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Artist-in-Residence AGNS Yarmouth Anselm Kiefer - Art Gallery of ...

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ISSN 0843-9184 Volume 32 • Spr<strong>in</strong>g/Summer 2009<br />

<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong><br />

his Der Brennende Dornbusch<br />

takes up residence <strong>in</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> 5 on<br />

loan from the private collection<br />

<strong>of</strong> François Odermatt courtesy <strong>of</strong><br />

Galerie Samuel Lallouz (Montréal).<br />

more exhibitions,<br />

articles, and content<br />

than ever before<br />

www.<strong>Art</strong>GAlleryoFNovAScotiA.cA<br />

<strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>-<strong>in</strong>-<strong>Residence</strong><br />

David Harper’s The Last to W<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong><br />

Welcomes David Div<strong>in</strong>ey as the new<br />

Curator <strong>of</strong> Programs <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong>,<br />

and new exhibitions ARENA: Road<br />

Game and Frances Dorsey: Saigon.<br />

Free to <strong>AGNS</strong> MeMberS<br />

$ 5 .00


stARTPr<strong>of</strong>s<br />

Work by pr<strong>of</strong>essors from art <strong>in</strong>stitutions across Canada<br />

NSCAD<br />

Alex Liv<strong>in</strong>gston<br />

Mathew Reichertz<br />

OCAD<br />

Nicole Coll<strong>in</strong>s<br />

Sar<strong>in</strong>dar Dhaliwal<br />

Ron Shuebrook<br />

Guelph<br />

Will Gorlitz<br />

Mart<strong>in</strong> Pearce<br />

ACAD<br />

Susan Menzies<br />

Chris Willard<br />

MT Allison<br />

Rebecca Burke<br />

Lethbridge<br />

Glen MacK<strong>in</strong>non<br />

U Calgary<br />

Laurel Smith<br />

Concordia<br />

Leopold Plotek<br />

U Moncton<br />

Jacques Arseneault<br />

Gisèle Ouellette<br />

20% <strong>of</strong> sales from this exhibition<br />

will go to a student scholarship<br />

fund that will be evenly divided<br />

amongst the participat<strong>in</strong>g schools.<br />

migrations: <strong>in</strong>terloper, by Nicole Coll<strong>in</strong>s, OCAD<br />

March13 – April 8


ON OUR COVER: A long term loan to the <strong>AGNS</strong>:<br />

<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong>, Der Brennende Dornbusch, detail, 2007,<br />

Mixed media on board, <strong>in</strong> lead frame under glass,<br />

4 panels: 130-5/8 x 302-1/2 <strong>in</strong>ches overall (332 x 768<br />

cm), on loan from the private collection <strong>of</strong> François<br />

Odermatt courtesy <strong>of</strong> Galerie Samuel Lallouz (Montréal).<br />

Photo by Joshua White<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia Journal is<br />

published and distributed free <strong>of</strong> charge<br />

to members.<br />

Contact the <strong>Gallery</strong> at (902) 424-2194<br />

for membership <strong>in</strong>formation.<br />

Director & CEO Ray Cron<strong>in</strong><br />

Manag<strong>in</strong>g Editor Jeff Gray<br />

Design Amy Batchelor<br />

Advertis<strong>in</strong>g Sales<br />

Kev<strong>in</strong> Landry, Independent Ad Rep<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong>Journal@gov.ns.ca or<br />

kev<strong>in</strong>landry@eastl<strong>in</strong>k.ca<br />

(902) 482-3895<br />

Publisher <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia<br />

Pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g Transcont<strong>in</strong>ental<br />

Pr<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong> Canada<br />

© 2009 <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia<br />

The <strong>AGNS</strong> gratefully acknowledges the<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g support <strong>of</strong> the Nova Scotia<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Tourism, Culture and<br />

Heritage; The Canada Council for the <strong>Art</strong>s;<br />

private and corporate patrons.<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia | Halifax<br />

1723 Hollis Street, PO Box 2262<br />

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 3C8<br />

p: 902-424-7542 f: 902-424-7359<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia | <strong>Yarmouth</strong><br />

341 Ma<strong>in</strong> Street, PO Box 246<br />

<strong>Yarmouth</strong>, Nova Scotia, Canada B5A 4B2<br />

p: 902-749-2248<br />

www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca<br />

5 Message from the Director<br />

6 AGNewS<br />

8 Acquisitions Spotlight<br />

10 Exhibitions<br />

Contents<br />

East <strong>of</strong> the RoC<br />

Pass<strong>in</strong>g Through: Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER& Photographs 1958 - 1983<br />

Up Home<br />

Forces <strong>of</strong> Nature<br />

Sometimes Always<br />

Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not here<br />

16 <strong>Art</strong> Spotlight: <strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong><br />

18 <strong>Yarmouth</strong><br />

AGNewS<br />

Exhibitions<br />

20 <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong> In <strong>Residence</strong>: David Harper<br />

21 Curator Corner<br />

Wait... We have four Picassos?<br />

22 Education and Public Programs<br />

Community Collaborative Ventures In <strong>Art</strong> Education<br />

Public Programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

26 The <strong>Gallery</strong> Shop<br />

27 <strong>Art</strong> Sales & Rentals<br />

28 Support your <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

29 <strong>Gallery</strong> Staff: Mov<strong>in</strong>g On<br />

30 Staff Directory<br />

Volume 32 • Spr<strong>in</strong>g/Summer 2009<br />

ISSN 0843-9184<br />

$ 5.00 ART GALLERY | FREE OF FOR NOVA MEMBERS<br />

SCOTIA<br />

3


edible art by Scanway Cater<strong>in</strong>g<br />

medium: Dark Chocolate Mousse Torte,<br />

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream<br />

created: Fresh Daily<br />

Cheapside Café, at the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia, 1723 Hollis Street, Tel 902-425-4494 www.cheapside.ca


IN THe LAST ISSue <strong>of</strong> THe JouRNAL I wRoTe ABouT CHANGe, and I’m<br />

go<strong>in</strong>g to cont<strong>in</strong>ue that theme, though with a bit <strong>of</strong> a twist: I want to talk about<br />

transformation. It’s a cliché that change is difficult, <strong>of</strong> course, but clichés are<br />

what they are because <strong>of</strong> the gra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> truth at their core. Change is hard, and<br />

transformation, from one state to another, is certa<strong>in</strong>ly the hardest change <strong>of</strong><br />

all. Just ask an alchemist, if you can f<strong>in</strong>d one.<br />

As the Director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia I have no <strong>in</strong>stant solutions<br />

to our challenges and our aspirations I don’t possess a philosopher’s stone to<br />

magically transform lead to gold, but nevertheless, transformation is steadily<br />

happen<strong>in</strong>g at your art gallery.<br />

It’s apparent <strong>in</strong> our new staff complement: as I write this the hir<strong>in</strong>g process is undergo<strong>in</strong>g it’s<br />

steady progress, but by the time you read this note there will be at least four new staff members<br />

<strong>of</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong>: a new Chief f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>of</strong>ficer, Director <strong>of</strong> Development, executive Secretary to the<br />

Director and Ceo, and Curator <strong>of</strong> Programs (<strong>Yarmouth</strong>). The only position filled at this writ<strong>in</strong>g is<br />

the Curator <strong>of</strong> Programs, <strong>Yarmouth</strong>. It is my very great pleasure to welcome David Div<strong>in</strong>ey back to Nova Scotia, and to fulfill what has been a long-time<br />

promise to the people <strong>of</strong> Southwest Nova Scotia: to br<strong>in</strong>g a curator to the <strong>AGNS</strong> western Branch. There is also a significant departure. After 21 years<br />

at the <strong>AGNS</strong> as Manager <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ance and operations, Sue T<strong>in</strong>gley will be retir<strong>in</strong>g as <strong>of</strong> June 30. Sue has contributed much to the <strong>Gallery</strong> over her career<br />

and I want to acknowledge her contribution and wish her the best for what will be, I am sure, a busy and reward<strong>in</strong>g new phase <strong>in</strong> her life.<br />

Transformation is apparent as well <strong>in</strong> the exhibitions this spr<strong>in</strong>g and summer. In<br />

Pass<strong>in</strong>g Through: Ia<strong>in</strong> BaxTer& Photographs, we see the transformative power <strong>of</strong><br />

photography as it is used to document the spaces <strong>in</strong> between dest<strong>in</strong>ations. In this<br />

case, the trip is def<strong>in</strong>itely all about the journey. other exhibitions too speak to the<br />

<strong>in</strong>exorableness <strong>of</strong> change, and to the artist’s power to transform mere materials<br />

<strong>in</strong>to compell<strong>in</strong>g ideas and objects <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten stagger<strong>in</strong>g beauty.<br />

Transformation is also evident <strong>in</strong> some <strong>of</strong> our setbacks. This spr<strong>in</strong>g we had to<br />

cancel a major exhibition from the National <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Canada: Lord Dalhousie<br />

and the arts. This difficult decision was arrived at <strong>in</strong> consultation with our<br />

colleagues at the NGC, and is <strong>in</strong> response to ongo<strong>in</strong>g issues the gallery is hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />

with leaks <strong>in</strong>to our lower level. we simply could not guarantee a safe and secure<br />

environment for this exhibition <strong>of</strong> fragile 18th century material. we are attempt<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to reschedule this exhibition. Please watch our website for more details. we<br />

replaced this project with an exhibition <strong>of</strong> contemporary video art drawn<br />

primarily from our collection, named, appropriately, Forces <strong>of</strong> Nature by the<br />

exhibition’s curator Sarah fillmore, our Act<strong>in</strong>g Chief Curator and Curator<br />

<strong>of</strong> exhibitions. This show, made up as it is <strong>of</strong> video projections, is less susceptible to water damages. At this writ<strong>in</strong>g every effort is be<strong>in</strong>g made to<br />

ameliorate our water problems and I am hopeful that by the time we publish this edition <strong>of</strong> the Journal the major issues will have been resolved.<br />

