TORONTO.- Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival and Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue (BAND) present Caribbean Carnival Exhibitions 2011, featuring two complimentary art exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and The Gladstone Hotel. These exhibitions mark the world premier of Toronto artist Nation Cheong. Toronto’s Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today will be on view at the ROM on Level 2 in the Hilary and Galen Weston Wing from July 16 to August 1, 2011.

“This is the fourth year the ROM is proud to support the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival," said Janet Carding, ROM Director and CEO. "We celebrate this year with a unique exhibition showcasing the vibrant history of the festival and Caribbean culture in Toronto. It is a pleasure to welcome the work of Nation Cheong to the ROM. His photographs alongside archival images from the festival’s past forty-five years create nostalgic connections to the many dimensions of the Carnival experience."

Toronto’s Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today features 26 photographs, organized thematically, exploring different aspects of Emancipation, Mas (masquerade), Pan (steelpan performance), and Calypso (live vocal performance and dancing). The exhibition will also include CBC archival video footage from the 1967, 1968 and 1969 parades. In this exhibition, Nation's contemporary photography is juxtaposed with archival photos and film footage to capture and communicate the myriad of experiences that have been a part of the Carnival in Toronto since its roots in 1967 to today.

“2011 is an exciting year for Toronto’s Carnival, as the festival evolves to welcome new and exciting opportunities for celebration,” says Denise Herrera Jackson, CEO of the Festival Management Committee (FMC). “Nation’s exhibitions and our partnership with the ROM and the Gladstone Hotel could not be more appropriate. As we look to the future of Carnival in Toronto, we can never forget the forty-five years that got us here.”

"Contemporary art has extraordinary power to enrich our lives, as individuals and as a community, and at Scotiabank, we believe that talent and vision must be encouraged to flourish," said Jane Nokes, Director of Corporate Archives and Fine Art, Scotiabank. "Scotiabank especially supports photographic artists and their ability to communicate Canadian cultural values, dreams, and heritage. We are proud to present Toronto's Carnival: Festival Photographs from 1967 to Today by photo artist, Nation — a visual retrospective of how the Festival has grown into a unique celebration of culture."

“BAND is excited to be a part of this collaboration with Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the ROM and the Gladstone hotel,” says Karen Carter, Director of BAND. “These exhibitions shed light on some of the very important work the black cultural community has been doing with Carnival in Toronto for over 40 years.”