Pioneers of Achievement, by Stephen Taylor, is one of 50 artworks on display as part of the Beyond the Rhythm exhibit during Caribana 2009. (Royal Ontario Museum)An art exhibit celebrating the accomplishments of African Canadians opens in Toronto Thursday evening in conjunction with the city's annual Caribana festival.

For a second consecutive year, the Royal Ontario Museum is hosting the exhibit — this year entitled Beyond the Rhythm — showcasing work created by artists of African-Canadian heritage.

Artists were asked to create new material inspired by Beyond the Rhythm, a poem by artist and writer Joan Butterfield, who is also art director of the Association of African Canadian Artists and curator of the exhibit.

"It's more than rhythm that sets us free / We are more than what you imagine us to be," she writes in the poem. "Our heritage is rich with stories yet untold/ Our lives continue to unfold."

Butterfield received more than 100 submissions, which she whittled down to the 50 canvases featured.

"The artists read the poem, and their art answers it," Butterfield told CBC News on Thursday afternoon. "They're actually presenting a pictorial of our accomplishments beyond the hardships and sorrows.

"For instance, one artist decided to [depict] Barack Obama — it's very a propos at this time — just to show how far we've come. Another piece actually has images in it of African Canadians who have accomplished things — like Jean Augustine, Oscar Peterson, Rosemary Brown, Austin Clarke. All of those images of these folks who have made their way here and are an inspiration to everyone."

She added that having her poem displayed at the ROM alongside so many artworks inspired by her words "is quite humbling."

More than a decade of exhibits

No Limitations, by Sonia Farquherson, is one of the works featured in the Beyond the Rhythm exhibit. (Royal Ontario Museum)The artists' association has been holding similar annual exhibits for 13 years, with art and heritage centres, city halls and corporations around Ontario among those asking to host the collection.

However, despite also receiving out-of-province and out-of-country requests (including from universities in the U.S.) to display the works, the association lacks the funding to send them to shows farther afield.

"This has been my thrust from the get-go, really, to expose African Canadian art to the public," Butterfield said. "It's very difficult for African Canadian artists to get their work out to the mainstream.

"Art done by African Canadian artists is Canadian art. The fact that we're in the ROM, [and] the pieces are fantastic, [shows], I think, we're really changing the landscape of art in Canada."

Beyond the Rhythm continues at the ROM until Aug. 3.

The Caribana Festival, North America's largest celebration of Caribbean and African heritage, began July 14 and continues through Aug. 3.