Lastly, there is another sort <strong>of</strong> transformation underway at <strong>AGNS</strong>, a re-vision<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Gallery</strong> focussed on our collection, and on provid<strong>in</strong>g reward<strong>in</strong>g<br />

experiences with the art <strong>of</strong> the world. Recent visitors will have noted the renewed commitment to permanent collection exhibitions, and I can assume<br />

the best is yet to come. Another example <strong>of</strong> our commitment to change is the hang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a long-term loan to the gallery: German artist <strong>Anselm</strong><br />

<strong>Kiefer</strong>’s monumental masterpiece, Der Brennende Dornbusch, or, The Burn<strong>in</strong>g Bush, on loan from the private collection <strong>of</strong> françois odermatt courtesy<br />

<strong>of</strong> Galerie Samuel Lallouz (Montréal). In its scope, scale, ambition and sheer power this work is truly awe <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g. It is a privilege to have it here <strong>in</strong><br />

Nova Scotia, and I cannot over emphasize our gratitude to the lender, and to the sponsors who made its exhibition possible. This work, too, is the<br />

subject <strong>of</strong> an article further on <strong>in</strong> the Journal.<br />

I began this piece by suggest<strong>in</strong>g that you might have a hard time f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g an alchemist with<br />

whom to discuss transformation, but <strong>of</strong> course I was wrong: artists are our day’s alchemists,<br />

and they excel at turn<strong>in</strong>g base materials <strong>in</strong>to the f<strong>in</strong>est “gold.” Come by your <strong>Gallery</strong> if you<br />

need evidence, or just a brac<strong>in</strong>g shot <strong>of</strong> transformative change. �<br />

Clive Murphy, Never Gonna Be Alone,<br />

(detail), 2007, mixed media<br />

from Sometimes, Always p. 14<br />

Message from the Director<br />

Installation shot <strong>of</strong> the exhbition ARENA: Road Game,<br />

currently on view <strong>in</strong> <strong>AGNS</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> until April, 2009<br />

Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER&, 3 M<strong>in</strong>ute Photos, Pacific National Exhibtion, Vancouver,<br />

British Columbia, 1967, Chromira pr<strong>in</strong>t, 106.7 x 148.0 cm<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

5


6<br />

AGNewS<br />

Sobey <strong>Art</strong> Award at ROM<br />

Canada’s contemporary art community gathered<br />

at the Royal ontario Museum on october<br />

1 to celebrate the passion and talent <strong>of</strong><br />

Canada’s young contemporary artists and to<br />

honour Tim Lee, w<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>of</strong> the 2008 Sobey art<br />

award. Comment<strong>in</strong>g on Lee’s selection, the<br />

Curatorial Panel for the 2008 Sobey art award<br />

stated, “Lee’s work br<strong>in</strong>gs together formalism<br />

and conceptualism; its visual impact always<br />

exceed<strong>in</strong>g the multiple levels that go <strong>in</strong>to it.<br />

His work is a meditation on the unreliability<br />

<strong>of</strong> vision and the shift<strong>in</strong>g nature <strong>of</strong> identity.<br />

He is as much rooted <strong>in</strong> his community as<br />

he is <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the global <strong>in</strong>terrogation <strong>of</strong><br />

forms and identity.”<br />

for more about the Sobey art award<br />

please visit www.sobeyartaward.ca. The<br />

2009 w<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>of</strong> the Sobey art award will<br />

be announced <strong>in</strong> Halifax on october 15,<br />

2009 with an exhibition <strong>of</strong> the short listed<br />

artists on view at the <strong>AGNS</strong>, September 5 to<br />

November 5, 2009.<br />

Tim Lee, w<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>of</strong> the 2008 Sobey <strong>Art</strong> Award, stand<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> his <strong>in</strong>stallation at the ROM.<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

Re<strong>in</strong>haRd SkoRacki<br />

575 Ma<strong>in</strong> Street<br />

Mahone Bay, NS<br />

902-624-6208<br />

Visitors enjoy the exhibition Click on view at the<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> dur<strong>in</strong>g the first annual Nocturne Festival.<br />

Nocturne<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia was very<br />

pleased to take part <strong>in</strong> the first annual<br />

Nocturne: <strong>Art</strong> at Night. This event attracted<br />

thousands <strong>of</strong> people to galleries and museums<br />

<strong>in</strong> Halifax <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g more than 3000 to<br />

the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia. The october<br />

18th event set a new s<strong>in</strong>gle day attendance<br />

record for the <strong>AGNS</strong>. The <strong>Gallery</strong> looks<br />

forward to participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the event aga<strong>in</strong><br />

this year which is scheduled for october<br />

17th, 2009.<br />

Annual <strong>AGNS</strong> Gala<br />

on November 1, 2008 the <strong>AGNS</strong> held<br />

its annual Gala. This wonderful even<strong>in</strong>g<br />

was an important fund rais<strong>in</strong>g event<br />

for the <strong>AGNS</strong>. The <strong>Gallery</strong> would like to<br />

thank sponsors Scotiabank and Benjam<strong>in</strong><br />

Bridge; their generous contributions truly<br />

enhanced the even<strong>in</strong>g. Gordon P<strong>in</strong>sent’s<br />

warmth, generosity and wit delighted<br />

the audience dur<strong>in</strong>g this truly memorable<br />

even<strong>in</strong>g. Plann<strong>in</strong>g is already underway<br />

for next year’s event and we look forward<br />

to see<strong>in</strong>g you there.<br />

www.moor<strong>in</strong>gsgallery.com<br />

Turnstile Pottery<br />

Studio Membership. <strong>Art</strong>work<br />

for Sale. Workshops. Open<br />

Studio Drop-In. Sculpture<br />

Club w/ Live Model.<br />

2733 Agricola St<br />

Halifax NS B3K 4E2<br />

431.clay<br />

The studio is open<br />

for pottery sales<br />

7 days a week 1-5 pm, or at<br />

other times by chance.<br />

www.turnstilepottery.com<br />

turnstile_potteryclasses@yahoo.com<br />

Flight and Fafard<br />

In November the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia<br />

opened two exhibitions. Both Flight Dreams<br />

and Joe Fafard were well received by visitors<br />

to the <strong>AGNS</strong>. Flight Dreams will be shown at<br />

the <strong>AGNS</strong> western Branch this autumn, which<br />

will see the <strong>AGNS</strong> celebrate the International<br />

Air Show tak<strong>in</strong>g place <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> this fall.<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> Takes Hockey on the Road<br />

After a successful run <strong>in</strong> edmonton, arena:<br />

road Game has been split and on view <strong>in</strong><br />

Montreal at the Just for Laughs Museum and<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> at the <strong>AGNS</strong> western Branch. In<br />

Montreal the exhibition opened <strong>in</strong> connection<br />

with the NHL All Star game and around<br />

the celebration <strong>of</strong> the Montreal Canadiens‘<br />

centennial celebrations.<br />

A look at the exhbition ARENA: Road Game and the<br />

<strong>in</strong>stallation <strong>of</strong> Graeme Patterson’s 10 Po<strong>in</strong>t Game<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the open<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong>.<br />

Maud Lewis Play to Take<br />

the Stage at the <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia is very pleased<br />

to be host<strong>in</strong>g a new Maud Lewis play this<br />

summer at the <strong>AGNS</strong>. This play, written and<br />

produced by Greg Thompson, was <strong>in</strong>spired<br />

by his visit here dur<strong>in</strong>g his production <strong>of</strong> the<br />

fantastic Marilyn Monroe play. The play is<br />

set to launch <strong>in</strong> June with tickets go<strong>in</strong>g on<br />

sale <strong>in</strong> May.<br />

Register Now!<br />

Call 424-5280<br />

www.artgalleryfnovascotia.ca


Annual Day Trip<br />

The <strong>AGNS</strong> Annual Day Trip will take place<br />

on June 6, 2009, <strong>in</strong>cludes lunch at Rhubarb<br />

<strong>in</strong> Indian Harbour, and visits to 2 galleries <strong>in</strong><br />

Peggy’s Cove, and to the studios <strong>of</strong> 7 artists<br />

<strong>in</strong> east Dover and Indian Harbour, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

John Little and Brian Ateyo. This is always a<br />

very popular trip that fills early. To book your<br />

ticket please contact Sue Melv<strong>in</strong> at 424-8935.<br />

Goodbye Sue T<strong>in</strong>gley<br />

After 21 years with the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova<br />

Scotia, Sue T<strong>in</strong>gley will be retir<strong>in</strong>g. on page<br />

29 Sue <strong>of</strong>fers a reflection <strong>of</strong> her time here at<br />

the <strong>Gallery</strong>. we <strong>of</strong>fer Sue all the very best <strong>in</strong><br />

her retirement and look forward to see<strong>in</strong>g<br />

her back at the <strong>AGNS</strong> as a member.<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia AGM<br />

The <strong>AGNS</strong> Annual General Meet<strong>in</strong>g will take<br />

place on Thursday, June 25 at 5:00pm. The<br />

AGM is open to all <strong>Gallery</strong> Members.<br />

Summer School <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong>s 2009<br />

The Summer School <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong>s has a long<br />

tradition <strong>of</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g high-quality arts<br />

programm<strong>in</strong>g for children and youth from<br />

ages 3 to teens. A wide range <strong>of</strong> classes are<br />

<strong>of</strong>fered <strong>in</strong> sculpture, puppetry, mixed media,<br />

draw<strong>in</strong>g and pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, new media, maskmak<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

ceramics, and textile design. Taught<br />

by well-qualified and experienced artists/art<br />

educators, the Summer School <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong>s<br />

<strong>in</strong>vites you to imag<strong>in</strong>e, experiment and<br />

discover! for more <strong>in</strong>formation, please visit the<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> website www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca.<br />

