When Joan Spence opened Spence Gallery in 2005, she knew that her space would be different. What she couldn't predict was the warm welcome the public gave to the international flavor of her fledgling art gallery. With a mandate of contemporary expressions of Caribbean, Latin and African culture, Spence Gallery offers works from many corners of the world.

Toronto, Canada is known as one of the most multicultural cities in the world so it is the perfect place to house this one-of-a-kind gallery. The gallery can perhaps be thought of as a miniature, cultural mecca of sorts, for art that has yet to easily navigate its way into the art scene. This persistent lack of representation has mystified Spence and is partly what spurred her to establish a stronghold for these artists in Toronto, in Canada, in North America and around the world.
 
Spence feels that the moment is finally ripe for these artists to make their foray into the global art scene. She notes, “We have become increasingly culturally curious. We embrace many cultures in different ways – perhaps most commonly through food and music, for example. Yet, for some reason, we have been more hesitant to accept and explore cultures through their own art.”
 
Through her carefully selected pieces, Spence unwittingly communicates a unique and exciting philosophy about the type of art her gallery shows. “There’s beauty in art, for different reasons,” she says. She notes that while the art of Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean are each rooted in their own distinct aesthetic and socio-political context, “artists from and in these places still can, and do create art with universal appeal, in the same way that music and literature can transcend cultural boundaries.” Art offers a universal language through which people from different cultures can communicate with each other.
 

Spence shows her passion for art in the way she carefully chooses artists’ works to display, searching Canada and the world for emerging and established artists. She looks for pieces that speak to her and will make a fabulous addition to any art collection and for artists whose cultural backgrounds shape the form and content of their artistic expression.

When asked about how she first became attracted to the art business, Joan Spence replies “I can’t think of a time when I haven’t been interested in all things artistic – from plays, to dance performances, to classical music.” A full-time civil servant by day, Spence runs her Toronto-based Spence Gallery in her free time.
 
Spence Gallery is dedicated to diversity and celebrates the cultural influences of the artists. It maintains a varied collection of works that includes figurative, portraiture, abstract, landscape, still-life and mixed media pieces. Each year, the gallery presents about eight themed group exhibitions showcasing emerging, mid-career and established artists. It offers an excellent selection for clients starting or expanding their art collections. 
 

At Spence Gallery, the cheerful, inviting atmosphere lures curious and novice art connoisseurs while the high quality of the eclectic collection offers something distinctive to the seasoned art collector. Spence prides herself on offering affordable art and displays works in a range of prices to accommodate clients with various budgets. Whether you visit Spence Gallery online or in person the experience will take you around the world and back.

Featured Caribbean artists at Spence Gallery:

Although Rosslyn Berot-Burns received her formal fine art training in Canada, her art is still evocative of the Caribbean. Some of her work centres around folklore characters of her native Trinidad, others contain icons that immediately create a feeling of the Caribbean as a singular place.
 
Oswaldo DeLeon Kantule is a visual artist from the Kuna nation of Panama. He finds inspiration for his art in Kuna spirituality and “cosmovision”, using the ancestral symbols of his people, which are very much present in everyday Kuna life.

Julio Ferrer received his formal art training in Cuba prior to moving to Canada. Before leaving Cuba, he was named 2006 Artists of the Year in his province. In addition to doing pop art, he skillfully shares his version of Havana urbanscapes with the ubiquitous classic cars.
 
Growing up in Honduras, Nahúm Flores was very aware of the social, historical and environmental issues, which have shaped Latin America. These issues have influenced his mixed media work. What remains with him from the past is a sense of hope that is expressed in his work though his sense of humour.
 
Memories of everyday life in Jamaica form the inspiration for Tamara Natalie Madden’s Caribbean series of oil painting. Her paintings represent an inherent love and respect for the plight of everyday folk focusing on their struggles and the hope for the future.
 

For more information about Spence Gallery, visit: www.spencegallery.com. They can be reached at 416-795-2787.