The City of Richmond is recognizing and celebrating the legacy of Black Canadians and their contributions to Canada’s history and culture during Black History Month. To commemorate the month, exhibitions will be on display in the Richmond Cultural Centre and the Richmond Art Gallery, and programs and activities are being offered at the Richmond Public Library.

Black Artists and Creators in our Community
This exhibition in the Richmond Cultural Centre features contemporary approaches to portrait and landscape paintings by local artists John Hall and Crystal Noir. Organized annually each February since 2016, the exhibition recognizes and honours the legacy, culture and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities. This program is presented in partnership with Richmond Black History Month, led by Mary Wilson, 2022 Richmond Arts Award recipient for Cultural Leadership.

• Dates: Monday, January 30 to Monday, February 27
  
• Times: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Location: Upper Rotunda Gallery, Richmond Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate

Codes of Silence
This exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery features a diverse selection of multifaceted videos by artists Shirley Bruno, Aleesa Cohene, Caroline Monnet and Cauleen Smith where the voice is muted, obscured, withheld, unexplained, or used sparingly in ways that cultivate quietness, interiority, intimacy and community.

• Dates: Saturday, January 28 to Sunday, April 2
  
• Times: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m.
  
• Location: Richmond Art Gallery, 7700 Minoru Gate
  
• Info: Code of Silence - Richmond Art Gallery

Library programs and activities
The library is also partnering with community advocate, Mary Wilson, to offer a rich variety of Black History Month programs and activities including:

• Film screenings of Black-centred stories with Black-led casts as well as titles that celebrate and recognize Black History Month (Brighouse location)
  
• A special edition of the Each One, Teach One book club to talk about local author Chelene Knight’s adult fiction novel, Junie (Brighouse location)
  
• A community table hosted by Mary Wilson, highlighting children’s titles that celebrate the Black experience as well as featured collections from the Vancouver Black Library 
  
• Guest readers at storytimes throughout February (Brighouse, Ironwood, Steveston locations)
  
• An in-person author event with Canadian children’s author Erica London (Ironwood location)

For more information, visit Richmond Public Library - Black History Month events