Gift Membership<br />

Membership at the <strong>AGNS</strong> makes a great<br />

gift idea. The <strong>AGNS</strong> also has options for<br />

add<strong>in</strong>g additional adult family members.<br />

Visit the Member’s Section <strong>of</strong> our website<br />

as the <strong>Gallery</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ues to make<br />

enhancements.<br />

Ronita deBlois<br />

<strong>Art</strong> Education Fund<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia would like to<br />

thank all <strong>of</strong> the generous donors over the past<br />

year that have given to the Ronita deBlois <strong>Art</strong><br />

education fund. This fund promotes creative<br />

art activities, by and for young people <strong>in</strong> Nova<br />

Scotia. for more <strong>in</strong>formation on this fund<br />

please visit www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca.<br />

AGNewS<br />

TO ADVERTISE<br />

<strong>in</strong> the<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

Nova Scotia<br />

Journal<br />

Call Kev<strong>in</strong> Landry<br />

(902) 482-3895<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

7


8<br />

Acquisitions<br />

Spotlight<br />

while the <strong>AGNS</strong> relies heavily on donations<br />

to acquire art, it does not accept all <strong>of</strong>fers.<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> curatorial staff assess and debate the<br />

value <strong>of</strong> each work both on its own and<br />

<strong>in</strong> conjunction with the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection.<br />

Does it help place an artistic development<br />

<strong>in</strong> context with<strong>in</strong> our collection? Does it<br />

allow for useful contrast or comparison with<br />

other works? Does the subject or artist have<br />

dist<strong>in</strong>ct bear<strong>in</strong>g on Nova Scotian, Atlantic<br />

Canadian, or Canadian artistic heritage?<br />

Does it allow the <strong>AGNS</strong> to better tell the<br />

story <strong>of</strong> Canadian art from an Atlantic<br />

Canadian perspective?<br />

The follow<strong>in</strong>g are some <strong>of</strong> our recent acquisitions,<br />

with excerpts <strong>of</strong> notes regard<strong>in</strong>g these<br />

pieces by our various curatorial staff.<br />

Claude Tousignant<br />

Noir-gris ou Same-same (1980-81)<br />

Born <strong>in</strong> Montreal <strong>in</strong> 1932, Claude Tousignant<br />

studied at the École des Beaux-arts de<br />

Montréal where he specialized <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g and lithography. In the 1950s<br />

he became a member <strong>of</strong> Les Plasticiens, a<br />

group made up <strong>of</strong> a generation <strong>of</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>ters<br />

who eschewed figuration and for whom<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g was, and is, “pa<strong>in</strong>t, forms, l<strong>in</strong>es,<br />

colours and textures.”<br />

This diptych is a sem<strong>in</strong>al example <strong>of</strong> a<br />

signature style dur<strong>in</strong>g a fifteen-year period<br />

between the late seventies and early n<strong>in</strong>eties.<br />

As early as 1956, with the watershed<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g Monochrome Orange, Tousignant<br />

would pursue pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g that was devoid <strong>of</strong><br />

external referents and, <strong>in</strong> a true modernist<br />

approach, kept as its central tenet the<br />

“object-ness” <strong>of</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g stripped <strong>of</strong> all<br />

relative subjectivity. Tousignant’s pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 1960s have become emblematic <strong>of</strong><br />

that era, draw<strong>in</strong>g comparisons to ellsworth<br />

Kelly, Ad Re<strong>in</strong>hardt and Kenneth Noland.<br />

These flat, simple, visually engag<strong>in</strong>g colour<br />

field pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs would eventually lead to work<br />

<strong>in</strong> sculpture, pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>stallation.<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

while the <strong>AGNS</strong> has works from the artist’s<br />

early colour-field pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs, we lack examples<br />

from this important groundbreak<strong>in</strong>g<br />

fifteen-year period. our ability to present<br />

this history is significantly enhanced by the<br />

donation <strong>of</strong> Tousignant’s work. <strong>AGNS</strong> is the<br />

premier collector <strong>in</strong> the Atlantic region for<br />

the work by Les Plasticiens. The passions and<br />

<strong>in</strong>sight beh<strong>in</strong>d this outstand<strong>in</strong>g work will be<br />

an <strong>in</strong>valuable contribution to our curatorial<br />

programm<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Robert Z<strong>in</strong>gone,<br />

Assistant Curator, Contemporary <strong>Art</strong><br />

Fernand Toup<strong>in</strong><br />

Jeux sur neige, I & II, 1989<br />

As one <strong>of</strong> the four found<strong>in</strong>g members <strong>of</strong><br />

the group Les Plasticiens and a life member<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Royal Canadian Academy <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong>s,<br />

fernand Toup<strong>in</strong>’s role <strong>in</strong> Canadian <strong>Art</strong> History<br />

is an important one. over fifty years s<strong>in</strong>ce the<br />

release <strong>of</strong> the Plasticiens’ important manifesto,<br />

their endur<strong>in</strong>g impact on Canadian art<br />

is apparent. <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection<br />

who owe a debt to the group are many.<br />

Jeux sur neige, I & II, is a wonderful diptych<br />

typical <strong>of</strong> Toup<strong>in</strong>’s matierist pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. Heavy,<br />

yet friable pa<strong>in</strong>t extrudes from the surface,<br />

recall<strong>in</strong>g the architectural approach <strong>of</strong> Les<br />

Plasticiens, but without the strict geometry.<br />

This work is reflective <strong>of</strong> his later organic,<br />

lyrical approach to pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g that, while still<br />

non-representational, explores texture and<br />

space, us<strong>in</strong>g colours to enhance but not<br />

overwhelm. This work speaks to not only the<br />

other Plasticien artists <strong>in</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection,<br />

but also to the greater network <strong>of</strong> Quebec<br />

artists. Compar<strong>in</strong>g this to a landscape<br />

by Jean-Paul Lemieux—a friend <strong>of</strong> Toup<strong>in</strong><br />

whom he much admired—or to works by<br />

Tousignant, Riopelle, Mcewen, all <strong>of</strong> whom<br />

are represented <strong>in</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection,<br />

provides for an excit<strong>in</strong>g dialogue about the<br />

evolution <strong>of</strong> art and artists from this region<br />

and their far-reach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>fluences.<br />

Sarah fillmore<br />

Act<strong>in</strong>g Chief Curator<br />

and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions<br />

Alex Katz<br />

The Swimmer, 1992<br />

Alex Katz’s flattened figurative representations<br />

<strong>of</strong> everyday subject matter, friends,<br />

family, and the land around them have<br />

become icons <strong>of</strong> contemporary American art.<br />

Born <strong>in</strong> Brooklyn <strong>in</strong> 1927, Katz studied at The<br />

Cooper union <strong>in</strong> New York and at Skowhegan<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g and Sculpture <strong>in</strong> Ma<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

Katz’s artworks delve the shallow visual space<br />

that highlights the two-dimensional nature<br />

<strong>of</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs. The Swimmer is an excellent<br />

example <strong>of</strong> Katz’s masterful treatment<br />

<strong>of</strong> figures and landscape. This serigraph<br />

provides the <strong>Gallery</strong> with its second example<br />

<strong>of</strong> Katz’s work.<br />

Nova Scotia and the Maritime prov<strong>in</strong>ces have<br />

always enjoyed a rich artistic exchange with<br />

the united States. <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s have roamed up<br />

and down the Coast long before Homeland<br />

Security clamped its iron gate across our<br />

notably porous border. Through this and<br />

other works <strong>in</strong> this donation, the <strong>Gallery</strong> is<br />

able to tell a cross border story—exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

commonalities and differences from the<br />

po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g medium.<br />

Sarah fillmore<br />

Act<strong>in</strong>g Chief Curator<br />

and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions


Frederick A. Verner<br />

Misty Morn<strong>in</strong>g, 1885<br />

Born <strong>in</strong> Sheridan, ontario <strong>in</strong> 1836, Verner was<br />

one <strong>of</strong> the few lead<strong>in</strong>g Canadian pa<strong>in</strong>ters<br />

<strong>of</strong> that century who was actually born <strong>in</strong><br />

Canada. An avid photographer, Verner used<br />

the camera to earn a liv<strong>in</strong>g as well as to<br />

capture images and pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g motifs that he<br />

used throughout his pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g career. He was<br />

a found<strong>in</strong>g member <strong>of</strong> the ontario Society <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s and the first Canadian member <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Royal British Colonial Society <strong>of</strong> <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s.<br />

Strongly <strong>in</strong>fluenced by both the art and<br />

the person <strong>of</strong> Paul Kane—a retired artist<br />

liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Toronto who specialized <strong>in</strong> western<br />

and Indian themes—Verner focused on<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g harmonious scenes <strong>of</strong> people<br />

and nature with a special focus on western<br />

and first Nation themes. Verner went on<br />

several pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g expeditions to western<br />

Canada between 1870 and 1892—a time<br />

when the west was still largely unsettled by<br />

european immigrants.<br />

Misty Morn<strong>in</strong>g (1885) is a watercolour that<br />

depicts what Verner is truly known for<br />

and the first example <strong>of</strong> this k<strong>in</strong>d for the<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> collection—his romantic imagery <strong>of</strong><br />

Canadian first Nations. Misty Morn<strong>in</strong>g is<br />

a more conventional romantic image <strong>of</strong><br />

Canadian first Nations, paddl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> their<br />

canoes and wear<strong>in</strong>g a comb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> traditional<br />

and european dress. The group<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />

first Nations and canoe<strong>in</strong>g was a favourite<br />

for Verner. In many ways these watercolours<br />

are precursors to the photographs that<br />

edward Curtis and others later produced,<br />

document<strong>in</strong>g the “vanish<strong>in</strong>g Indian.” Misty<br />

