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What do you get when you cross a mild-mannered dentist with a passionate patron and promoter of the arts?

"Someone who is single," said Ken Montague from his dentist office/gallery in downtown Toronto. "Every bit of free time I have is either used continuing my education in dentistry or planning exhibits. But I can't complain. I love it."

Montague has reason to savour his dual life. His dental patients read like a Hollywood A-list; stop by his office and you might see Russell Crowe and Nelly Furtado showing off their pearly whites. But once the nine-to-five draws to a close, Montague's direction is drawn to only one thing: art.

"I feel like Superman and Clark Kent. I wear the cape at work. My staff calls me Dr. Montague. But outside, I'm Kenneth Montague with Wedge Gallery."

Montague founded Wedge Gallery in 1997 as a way to feature the work of black photographers that were "wedging" their way into the mainstream. The first show, which featured the work of photographer Michael Chambers, took place at Montague's home.

"It was a 'gallery in a home' concept for my personal collection. I did the gallery in the hallway that was wedged-shaped, hence the name," Montague said. "I thought that I would have a housewarming to show everybody the beautiful space while at the same time promote the art. But that night, I sold eight out of 10 images. Suddenly I thought to myself, 'OK, I've got a gallery'."

Since that time, Wedge has set the tone for contemporary black art exhibits in Toronto, with shows featuring work by artists James VanDerZee, Dennis Morris, Jamel Shabazz and Dawit Petros. The gallery celebrated 10 years of success with the release of FLAVA: The Story of Wedge, a book showcasing global images of black culture through photography. The book has allowed Montague to see the culmination of his original vision, while pushing his artistic mind toward new horizons.

"The book does feel like it closes a chapter," he said. "Not that I am going to stop collecting or acting as a curator; but as a collector, you begin to start enjoying new work. Now I look at new reflections of black expressions: painting, carvings and electronic art. Wedge is changing; with FLAVA, I wanted to document our progress after a decade."

Asked if he would ever consider becoming an artist himself, Montague gives insight into the way art can be perceived and explored in different ways.

"I don't think that at this point I would move into the work of being an artist, but in some ways the curator is an artist. How you collect and show something demonstrates an artistic ability that many may not notice. The way things are positioned means something. I probably won't be a traditional artist but the absence of people versus their presence, that is a theme that I'd like to explore."

But even with a published book, successful gallery and well-established dental practice, Montague has no intentions of slowing down.

"I'm doing a lecture tour this spring, and I'll be travelling to Africa and throughout North America. I've got some ideas for the next exhibit. ... Look out for Wedge in 2008. It is going to be a very good year."

 

Jon Sarpong is the diversity officer at Durham College and UOIT. He provides independent diversity training and consultation for various organizations. Contact Sarpong by e-mailing jsarpong@hotmail.com.