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Written by Abigail Guevara, Senior Content Writer, Freelance
Esther Forde has called Durham Region home for more than 40 years, and it’s where she decided to create Durham’s first-ever art space—a place where culturally diverse communities could see themselves reflected in a variety of art mediums.
Cultural Expressions, a non-profit corporation that has brought together artists from over 66 countries around the world, began as Esther’s personal quest to find artwork that represented her own Jamaican heritage and the greater Black diaspora (the global dispersion of people of African descent who live outside the African continent, connected by shared ancestry, history, and cultural heritage); and evolved into an art gallery that impacted how communities in Durham could celebrate experiences and cultures through art.
“Durham Region is home to so many interesting cultures and backgrounds, a beautiful representation of the real world,” says Esther. “I saw an opportunity to help share this diversity through art in a collective, accessible space for everyone.”
Esther established Cultural Expressions art gallery in Pickering Village in 2006.
“From the beginning, our mission was and still is to foster unity, creativity, and pride by presenting arts and community programs focused on the Black diaspora and cultural inclusivity.”
Esther began curating and displaying art from all over the world, and operating the Cultural Expressions gallery went from an initial five-year commitment to a 13-year journey showcasing Canadian, West Indian, African, Indigenous, Chinese, South Asian and Filipino artists, among others.
Esther’s inclusive approach wasn’t just about displaying art; it inspired dialogue and understanding.
“Art has no colour,” she remembers an artist saying once. “You look at a piece of art and just appreciate it.”
World-class art in Durham Region
The gallery was successful in bringing communities together, yet Esther observed some visitors insisted on travelling to downtown Toronto galleries, and sometimes paying double for pieces by the same artists featured at Cultural Expressions in Pickering.
"The art world can be a bit snobbish," Esther chuckles. “The art produced by artists in Durham Region is as creative and beautiful as what you’d find in any big city, and we can enjoy it locally.”
Esther never considered changing locations. She was determined to contribute to Durham's cultural landscape rather than abandon it.
A launch pad for community events
As the popularity of the gallery grew, it became a hub for a variety of community events, too.
“Our flagship event is the Black History Month celebration, taking place annually in February,” shares Esther.
The event focuses on the contributions Black Canadians have made and are making nationally. It features impressive keynote speakers, including one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Honourable Greg Fergus.
“The event quickly outgrew the gallery space. By the second year, people were lined up outside,” Esther remembers.
Esther has been a part of the event’s planning committee for more than 19 years, and has seen it move from the gallery, to the Ajax council chambers, and now to its newest location at J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate. Next year’s event is slated for February 7, 2026.
Other community events hosted by the gallery included an Indigenous art presentation and fundraiser. “I was happy to host our Indigenous community and see their art projects receive praise and recognition, too,” she says.
Building lasting partnerships across the region
While the gallery closed in 2019, Cultural Expressions continues to explore artistic projects through meaningful partnerships in the community. In October this year, Cultural Expressions organized Unity Through the Arts: Juried Exhibition 2025.
“This event is now in its third year at the Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery in Oshawa,” notes Esther. “The showing serves as a wonderful bridge to the Durham community as the event introduces many residents to the McLaughlin Gallery for the first time, exposing them to a public art resource many didn't know existed.”
This year, 150 pieces were submitted to Unity Through the Arts, and 87 pieces were selected to be displayed in the gallery as lived traditions, creative practices, and community expressions that shape how culture is shared, interpreted, and passed on. The event welcomed more than 300 people.
The Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery is just one of many partnerships that Cultural Expressions has built over the years. Esther’s credibility, professionalism, and reliability have made Cultural Expressions a welcomed partner with other Durham Region organizations, including the Ajax Public Library, Durham school boards, the Congress of Black Women, local Rotary clubs, and the Durham Region Association of Black Professionals and Entrepreneurs.
“These important collaborations extend Cultural Expressions’ reach and ensure younger generations remain engaged with cultural expression and celebration,” says Esther.
As Esther wants to help the younger generation develop in the arts, her organization offers ‘The Cultural Expressions Post-Secondary Arts Scholarship’ to a Durham Region high school student accepted to the arts program of a Canadian university or college.
The personal value of art
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The feelings that art evokes are truly unique to the one who views it.
People have shared with Esther that the art and atmosphere at Cultural Expressions has a healing, comforting, and mood-elevating effect. These personal words and letters of appreciation help Esther realize just how impactful her work is.
“For me, success isn't measured in sales or attendance numbers alone, but in moments of connection,” says Esther. “There is value in seeing your culture reflected on gallery walls, an artist finally finding a space that welcomes their work, and a community that comes together through shared appreciation of beauty and creativity. We are more alike than we are different.”
Innovation and Inclusivity: Stories from Durham Region's Black Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals (members of DRAPBE) is a series of stories about thriving Black professionals choosing to do business in Durham Region.