Morn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> particular calls this sentiment<br />

to m<strong>in</strong>d, with the lead<strong>in</strong>g canoe—the one<br />

with the more traditional figure—disappear<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>to the fog, the second canoe close<br />

beh<strong>in</strong>d. It is a mixture <strong>of</strong> idealistic vision<br />

and realistic details, with s<strong>of</strong>t atmospheric<br />

qualities and gentle light wash<strong>in</strong>g over<br />

the detailed mark<strong>in</strong>gs on the canoes and<br />

the paddles.<br />

The <strong>Gallery</strong> will now be able to regularly<br />

exhibit Verner as part <strong>of</strong> the story <strong>of</strong><br />

early Canadian art with the addition <strong>of</strong><br />

these pieces.<br />

Shannon Parker<br />

Curator <strong>of</strong> Collections<br />

Colleen Wolstenholme<br />

Shrouded Figure (2005)<br />

The <strong>AGNS</strong> recently received Shrouded Figure<br />

by Hantsport, Nova Scotia-based artist<br />

Colleen wolstenholme. This object depicts a<br />

figure <strong>in</strong> a burqa, but it does not represent a<br />

specific personage. Its scale, ¾ <strong>of</strong> life-size, is<br />

derived from a version <strong>of</strong> Sharia law which assigns<br />

a value <strong>of</strong> ¾ that <strong>of</strong> a man to a woman.<br />

The sculpture’s presence is hard to ignore;<br />

wolstenholme has managed to create a form<br />

upon which the viewer can’t help but project<br />

notions <strong>of</strong> quietude and dignity. The content<br />

<strong>of</strong> the piece is not the figure <strong>of</strong> a woman but<br />

rather the systems that control women—the<br />

shroud not the figure.<br />

western art history is replete with veils and<br />

shrouds <strong>of</strong> course, and not only <strong>in</strong> orientalist<br />

imag<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> odalisques and harem girls.<br />

Greek sculpture used drapery almost<br />

exclusively for female figures, for <strong>in</strong>stance.<br />

In contrast, male figures were usually nude.<br />

In Renaissance sculpture the use <strong>of</strong> drapery<br />

to portray emotional states achieved its<br />

apotheosis—particularly <strong>in</strong> two sculptures:<br />

Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bern<strong>in</strong>i’s The ecstasy<br />

<strong>of</strong> St. Theresa. The Pieta is an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g parallel<br />

to wolstenholme’s Shrouded Figure. In<br />

it, the figure <strong>of</strong> Mary is out <strong>of</strong> proportion to<br />

Aquisitions spotlight<br />

Aquisitions Spotlight<br />

the figure <strong>of</strong> the dead Christ: Michelangelo<br />

scaled her up to heighten the imagistic<br />

power <strong>of</strong> the composition. Her <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong><br />

scale reflects the importance <strong>of</strong> her image as<br />

the Mother <strong>of</strong> God. The drapery <strong>of</strong> her robes<br />

create a stable base upon which the nearnude<br />

figure <strong>of</strong> Christ is supported. Mary, as<br />

the symbol <strong>of</strong> the Church, is a rock—a stable,<br />

supportive figure. In Bern<strong>in</strong>i’s ecstatic figure,<br />

on the contrary, the drapery seems to writhe<br />

like a liv<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

If Bern<strong>in</strong>i’s marble is molten, wolstenholme’s<br />

cement is turgid, solid <strong>in</strong> a somehow more<br />

than expected way. Carrara marble is<br />

beautiful and exotic, while concrete is banal.<br />

wolstenholme has not resorted to heighten<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the material’s expressive potential<br />

(cement, like any material, can be turned<br />

by a sculptor <strong>in</strong>to someth<strong>in</strong>g quite nearly<br />

magical, as wolstenholme herself has<br />

achieved <strong>in</strong> other works), but <strong>in</strong>stead has<br />

left it rough and drab. This is no robe<br />

reflective <strong>of</strong> a “storm surge <strong>of</strong> sensation,” but<br />

rather the rough hair shirt <strong>of</strong> the penitent.<br />

The material, the image and the content<br />

are all turned <strong>in</strong> one direction, towards the<br />

picture that the artist wishes us to perceive.<br />

Shrouded Figure is one <strong>of</strong> only two cast<br />

cement works by this artist, and is a companion<br />

piece to her series <strong>of</strong> small, pa<strong>in</strong>ted figures<br />

that have been exhibited widely <strong>in</strong> Canada.<br />

It is a mature work by one <strong>of</strong> this region’s, and<br />

this country’s, most accomplished sculptors.<br />

Ray Cron<strong>in</strong><br />

Director and Ceo<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

9


East <strong>of</strong> the RoC<br />

10<br />

On view until July 12, 2009<br />

<strong>in</strong> the John and Normal oyler <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

This year marks the diamond jubilee <strong>of</strong><br />

Confederation <strong>in</strong> Newfoundland and<br />

Labrador. Sixty years ago, Newfoundland<br />

and Labrador jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Rest <strong>of</strong> Canada,<br />

but its shared heritage with the three<br />

Maritime prov<strong>in</strong>ces has given our relationships<br />

with Brita<strong>in</strong>’s oldest colony more<br />

<strong>in</strong>timate connections, as the pr<strong>in</strong>ts and<br />

draw<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the exhibition illustrate.<br />

from early eighteenth century mapmakers<br />

to early twentieth century pr<strong>in</strong>tmakers and<br />

draughtsmen, artists have revealed the<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

vital strength <strong>of</strong> the Atlantic and its coastal<br />

communities. our shared history <strong>of</strong> early<br />

settlement has meant that the architecture<br />

<strong>of</strong> government build<strong>in</strong>gs was Georgian<br />

rather than Victorian or Beaux-arts, and<br />

devastat<strong>in</strong>g fires <strong>in</strong> our major cities provide<br />

another common bond. over the centuries,<br />

the ocean has imposed its rhythms, forced<br />

its demands, and provided the means for<br />

communication among and beyond the four<br />

Atlantic Prov<strong>in</strong>ces.<br />

The prospect <strong>of</strong> Maritime union <strong>in</strong> 1864<br />

attracted the attention <strong>of</strong> the two Canadas;<br />

both John A MacDonald and Georges-<br />

Étienne Cartier attended the Charlottetown<br />

Conference dur<strong>in</strong>g the week <strong>of</strong> 1 September<br />

1864 and persuaded the delegates to th<strong>in</strong>k<br />

<strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> a broader British North American<br />

union. Newfoundland sent delegates to the<br />

Quebec Conference the follow<strong>in</strong>g month,<br />

but at home neither merchants nor Irish<br />

settlers supported the proposed union, and <strong>in</strong><br />

Pr<strong>in</strong>ce edward Island enthusiasm for union<br />

waned when the proposed Dom<strong>in</strong>ion<br />

withdrew its plan to buy back island land<br />

from absentee landlords. on the ma<strong>in</strong>land,<br />

memory <strong>of</strong> the Trent Affair <strong>in</strong> 1861, the<br />

celebrat<strong>in</strong>g the 60th anniversary <strong>of</strong><br />

confederation with Newfoundland and Labrador<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g threat <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>vasions by the fenian<br />

Brotherhood, and a bill <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong> the<br />

united States Congress on 2 July 1866 that<br />

called for the admission or annexation <strong>of</strong><br />

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Lower and<br />

upper Canada, spurred the four rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

prov<strong>in</strong>ces toward Confederation on 1 July<br />

1867, although anti-confederate feel<strong>in</strong>g<br />

l<strong>in</strong>gered <strong>in</strong> the Maritime partners <strong>in</strong>to the<br />

next century.<br />

fearful lest PeI enter an economic union<br />

with the uS, the new Dom<strong>in</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> Canada<br />

<strong>of</strong>fered better terms and the smallest<br />

prov<strong>in</strong>ce entered Confederation <strong>in</strong> 1873,<br />

but seventy-six years would pass before<br />

Newfoundland and Labrador, after two<br />

bitterly-fought referenda <strong>in</strong> 1948, opted for<br />

Confederation with an expanded Canada<br />

at midnight on 31 March 1949. Remarkable<br />

<strong>in</strong> world terms for achiev<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />

nationhood without bloodshed, Confederation<br />

has brought together diverse regions as<br />

one country, now spann<strong>in</strong>g 90 degrees <strong>of</strong><br />

longitude, and cont<strong>in</strong>ues to be, as the Prime<br />

M<strong>in</strong>ister declared <strong>in</strong> 1949, “an act <strong>of</strong> faith <strong>in</strong><br />

the future.” �<br />

Dianne o’Neil<br />

Associate Curator,<br />

Historical Pr<strong>in</strong>ts and Draw<strong>in</strong>gs


Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER&, Urban Landcape,<br />

Trans-Canada Highway, Manitoba,<br />

1969, Chromira pr<strong>in</strong>t, 49.5 x 72.4 cm<br />

On view until May 18, 2009<br />

Throughout his 40 year career, Ia<strong>in</strong> BAxTeR&<br />

has challenged ideas about what art is and<br />

what it does. us<strong>in</strong>g everyday objects and<br />

processes, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g his famous 1966<br />

—Bagged Place—a home <strong>in</strong> which every<br />

item was encased <strong>in</strong> a plastic bag— he<br />

creates works <strong>of</strong> art that engage audiences <strong>in</strong><br />

contemporary social, political, and<br />

environmental issues. BAxTeR& has taken<br />

photographs s<strong>in</strong>ce the 1950s and is Canada’s<br />

first and most widely recognized conceptual<br />

artist. while many aspects <strong>of</strong> his practice are<br />

well documented, his photographs rema<strong>in</strong><br />

largely unknown. Pass<strong>in</strong>g Through: Photographs<br />

by Ia<strong>in</strong> BaxTer& <strong>in</strong>cludes colour pr<strong>in</strong>ts,<br />

Polaroids, and duratrans taken between<br />

1958 and 1983, most <strong>of</strong> which have never<br />

been exhibited.<br />

Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER&, Highway, Northern California, 1979, Chromira pr<strong>in</strong>t, 49.5 x 72.4 cm<br />

Pass<strong>in</strong>g Through: Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER& Photographs 1958 - 1983<br />

Much <strong>of</strong> BAxTeR&’s photography documents<br />

the everyday world. His consum<strong>in</strong>g passion<br />

for real-life experiences has resulted <strong>in</strong> a<br />

remarkable body <strong>of</strong> images that are both<br />

highly personal and revelatory <strong>of</strong> Canadian<br />

society dur<strong>in</strong>g the second half <strong>of</strong> the 20th<br />

century. Informed by the notion <strong>of</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

as a manifestation <strong>of</strong> consciousness <strong>in</strong> North<br />

