Esther Forde
Esther Forde is the President of Cultural Expressions Art Gallery Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that contributes to making art and culture accessible through special events. Esther’s visionary leadership has contributed to the growth of the annual Cultural Expressions Black History Month Celebration. What began as a small and modest event, presented on-site in the gallery, grew to warrant the capacity to accommodate 600+ attendees. In 2022, this event celebrated its 15th year and is known widely as the largest, longest-running, free Black history celebration in the Durham Region. During the pandemic, two virtual events continued to attract large-scale viewership.
Esther is also proprietor of Cultural Expressions Art Gallery that once made its home in historic Pickering Village. Through this work, Esther had the opportunity to work with many young students and heard firsthand of their struggles to fund post-secondary education in the arts. She nurtured her dream to launch a scholarship and with the support of the corporation’s board of directors, the executive of the Black History Month Committee, and many community supporters and funders, the Cultural Expressions Art Gallery Arts Scholarship was launched in 2021.
A well-respected community leader in the Durham Region, Esther is sought after to sit on various grassroots, municipal and regional committees related to arts, culture and anti-Black racism.