New exhibition elevates one of North America’s first prominent Black artists

May 21, 2025 – The story of Edward Mitchell Bannister’s life and art—from his humble beginnings in New Brunswick to international success—is a testament to the strength and conviction of his artistic vision. His story is shared in a new exhibition at Confederation Centre Art Gallery that opens on Saturday, May 24 – Hidden Blackness: Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828 – 1901).

Born in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Bannister’s family lived in a segregated Black village colloquially referred to as Slabtown. He was orphaned at the age of 16, and much of his early life was overshadowed by the limited job opportunities and racism faced by Black New Brunswickers. Before achieving success as a painter, he worked as a farmhand, cobbler, barber, and shipmate on commercial boats sailing along the coast of Saint Andrews.

Bannister moved to Boston in 1850 and married Christiana Carteaux, the owner of a chain of hair and beauty salons. With his wife’s support, he was able to become a full-time artist and opened his first studio in 1859, quickly establishing himself as a talented portrait artist and painter of nature and seascapes. In 1876, Bannister won first place at the Centennial Exposition Art Exhibition in Philadelphia, making him the first artist of African descent and the first Canadian to win a major art prize in North America. He was also an arts leader who co-founded the Providence Art Club, one of the oldest professional art societies in the United States. Bannister and his wife were prominent abolitionists and philanthropists in both Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

Featuring loans from the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and more, the Hidden Blackness exhibition is organized and circulated by Owens Art Gallery in partnership with the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia.

The exhibition debuted at Owens Art Gallery earlier this year and is the first major exhibition of Edward Mitchell Bannister’s work ever presented in Canada. Curator David Woods of Halifax, NS was shocked at how little was known about Bannister in Maritime and Canadian art circles, despite the artist’s success and reputation in the United States. This motivated him to organize an exhibition that would hopefully end widespread ignorance of Bannister’s work and elevate him to his rightful place in Canadian art history.

“Hidden Blackness represents the artist’s Maritime homecoming,” says Woods. “It gives a glimpse of the creativity and excellence of Edward Mitchell Bannister’s artistry, while also providing an important opportunity to examine the life of nineteenth-century Black New Brunswickers.”

Hidden Blackness is one of many exhibitions on view this summer at Confederation Centre Art Gallery. The Summer Gallery Opening will take place on Saturday, June 7 at 7 p.m. The Gallery opening is free to attend, and no registration is required.

Visit confederationcentre.com/artgallery for information on all events and exhibitions at Confederation Centre Art Gallery.

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This exhibition is curated by David Woods. It is organized and circulated by the Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, in partnership with the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia (BANNS). If was made possible thanks to generous funding from the Government of Canada and Mount Allison University. It features loans from the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the New Brunswick Museum, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, as well as the private collection of Marilyn Sandford. PACART is the exclusive transportation provider of the exhibition.

Media Contact:  Emily McMahon, Communications Manager, Confederation Centre of the Arts 
[email protected] | 902-628-6135