American culture, most <strong>of</strong> the photographs<br />

<strong>in</strong> this exhibition BAxTeR& took while<br />

travell<strong>in</strong>g throughout Canada.<br />

Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER&, Lucy Lippard Wait<strong>in</strong>g, Toronto, Ontario<br />

1969, Chromira pr<strong>in</strong>t, 91.4 x 21.9 x 14.0 cm<br />

BAxTeR& is an <strong>in</strong>ternationally acclaimed<br />

artist who has exhibited widely <strong>in</strong> Canada<br />

and abroad. Born <strong>in</strong> Middlesborough,<br />

england <strong>in</strong> 1936, he emigrated with his<br />

family at the age <strong>of</strong> one. He has a Bachelor<br />

<strong>of</strong> Science (Zoology) and a Master <strong>of</strong><br />

education from the university <strong>of</strong> Idaho and a<br />

Master <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Art</strong>s degree from wash<strong>in</strong>gton<br />

State university. In 1988, BAxTeR& jo<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

the faculty at the School <strong>of</strong> Visual <strong>Art</strong>s at<br />

the university <strong>of</strong> w<strong>in</strong>dsor, where he is now<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor emeritus.<br />

His work is <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> most major collections<br />

<strong>of</strong> Canadian art, as well as the Museum<br />

<strong>of</strong> Modern <strong>Art</strong>, New York, the Los Angeles<br />

County Museum, and the Gemeente museum,<br />

The Hague. The recipient <strong>of</strong> many<br />

awards, BAxTeR& received the order <strong>of</strong><br />

Canada <strong>in</strong> 2003, a Governor General’s Award<br />

<strong>in</strong> Visual and Media <strong>Art</strong>s and the order <strong>of</strong><br />

ontario <strong>in</strong> 2004, the Molson Prize <strong>in</strong> 2005,<br />

and most recently the order <strong>of</strong> British<br />

Columbia <strong>in</strong> 2007. �<br />

Ia<strong>in</strong> BAXTER&, Urban Landcape, Trans-Canada<br />

Highway, Manitoba, 1969, Chromira pr<strong>in</strong>t,<br />

49.5 x 72.4 cm<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

11


12<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

•Return airfare<br />

•Baggage handl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

•Airport transfers<br />

•Hotel porterage<br />

•Tipp<strong>in</strong>g for airport driver and<br />

guided tours<br />

•Advance group seat selection<br />

•Private Meet & Greet service<br />

•Return transfers between the<br />

Logan Airport and the Jurys<br />

Boston Hotel<br />

•6 nights accommodation <strong>in</strong><br />

superior tw<strong>in</strong> or s<strong>in</strong>gle room<br />

•Ticket to show at the Wang<br />

Theatre or similar<br />

October 20 to 26, 2009<br />

S<strong>in</strong>gle<br />

$3,899<br />

Tw<strong>in</strong>/<br />

Double<br />

$2,899<br />

•Entrance to the Isabella Stewart<br />

Gardner Museum<br />

•Entrance to the Museum <strong>of</strong><br />

F<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Art</strong>s<br />

•Private guided North End<br />

Cultural Heritage Walk<strong>in</strong>g Tour<br />

(approx. 3 hours)<br />

•Private guided Beacon Hill<br />

Masterpieces Walk<strong>in</strong>g Tour<br />

(approx. 1.5 hours)<br />

•Lunch at the Gardner Café<br />

•3 course group d<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>in</strong> a<br />

semi private room at No 9 Park<br />

•$75 donation to the <strong>AGNS</strong> <strong>Art</strong><br />

Acquisition Fund<br />

A refundable deposit <strong>of</strong> $250 is due by May 30, 2009<br />

to confirm your place on this tour (space is based upon<br />

availability). An additional deposit <strong>of</strong> $750 is due June 30,<br />

2009. At his time your payments become non-refundable<br />

and trip cancellation <strong>in</strong>surance, if desired, should be<br />

purchased. F<strong>in</strong>al payment is due September 15, 2009.<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation or to book call:<br />

Glenda Hunter, CAA Travel, 3514 Joseph Howe Drive, Suite 5, Halifax<br />

(902) 443-7592 or 1-800-561-8807 or email: ghunter@caa.maritimes.ca<br />

*Prices are per person, and <strong>in</strong> Canadian Funds<br />

*


Up Home<br />

written by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Susan Tooke<br />

April 18 - June 14th<br />

North Preston is one <strong>of</strong> our country’s largest and most important<br />

African Canadian communities. writer, musician, and broadcaster,<br />

Shauntay Grant has written a rich and celebratory poem about<br />

North Preston and her memories <strong>of</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g Up Home. The book<br />

is beautifully illustrated by artist Susan Tooke who modeled<br />

Shauntay’s characters from people she met <strong>in</strong> the community. The<br />

orig<strong>in</strong>al (acrylic on Arches watercolour paper 140 lb. cold press)<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs created for the book will be exhibited <strong>in</strong> the education<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> at <strong>AGNS</strong> from April to June and will then beg<strong>in</strong> a<br />

prov<strong>in</strong>cial tour with the Black Cultural Centre where they will<br />

rema<strong>in</strong> on view for the summer.<br />

It is true that we do not know who we are until we know where<br />

we came from. we should be encouraged to share our favourite<br />

memories <strong>of</strong> our childhood days <strong>in</strong> our own communities. To this<br />

end, and to complement the celebration <strong>of</strong> this important<br />

publication, the Black Cultural Centre, the Nova Scotia Department<br />

<strong>of</strong> education, and <strong>AGNS</strong> will partner <strong>in</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

art workshops for young people <strong>in</strong> the North Preston area and at the<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia, around the notion <strong>of</strong> their own Up Home.<br />

Please check our website www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca for event<br />

and programm<strong>in</strong>g details. �<br />

Kather<strong>in</strong>e Knight, Buoy, (detail), 2005<br />

Forces <strong>of</strong> Nature<br />

April 11- May 31, 2009<br />

water <strong>in</strong> an art gallery is a dangerous th<strong>in</strong>g and as the spr<strong>in</strong>g thaw<br />

approached, a hard decision had to be made: as Nature couldn’t be<br />

trusted to stay out <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Gallery</strong> spaces, the exhibition <strong>of</strong> historical<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>ts, pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs and decorative arts from the National <strong>Gallery</strong>,<br />

Lord Dalhousie: Patron and Collector had to be postponed. well,<br />

if Nature was go<strong>in</strong>g to be so present <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>, it became<br />

clear that it must be on display. In Forces <strong>of</strong> Nature, an exhibition<br />

designed to be waterpro<strong>of</strong>, four video works, drawn primarily from<br />

the <strong>Gallery</strong>’s permanent collection, exam<strong>in</strong>e artists’ relationships to<br />

the natural world.<br />

David Askevold, Kather<strong>in</strong>e Knight, emily Vey Duke + Cooper Battersby,<br />

along with Kelly Richardson have created works <strong>of</strong> art that explore<br />

mediation, danger, and seduction <strong>in</strong> both natural and constructed<br />

land and seascapes.<br />

David Askevold’s meditative projection, Latrajarg (The Cliff),<br />

follows seagulls glid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a w<strong>in</strong>d current, and provides an exploration<br />

<strong>of</strong> figure and ground. In this early video work Askevold<br />

creates a contemplative work <strong>of</strong> art, delight<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the sea, light<br />

and motion created by the birds aga<strong>in</strong>st sea. In the same way,<br />

Kather<strong>in</strong>e Knight layers sound and video <strong>in</strong> a hypnotic nautical<br />

portrait <strong>in</strong> her work Buoy. Beacons to sailors, the buoys <strong>of</strong> Knight’s<br />

work call to us, their mournful cries almost swallowed by the<br />

ever-present sound <strong>of</strong> the ocean. Knight photographed these<br />

buoys <strong>in</strong> Caribou Harbour, near Pictou, NS, but as the three<br />

channel video work bobs, dips and ebbs before your eyes, the<br />

scene transcends place and makes a mar<strong>in</strong>er <strong>of</strong> any viewer. emily<br />

Vey Duke + Cooper Battersby delve the highs and lows <strong>of</strong><br />

human nature <strong>in</strong> their most recent work, Beauty Plus Pity. Their<br />

exploration <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>nocence, good and evil and the human relationship<br />

to the natural world is <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>in</strong> compiled vignettes and<br />

animated stories told through a varied cast, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g hunters,<br />

young children, and God. In Kelly Richardson’s Twilight avenger, an<br />

eerie green glow engulfs a stag <strong>in</strong> a tw<strong>in</strong>kl<strong>in</strong>g forest landscape…<br />

or perhaps that glow is emanat<strong>in</strong>g from the stag. That constructed<br />

tension is part <strong>of</strong> the compell<strong>in</strong>g mystery <strong>of</strong> Richardson’s work.<br />

Richardson has digitally manipulated this bucolic scene, add<strong>in</strong>g<br />

twilight, mist, the hoot <strong>of</strong> owls to trees and grass from different<br />

forests. She blurs the real and the surreal, allow<strong>in</strong>g an uneasy<br />

vision <strong>of</strong> forest life.<br />

Sarah fillmore<br />

Chief Curator and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

13


Craig Leonard, Gift for Screamers, (detail), 2007,<br />

handmade record<br />

14<br />

June 5 – August 30, 2009<br />

Partner<strong>in</strong>g with a vibrant community <strong>of</strong> arts<br />

organizations has always been part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia’s mandate. This spr<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

the <strong>AGNS</strong> presents a prime example <strong>of</strong><br />

collaboration with a Centre for <strong>Art</strong> Tapes coproduction.<br />

An exhibition concept by CfAT’s<br />

John Mathews, Sometimes always br<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

together artists from Canada, Germany,<br />

Northern Ireland and the united States. This<br />

multi-media exhibition addresses technological<br />

obsolescence and processes by which<br />

outmoded media are collected, conserved<br />

and archived. <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s will present works<br />

that deconstruct ‘obsolete’ formats while<br />

explor<strong>in</strong>g our relationship with technology.<br />

Participat<strong>in</strong>g artists <strong>in</strong>clude: The <strong>Art</strong>ifact<br />

