Who? Torontonian Kenneth Montague… dentist, arts patron, and owner of the Wedge Collection of contemporary African and Diasporic art.

Fond childhood memories… spending every summer from age 5 to 15 in Jamaica; my father Spurgeon Montague was a teacher and therefore able to spend his summer break with his family, visiting relatives in his hometown of Southfield, St Elizabeth. My mother was a dietitian who was born and raised in May Pen, Clarendon, so I got to spend a lot of time there as well.

On dentistry… I used to observe my cousin Dr Maxwell Timoll at his dental practice in May Pen; even at age 10 I thought: that’s what I want to do! Later, during my studies at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto I actually got to apprentice with Max. That was a foundational experience.

In dental school I realised that I was different from my schoolmates in that I was always into art — attending openings, doing studio visits and even taking after-school drawing classes. Running my own dental clinic for more than 25 years, I have been able to create a comfortable environment that attracts many creative types, including celebrated actors and musicians. Indeed, the office walls are full of art, and the sound of reggae, soul and hip-hop music is definitely louder than the drill!

Becoming a major art collector… I feel very privileged to have grown up in a house full of photographs, incredible music, and a large collection of books. My parents were among the earliest immigrants from Jamaica to my region of Canada; Windsor is situated on the international border with Detroit and my upbringing was therefore a mix of Canadian “small town” and an American “big city” experiences. Of course, as my household was very much a Jamaican one I enjoyed a kind of tri-cultural experience. The only negative was sometimes feeling like I was an “island” growing up, because I was always the only black kid in my schools. Luckily, I had parents who encouraged viewing art that celebrated black culture. My mother took my siblings and me on day trips to the the Art Gallery of Windsor, or the Detroit Historical Society; I was maybe eight years old when she started doing that. We spent afternoons looking at art while my dad was studying at grad school in Detroit doing his MA in Education.

I grew up watching TV shows in the 70s like Sanford and Son and Good Times, which reflected the pervasive view of Black culture in America at that time — the black characters were usually buffoons — so I recognised very little of myself or my own family life in those shows. But during that same time, I also saw a James VanDerZee photograph of a well-dressed, well-to-do black couple (in an exhibition at the Detroit Institute of the Arts). That was something I didn’t see on TV, or experience at the movies. I recognised that there was another way that black folks lived that wasn’t really being portrayed to me. I really plugged into that idea, from early on. And that was basically my introduction to art — seeing reflections of black life that were representations of who I was, or what I aspired to be — and it helped me to shape my own identity. In my early thirties I launched the Wedge Gallery, a public exhibition space in the narrow hallway of my loft residence. The name referred to both its shape and the fact that I was attempting to show work by black artists that I believed needed to be “wedged” into the exclusive world of contemporary art. Twenty-five years later I am the director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a non-profit organisation supporting emerging artists, and the owner of the Wedge Collection, a showcase of artworks that celebrate black identity in its many iterations.

We have our own rich stories of black culture in Canada, and of course my Caribbean heritage is an essential part of who I am. Collecting art has been a very personal way to consider this important history.

Art is a constant reflection of our times — politically, of course… but it’s also a record of style and fashion, cultural identity, and the state of the world. Think of the recent painting of former US President Barack Obama by contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley. That work stands out as completely different to the other renderings of former leaders on display at the National Portrait Gallery. It is clearly a work of our time.

My late father Spurgeon Montague… always talked about successful people needing to “lift as we rise”, meaning that as a collector you have a responsibility to help emerging artists while celebrating the work of those who have gone before. This is particularly true in our community: black artists have largely been left out of the story of modern art. We need to flip the script to reflect the truth.

My first purchase of art… I eventually acquired the photograph of that well-dressed couple in Harlem, New York — Couple in Raccoon Coats, 1932, by James VanDerZee was a landmark purchase for me.

My most recent acquisition is… a beautiful photograph by the young African-American photographer Tyler Mitchell, who is famous for creating the iconic cover image of Beyoncé for Vogue magazine.

To my younger self I would say… Don’t beat yourself up about time spent on activities not directly related to your main career. The “other stuff” can end up being just as important.

To an up-and-coming art collector I would say.. Buy art for love, not because it’s a “good investment”. You will live with it, so you need to appreciate it.

My most humbling experience was… Meeting and becoming friends with the late African-American painter Barkley Hendricks, who, by chance spent the last 30 years of his life going down to his vacation home in Southfield, St Elizabeth — the same place where my father was born and raised! — every Christmas holiday. I own one of his most celebrated works, a painting called Blood that is currently on tour around America. Barkley was a beautiful painter, a master teacher and a wonderful friend.

Final Drill

What’s your happy place? At home in Toronto with my wife Sarah (a museum educator) and our boys Eli (age 5) and Theo (3).

Nature or nurture?

Nature. I believe we are born with certain proclivities.

What’s your greatest fear?

The general lack of concern about the state of our fragile planet.

What lesson has been the hardest to learn?

We can’t do everything that we want to do. We must choose wisely.

What food sums you up?

Rum & raisin ice cream — it brings back memories of fun afternoons spent at Devon House in Kingston when visiting Jamaica as a child.

What have you never understood?

Why people can’t accept their differences. We are all fundamentally the same.

What’s the one thing that might surprise people about you?

I once played in a reggae band that recorded a record and toured extensively.

If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?

I have really tried to share my love of art with young people, and I hope that appreciation will be passed on.