Meet the Artist Behind Our African Heritage Month 2026 T-Shirt

In 2026, we commissioned a local artist to design the official staff African Heritage Month t-shirt—a wearable piece of art that celebrates Black culture, creativity, and community.

This year, that artist is Vanessa Thomas.

Vanessa—or Nessy, as many know her—is a mixed-media visual artist from the Preston area of Halifax. She works across digital art, canvas painting, and murals, and has become a familiar presence at events like Halifax Mural Fest. Her style is playful, abstract, and unmistakable: bold shapes, curious eyes, and flowing forms that invite you to look a little closer.

Growing Into Art

Vanessa didn't always plan to be an artist. "I've always been creative, but never took it that serious," says Vanessa. "I never thought, 'Oh, I'm going be an artist,' when I was growing up."

That changed when her mother began pursuing her own creative passions—teaching painting classes in the community, making jewelry, getting into pottery. Watching her mom take creativity seriously gave Vanessa the push she needed.

"Once I started showing people that I could also create stuff, it made me think, 'Oh, okay, well, maybe I'm actually kind of good at this,' and then I started to take it more serious," says Vanessa.

Since then, her work has taken her from Halifax walls to the national stage. She recently completed a piece for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, where her artwork is displayed on the Kipnes Lantern on the outside of the building as part of their Black History Month exhibit.

The Design

This year's staff t-shirt design is clearly Vanessa's work. In the centre, the design hints at the spine and pages of a book, which is a nod to the Library as a place for learning and creativity. Around this are her signature playful shapes, eyes, and a power fist, all coming together to spark curiosity and thought.

"The library is a place where you come to learn, educate yourself, be creative," Vanessa says. "I was trying to create a piece that kind of sparked those same feelings."

Her signature eye element plays a big role in the design. "It makes you think about something. It makes you question what you're looking at," she says, noting it's a visual invitation to slow down, look closely, and stay curious.

Strength in Unity

This year's African Heritage Month theme is Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power, and Progress, and Vanessa's design speaks to it in a meaningful way with figures flowing into one another, showing connection and togetherness.

For Vanessa, who gives a nod to libraries in her design, the message is clear:

"The best way to really show up as a Black person and for your community is to really keep yourself educated, and curious, and just wanting to always learn more," says Vanessa. "Because that is how we move forward and progress, and it's the same for people who are trying to be allies."

What African Heritage Month Means to Vanessa

When it comes to what African Heritage Month means to her personally, Vanessa keeps it real.

"I am Black every day of the year," she says. "So personally, African Heritage Month is a time for everybody to learn, and to appreciate the contributions that Black people have done around them, in the country, outside the country."

She also sees it as a time for rest—something that can be hard to prioritize when February brings a flood of requests for Black artists and creatives.

"I do like to take the time to prioritize my rest and just appreciate the things that the people before me have done," says Vanessa.

Full Circle Moment

Before she was the #AHM2026 staff t-shirt designer, Vanessa was a staff member at Captain William Spry Public Library as a Teen Specialist. Adding that her experience working alongside Halifax Public Libraries in a new way has been nothing short of a beautiful experience, "it's good to come full circle and come back and collaborate with the Library," she says. "I always appreciate the things that the Library does for the city, and without the Library, we would be missing out on a lot of resources."

You can find Vanessa's African Heritage Month 2026 t-shirt design worn by our amazing staff at your local Library branch all month long. Be sure to explore our full lineup of African Heritage Month events and programming, opens a new window.