Institute (Montreal/Halifax), Sadie Benn<strong>in</strong>g<br />

(Chicago), factotum (Belfast), Russ forster<br />

(Chicago), eleanor K<strong>in</strong>g (Halifax), felix Kub<strong>in</strong><br />

(Hamburg), Craig Leonard (Halifax) and Clive<br />

Murphy (Belfast/Brooklyn, NY).<br />

Community <strong>in</strong>volvement is the hallmark <strong>of</strong><br />

two participants <strong>in</strong> Sometimes always. The<br />

<strong>Art</strong>ifact Institute—formed <strong>in</strong> 2008 by artists<br />

Tim Dallett and Adam Kelly—explores<br />

processes <strong>of</strong> collect<strong>in</strong>g artifacts and “their<br />

transformations <strong>in</strong> uses, significations and<br />

values.” for the duration <strong>of</strong> the exhibition,<br />

AI will relocate their facilities to the <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

where they will document, conserve and repurpose<br />

function<strong>in</strong>g and devalued electronic<br />

devices. Active <strong>in</strong> their respective communities<br />

<strong>in</strong> various roles (Dallett as curator, arts<br />

adm<strong>in</strong>istrator and former Director <strong>of</strong> Paved<br />

<strong>Art</strong>s <strong>in</strong> Saskatoon, and Kelly as an educator,<br />

community activist and member <strong>of</strong> Halifax’s<br />

Scavenger Society), the AI team collaborates<br />

<strong>in</strong> a type <strong>of</strong> techno-archaeological dig for<br />

electronics at arts <strong>in</strong>stitutions. In a performative<br />

<strong>in</strong>stallation, AI plans to salvage and<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

Sometimes Always<br />

The Low Down on Lo-Tech<br />

archive electronic equipment previously<br />

stored at their community collection facility<br />

<strong>in</strong> North end Halifax. factotum, a grassroots<br />

artists’ project from Belfast founded <strong>in</strong> 2001<br />

by Stephen Hackett and Richard west, also<br />

creates projects that <strong>in</strong>teract with communities<br />

outside conventional spaces and<br />

formats. one <strong>of</strong> factotum’s projects, The<br />

Vacuum, is primarily a newspaper publication<br />

that prides itself on social critique and<br />

witty commentary, this <strong>in</strong> a medium that,<br />

due to the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g prevalence <strong>of</strong> onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />

news, f<strong>in</strong>ds itself on a path to obsolescence.<br />

for this exhibition, factotum will be present<strong>in</strong>g<br />

a new film funded by the Northern<br />

Ireland <strong>Art</strong>s Council.<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> the works <strong>in</strong> the exhibition explore<br />

notions <strong>of</strong> collect<strong>in</strong>g by look<strong>in</strong>g at the quirky<br />

nostalgia <strong>of</strong> bygone technology. Rank<strong>in</strong>g<br />

somewhere between the brick-sized<br />

cellphone and the 20-m<strong>in</strong>ute-per-page<br />

facsimile mach<strong>in</strong>e, the 8-track has reached<br />

a comedic-v<strong>in</strong>tage status. But the evolution<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 8-track is precisely what Russ forster<br />

chooses to explore. In the early 1990s, forster<br />

began publish<strong>in</strong>g the magaz<strong>in</strong>e 8-track<br />

M<strong>in</strong>d, which tapped <strong>in</strong>to a subculture <strong>of</strong><br />

eccentric enthusiasts from across North<br />

America. wittily referred to as the ‘cartridge<br />

family’, these 8-Track M<strong>in</strong>ds became the<br />

<strong>in</strong>spiration for forster’s contribution to the<br />

exhibition, a documentary on 8-track culture<br />

titled So Wrong They’re right. eleanor K<strong>in</strong>g<br />

also exam<strong>in</strong>es the peculiarities <strong>of</strong> collect<strong>in</strong>g<br />

with an <strong>in</strong>stallation created specifically for<br />

Sometimes always. K<strong>in</strong>g plans to fashion<br />

a wondrous junk emporium from surplus<br />

objects to create, among other sensations,<br />

organic sculptures <strong>in</strong> the form <strong>of</strong> stacked<br />

discarded items. The <strong>in</strong>stallation will also<br />

<strong>in</strong>clude carefully arranged obsolete media,<br />

collections <strong>of</strong> old equipment, and audiovideo<br />

elements. K<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tends to arrange<br />

these components throughout the space to<br />

create an atmosphere <strong>of</strong> ordered clutter.<br />

At least two works <strong>in</strong> this exhibition take<br />

do-it-yourself approaches <strong>in</strong> address<strong>in</strong>g<br />

‘obsolete’ formats. In Gift for the Screamers,<br />

an earlier <strong>in</strong>stallation by Craig Leonard, gallery<br />

visitors were <strong>of</strong>fered both handmade<br />

plastic LPs and a fresh look at an obscure<br />

Punk band from the late-seventies. while<br />

research<strong>in</strong>g a project <strong>in</strong> Toronto, Leonard<br />

discovered a record<strong>in</strong>g by The Screamers<br />

(ca. 1977-81), a legendary Los Angelesbased<br />

group who never <strong>of</strong>ficially released<br />

an album. Leonard’s research-based gift<br />

project aims to f<strong>in</strong>d the former members <strong>of</strong><br />

the band and <strong>of</strong>fer them exclusive copies <strong>of</strong><br />

handcrafted records. Leonard cont<strong>in</strong>ues <strong>in</strong> a<br />

similar ve<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Sometimes always with a new<br />

record-cutt<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e that acts as a central<br />

component <strong>in</strong> the space. Clive Murphy fuses<br />

the legacy <strong>of</strong> the outmoded audio cassette<br />

tape with landscape representation. Murphy<br />

takes the tangled strands <strong>of</strong> discarded<br />

audio cassette tape, <strong>of</strong>ten collected from<br />

fences and bushes <strong>in</strong> urban environments,<br />

and isolates a portion <strong>of</strong> the sound footage.<br />

He transfers this sound to a digital format<br />

and re-records the audio onto fresh tape.<br />

Then, <strong>in</strong> an elaborate DIY manner, the artist<br />

<strong>in</strong>tricately reconfigures a cassette player<br />

and the new tape to form a l<strong>in</strong>ear, audio<br />

landscape. for Sometimes always, Murphy<br />

will map one <strong>of</strong> his audio-k<strong>in</strong>etic draw<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

on the gallery walls.<br />

Performance figures prom<strong>in</strong>ently <strong>in</strong> a few<br />

artists’ work for this exhibition. Although<br />

primarily a musician, felix Kub<strong>in</strong>, a selfdescribed<br />

Dadist, also works collaboratively<br />

on animations and set <strong>in</strong>stallations. His theatrical<br />

mus<strong>in</strong>gs cross genres and media, from<br />

low-budget music videos and experimental<br />

noise groups—he co-founded Klangkrieg<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1987—to animations and lo-fi <strong>in</strong>stallations.<br />

Kub<strong>in</strong> creates absurd and nuanced<br />

multi-media performances and AV objects.<br />

Sometimes always will <strong>in</strong>clude his LP & film<br />

object box set, a m<strong>in</strong>i-LP and zoetrope conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

8 tracks, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the restless and<br />

self-reflexive Die Pien vom Haupt entfernen<br />

(To remove the pa<strong>in</strong> and agony from the head).<br />

As part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Gallery</strong>’s public programmes,<br />

Kub<strong>in</strong> will perform at Halifax’s North end<br />

Church. our programme <strong>of</strong> events will also<br />

feature short films by Sadie Benn<strong>in</strong>g, who<br />

came to prom<strong>in</strong>ence <strong>in</strong> the early 1990s as a<br />

teenage filmmaker from Milwaukee. Her first<br />

works, made as early as age 15, were shot<br />

on a fisher-Price PixelVision camera, which<br />

recorded video on standard audio cassette<br />

tapes. In these works, Benn<strong>in</strong>g comb<strong>in</strong>es<br />

performance, experimental narrative, draw<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and collaged music samples to address<br />

gender, adolescence and sexuality.<br />

Sometimes always and accompany<strong>in</strong>g<br />

programmes will be presented concurrently<br />

with Sound Bytes, Halifax’s city-wide audio<br />

art festival planned for June 2009.<br />

Robert Z<strong>in</strong>gone<br />

Associate Curator, Contemporary <strong>Art</strong>


Will Gorlitz<br />

Kw|AG<br />

June 13 - August 23, 2009<br />

nowhere if not here exam<strong>in</strong>es the art,<br />

background and theoretical concerns <strong>of</strong><br />

contemporary Canadian artist will Gorlitz.<br />

A comprehensive cross-section <strong>of</strong> Gorlitz’s<br />

critical <strong>in</strong>terests spann<strong>in</strong>g a period <strong>of</strong><br />

nearly twenty years, the exhibition explores<br />

metaphorical subjects that reflect on nature,<br />

culture and technology.<br />

The works present a number <strong>of</strong> thematic<br />

ideas from Gorlitz’s series and grouped<br />

works <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Three essays on the Theory<br />

<strong>of</strong> Sexuality, Numerals, Not everyone, road<br />

Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs and Moon Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs. nowhere<br />

if not here is a circulat<strong>in</strong>g exhibition<br />

organized by Kw|AG <strong>in</strong> partnership with<br />

Macdonald Stewart <strong>Art</strong> Centre. The show<br />

beg<strong>in</strong>s at Kw|AG and will tour to the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia, the Macdonald<br />

nowhere<br />

Stewart <strong>Art</strong> Centre (Guelph), the Museum<br />

<strong>of</strong> Contemporary Canadian <strong>Art</strong> (Toronto),<br />

Glenbow Museum (Calgary) and w<strong>in</strong>nipeg<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>.<br />

