice have a place in the broader arts community.” His work with oil paint allows him to slow down and work intentionally with emotion, memory and detail.
Experience 5 Artists 1 Love at the Art Gallery of Alberta from Feb. 14 to April 19, 2026.