Guelph based artist will Gorlitz was born<br />

<strong>in</strong> Buenos Aires and raised <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>nipeg. He<br />

studied at both the university <strong>of</strong> Manitoba<br />

School <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> and the Nova Scotia College<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> and Design. He is currently a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

<strong>in</strong> the Studio <strong>Art</strong> program <strong>of</strong> the School<br />

<strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Art</strong> and Music at the university <strong>of</strong><br />

Guelph. Gorlitz‘s work has been exhibited<br />

nationally and <strong>in</strong>ternationally <strong>in</strong> exhibitions<br />

<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Shanghai Museum <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>, the<br />

Museum <strong>of</strong> Contemporary Canadian <strong>Art</strong>,<br />

the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> ontario, the Power Plant,<br />

the National <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Canada and the Sâo<br />

Paulo Bienal.<br />

Axis Mundi (detail), 1995. Oil on canvas. 125 x 214 cm<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Peggy Gale <strong>in</strong> her essay<br />

Haptics, Gorlitz’s pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g are “strong and<br />

sensual... All <strong>of</strong> the sites and situations—<br />

s<strong>in</strong>gle trees, the forest canopy, grass fires<br />

or a country road, simple objects immersed<br />

<strong>in</strong> water, pr<strong>in</strong>ted texts, fruits or flowers and<br />

leaves—have the quiet glow <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>timate<br />

experience. There is an uncanny sense<br />

<strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g there evoked by memory and<br />

the physical image before us.” An artist’s<br />

monograph titled Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not<br />

here, published by wilfrid Laurier university<br />

Press, will be available dur<strong>in</strong>g the exhibition<br />

tour. edited by Director and Curator <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Macdonald Stewart <strong>Art</strong> Centre, Judith Nasby,<br />

this major publication will feature essays<br />

by Bruce ferguson, Peggy Gale, Jeffrey<br />

Spald<strong>in</strong>g and David urban. �<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

15


16<br />

<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong><br />

Der Brennende Dornbusch (The Burn<strong>in</strong>g Bush)<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia is delighted<br />

to share with the people <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia a<br />

monumental work by one <strong>of</strong> Germany’s<br />

most important artists. <strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong>’s Der<br />

Brennende Dornbusch (The Burn<strong>in</strong>g Bush) is<br />

comprised <strong>of</strong> four panels, measur<strong>in</strong>g 11 feet<br />

tall and 25 feet wide. Installation <strong>of</strong> the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />

will beg<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> late April and <strong>Gallery</strong> goers<br />

will have a chance to see the work firsthand<br />

start<strong>in</strong>g early May 2009. This impressive<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g comes to us thanks to a generous<br />

long-term loan by a private collector.<br />

<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong> was born <strong>in</strong> Germany dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the last year <strong>of</strong> world war II. After study<strong>in</strong>g<br />

law, he began his art education <strong>in</strong> Karlsruhe<br />

and then Düsseldorf, where he met Joseph<br />

Beuys. His work navigates the emotional,<br />

religious, and human landscapes unearthed<br />

after the Second world war. Themes recurr<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong>’s work (such as; Heaven and<br />

earth, good and evil, death and rebirth) are<br />

richly revisited <strong>in</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t and found material<br />

<strong>in</strong> Der Brennende Dornbusch. when contemplat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

this pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g one is consumed by the<br />

weight <strong>of</strong> the sky, the barren landscape and<br />

the twisted bramble <strong>of</strong> branches. The work’s<br />

title evokes the tale <strong>of</strong> Moses <strong>in</strong> the desert,<br />

witness to the first <strong>of</strong> many miracles.


<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong>, Der Brennende Dornbusch, 2007, Mixed media on board, <strong>in</strong> lead frame under glass, 4 panels: 130-5/8 x 302-1/2 <strong>in</strong>ches overall (332 x 768 cm), on long-term<br />

loan from the private collection <strong>of</strong> François Odermatt courtesy <strong>of</strong> Galerie Samuel Lallouz (Montréal). Photo by Joshua White.<br />

<strong>Kiefer</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>es thick pa<strong>in</strong>t, lead, found<br />

chairs and branches to produce a large-scale<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g that straddles sculpture and creates<br />

an immediate connection to the viewer’s<br />

space and reality. In this way, the viewer<br />

is implicated <strong>in</strong> the story unfold<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />

work, and forced to grapple with the same<br />

unresolved questions be<strong>in</strong>g posed there<strong>in</strong>.<br />

<strong>Anselm</strong> <strong>Kiefer</strong>’s work has been shown <strong>in</strong> and<br />

collected by major museums throughout<br />

the world. Recent retrospective exhibitions<br />

<strong>in</strong>clude the Modern <strong>Art</strong> Museum, fort worth<br />

(2005) (travel<strong>in</strong>g to the Musée d’art contempora<strong>in</strong><br />

de Montréal, the Hirshhorn Museum<br />

and Sculpture Garden, wash<strong>in</strong>gton, D.C.,<br />

and Sf MoMA). In 2007, the Guggenheim<br />

Museum Bilbao presented an extensive<br />

survey <strong>of</strong> recent work and <strong>Kiefer</strong> was<br />

commissioned to create a huge site-specific<br />

<strong>in</strong>stallation <strong>of</strong> sculptures and pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs for<br />

the <strong>in</strong>augural Monumenta at the Grand<br />

Palais, Paris. Recently, he became the first<br />

liv<strong>in</strong>g artist to create a permanent <strong>in</strong>stallation<br />

at the Louvre s<strong>in</strong>ce Georges Braque <strong>in</strong><br />

1953. <strong>Kiefer</strong> lives and works <strong>in</strong> france. �<br />

Sarah fillmore<br />

Act<strong>in</strong>g Chief Curator<br />

and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions<br />

17


18<br />

Western Branch, <strong>Yarmouth</strong><br />

AGNewS<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia has hosted<br />

a number a great events <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> over<br />

the past few months. on September 30th,<br />

as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> Craft Splash, John Hood<br />

gave a model ship build<strong>in</strong>g demonstration<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 1762 gun ship, HMS Barfleur. Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

and pr<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> gun ships <strong>of</strong> the era, on<br />

loan from the <strong>Yarmouth</strong> County Museum &<br />

Archives, were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> this display. The<br />

Craft Splash also provided the <strong>AGNS</strong> with<br />

other <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g demonstrations: <strong>Art</strong> Nouveau/Crayon<br />

embroidery by Marion white<br />

and tatt<strong>in</strong>g by elena Arnett. on october 9th<br />

the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia held a reception<br />

for Ray Cron<strong>in</strong> to <strong>in</strong>troduce him <strong>in</strong> his<br />

new capacity as Director & Ceo <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia. That even<strong>in</strong>g Sarah<br />

fillmore, Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions delivered an<br />

<strong>in</strong>formative talk on the exhibition abstract<br />

Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Canada.<br />

The <strong>AGNS</strong> hosted a Children’s festival at the<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> on November 15th. This event saw<br />

children make art us<strong>in</strong>g the various tools one<br />

f<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>in</strong> a carpenter’s toolbox.<br />

This was <strong>in</strong>spired by The race by Jean Pierre<br />

Gauthier from the Contemporaries exhibition.<br />

Also, as part <strong>of</strong> the Children’s festival,<br />

the Momentum Dance Company explored<br />

the world <strong>of</strong> movement <strong>in</strong>spired by Contemporaries.<br />

The holidays were well celebrated<br />

at the western Branch. The St Andrews Heritage<br />

Scottish Society <strong>of</strong> South western Nova<br />

Scotia held their first annual Christmas walk<br />

through downtown <strong>Yarmouth</strong> on December<br />

6th with two RCMP <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong> red serge accompany<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

This event was given a ceremonious<br />

beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g by David olie, <strong>Yarmouth</strong>’s<br />

town crier and ended with a reception at the<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia, western Branch.<br />

It provided an excellent opportunity for the<br />

Scottish community to socialize, experience<br />

the <strong>Gallery</strong>, to be enterta<strong>in</strong>ed by Highland<br />

dancers from the Mackenzie School <strong>of</strong> Dance<br />

and to <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> shortbread and scones. on<br />

December 11th art lovers <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong> attended<br />

an ARTour <strong>of</strong> the exhibition Contemporaries<br />

with Ray Cron<strong>in</strong>, Director and Ceo<br />

<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia. The <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

western Branch also hosted a very successful<br />

G<strong>in</strong>gerbread Sunday br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g the beloved<br />

Halifax tradition to <strong>Yarmouth</strong>.<br />

on february 6, 2009 the <strong>AGNS</strong> opened the<br />

new exhbition arena: road Game at the<br />

western Branch. This exhibition, also on view<br />

<strong>in</strong> Montreal. The exhibition rema<strong>in</strong>s on view<br />

until April 19, 2009.<br />

Welcome David Div<strong>in</strong>ey<br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia is pleased<br />

to announce that David Div<strong>in</strong>ey has been<br />

named the new Curator <strong>of</strong> Programs for the<br />

western Branch, <strong>Yarmouth</strong>.<br />

David Div<strong>in</strong>ey began his studies at Tyler<br />

School <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> Temple university (Philadelphia)<br />

graduat<strong>in</strong>g with a BfA with honors,<br />

Summa Cum Laude and Presidential Scholar,<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1995. In 1998 he received an MfA from<br />

Nova Scotia College <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> and Design. As<br />

well, while at graduate school he completed<br />

course work at the Icelandic College <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s<br />

and Crafts (Reykjavík).<br />

He has held the positions <strong>of</strong><br />

Director, eye Level <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

(Halifax) and Assistant Curator,<br />

Southern Alberta <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

(Lethbridge). Recent <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />

curatorial <strong>in</strong>itiatives range<br />

from several projects aimed at<br />

l<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g Canadian artists with<br />

collaborators <strong>in</strong> other northern<br />

cultures—Immigrant Song:<br />

contemporary Canadian art,<br />

Gallerí Kl<strong>in</strong>g&Bang (Reykjavík<br />

and Sundogs: contemporary art from Iceland,<br />

Truck <strong>Gallery</strong> (Calgary), <strong>in</strong> association with<br />

Nuna (now) (w<strong>in</strong>nipeg)—to a forthcom<strong>in</strong>g<br />

exhibition showcas<strong>in</strong>g a selection <strong>of</strong> sculptors<br />

from smaller communities who <strong>in</strong>volve a use<br />

<strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>iature scale <strong>in</strong> their artmak<strong>in</strong>g—Model<br />

Citizens, <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Calgary. He is the cocurator<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 2009 w<strong>in</strong>dsor Biennial, <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> w<strong>in</strong>dsor.<br />

Beyond his gallery experience, he has taught<br />

courses <strong>in</strong> the areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> Studies,<br />

Sculpture and Draw<strong>in</strong>g at Alberta College<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> and Design, university <strong>of</strong> Lethbridge,<br />

Thompson Rivers university (Kamloops) and<br />

Sheridan College Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology and<br />

Advanced Learn<strong>in</strong>g, a jo<strong>in</strong>t program with<br />

university <strong>of</strong> Toronto, Mississauga.<br />

Beyond his curatorial work he ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>s<br />

an active artistic practice. He has shown<br />

his work <strong>in</strong> various contexts throughout<br />

North America and europe <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g recent<br />

exhibitions at ottawa <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>, edmonton<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>, walter Phillips <strong>Gallery</strong>, Real <strong>Art</strong><br />

ways (Hartford), Listasafn ASÍ (Reykjavík) and<br />

Galerie wildwechsel (frankfurt). In 2008 his<br />

work was <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the exhibition Pictured:<br />

Image & Object <strong>in</strong> Canadian Sculpture, curated<br />

by Ray Cron<strong>in</strong>, <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia.<br />

He currently lives <strong>in</strong> Kamloops, British<br />

Columbia with his wife Mel<strong>in</strong>da Spooner,<br />

artist and university educator, and his two<br />

sons, Jack and Thomas. �<br />

Applaud<strong>in</strong>g you.<br />

Scotiabank is a proud sponsor <strong>of</strong> <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

Arena Road Game. We applaud your efforts<br />

and thank you for the opportunity to get<br />

<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> such a memorable event.<br />

389 Ma<strong>in</strong> Street<br />

<strong>Yarmouth</strong><br />

902-749-2606<br />

TM Trademark <strong>of</strong> The Bank <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia.


April 24, 2009 to July 19, 2009<br />

Curated by Ingrid Jenkner,<br />

Mount Sa<strong>in</strong>t V<strong>in</strong>cent university <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

Top to Bottom Saigon, 2007, dyed,<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>ted, discharged, and stitched layers <strong>of</strong><br />

l<strong>in</strong>en and cotton, panels <strong>of</strong> silver leaved<br />

cotton, 11.5 x 30 feet. courtesy <strong>of</strong> the artist.<br />

Water and Sky, 2007, 10 woven panels: dyed<br />

(natural <strong>in</strong>digo, <strong>in</strong>digo extract, and fiber<br />

reactive dyes) woven l<strong>in</strong>en, some silk, 20 x<br />

20 <strong>in</strong>ches each. courtesy <strong>of</strong> the artist<br />

On view until April 19, 2009<br />

on the surface at least, hockey and art may<br />

not seem to have much <strong>in</strong> common. once<br />

one starts look<strong>in</strong>g more closely however, the<br />

common ground is apparent. Creativity and<br />

the pursuit <strong>of</strong> excellence, to imag<strong>in</strong>ation and<br />

passion, just to name a few.<br />

The work <strong>in</strong> areNa: road Game exam<strong>in</strong>es<br />

all aspects <strong>of</strong> our fasc<strong>in</strong>ation with the game<br />

<strong>of</strong> hockey, look<strong>in</strong>g at the larger ideas and<br />

issues <strong>in</strong> contemporary culture by us<strong>in</strong>g<br />

hockey as a start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t. The exhibition<br />

<strong>in</strong>cludes works <strong>in</strong> diverse media such as<br />

video projection, sculpture, <strong>in</strong>stallation,<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g and photography.<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> the top contemporary artists <strong>in</strong><br />

Canada jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational artists <strong>in</strong> an exhibition<br />

that exam<strong>in</strong>es our endur<strong>in</strong>g fasc<strong>in</strong>ation<br />

with “Canada’s game.” �<br />

FrANceS DorSey<br />

SAIGON As a child <strong>in</strong> the 1950s, Haligonian textile ideological<br />

artist frances Dorsey lived <strong>in</strong> Saigon, Viet<br />

Nam. Her father, a ww II veteran for several<br />

years attached to the uS embassy <strong>in</strong> Saigon,<br />

believed that the American presence there<br />

would avert a war. Dorsey remembers<br />

Saigon as a serene and beautiful city. Yet,<br />

<strong>in</strong> h<strong>in</strong>dsight, she dwelt <strong>in</strong> “paradise on the<br />

edge <strong>of</strong> conflagration. Most people I knew<br />

there were later killed. And <strong>of</strong> course many<br />

high school classmates went there to be<br />

killed or maimed. My heaven was hell for<br />

most people.”<br />

An associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor at NSCAD university,<br />

Dorsey works <strong>in</strong> cloth as a way <strong>of</strong> engag<strong>in</strong>g<br />

critically with pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>of</strong> br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />

global themes with<strong>in</strong> the scope <strong>of</strong> family life<br />

and domestic practices. Much <strong>of</strong> her work<br />

<strong>in</strong>cludes photo-derived images <strong>of</strong> war. In<br />

this context, her use <strong>of</strong> distressed, piecedtogether,<br />

salvaged cloth—a pictorial version<br />

<strong>of</strong> the patchwork quilt—<strong>of</strong>fers a po<strong>in</strong>ted<br />

critique <strong>of</strong> the tradition <strong>of</strong> “history pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g”<br />

<strong>in</strong> which large pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs on canvas glorify<br />

war. Position<strong>in</strong>g herself <strong>in</strong> relation to this<br />

terra<strong>in</strong> she comments that<br />

“my family’s roots are <strong>in</strong> the Southern uS,<br />

where the war Between the States was ever<br />

present—it was a defeated country. Battles<br />

were fought on your turf, your ancestors<br />

died defend<strong>in</strong>g their land. war was associated<br />

with courage and the protection <strong>of</strong><br />

what was precious.”<br />

The works <strong>in</strong> this exhibition fuse the artist’s<br />

memories <strong>of</strong> a deceptively peaceful Saigon<br />

with her father’s journal entries concern<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the war <strong>in</strong> europe that had ended ten years<br />

earlier. float<strong>in</strong>g over reed-like clumps <strong>of</strong> rice,<br />

the father’s shocked account <strong>of</strong> life at the<br />

front accentuates the disorient<strong>in</strong>g effects<br />

<strong>of</strong> the works’ formal qualities. for many<br />

people, “Saigon” and “rice paddies” conjure<br />

horrific associations with events <strong>in</strong> Viet Nam<br />

and Cambodia–and, by extension, with the<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g armed conflict <strong>in</strong> Iraq. for Dorsey,<br />

this om<strong>in</strong>ous landscape may represent the<br />

process <strong>of</strong> dis-illusionment that brought her<br />

to Canada as a conscientious objector, later<br />

transform<strong>in</strong>g her <strong>in</strong>to a peace activist—and<br />

her father <strong>in</strong>to a chronic depressive. �<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

19


20<br />

<strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Residence</strong><br />

A horse is a horse <strong>of</strong> course,<br />

unless that horse is David Harper’s horse…<br />

You don’t need to know the story <strong>of</strong> The Last<br />

to W<strong>in</strong> to be struck by its beauty. The life size<br />

horse is immediate, breathtak<strong>in</strong>g, and<br />

touchable. one can almost catch a glimpse<br />

<strong>of</strong> muscles twitch<strong>in</strong>g under sk<strong>in</strong> or feel<br />

its s<strong>of</strong>t, hot breath. However, with closer<br />

scrut<strong>in</strong>y, its stitched seams and glass eyes<br />

betray that beauty, reveal<strong>in</strong>g a carefully<br />

constructed fiction.<br />

This is where the story beg<strong>in</strong>s for this horse.<br />

with his work, David R. Harper domesticates<br />

and dissects the natural world. He br<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

the outside world <strong>in</strong> as though through an<br />

open bedroom w<strong>in</strong>dow. Bird, squirrel, and<br />

chipmunk creep <strong>in</strong> to jo<strong>in</strong> owl, beaver and<br />

black bear. Through sculpture and embroidery<br />

Harper also br<strong>in</strong>gs the <strong>in</strong>side out: he<br />

shaves and peels back protective cover<strong>in</strong>gs to<br />

reveal s<strong>of</strong>tly stitched bones and organs. with<br />

a sense <strong>of</strong> reverence and care, he f<strong>in</strong>ds ways to<br />

celebrate the spirit <strong>of</strong> the animals he recreates.<br />

Narrative creeps <strong>in</strong>to Harper’s practice as he<br />

weaves stories and histories for his animals.<br />

The story is clear for the birds, mice, raccoons,<br />

and many other animals that <strong>in</strong>habit<br />

the half-sized camp<strong>in</strong>g trailer he made for his<br />

<strong>in</strong>stallation When the ra<strong>in</strong> Comes. In impish<br />

pairs, these creatures await the flood, be it<br />

Biblical or the unrelent<strong>in</strong>g encroachment<br />

<strong>of</strong> suburban sprawl on their once wild land.<br />

His awareness <strong>of</strong> the delicate balance<br />

between the natural world and human<br />

<strong>in</strong>tervention adds to this narrative.<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

In Harper’s work, his passion for the wild<br />

unites synergistically with a keen <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />

technique. His sculptures, even those small<br />

<strong>in</strong> scale, have weight and presence. His vision<br />

for The Last to W<strong>in</strong> was huge, both l<strong>of</strong>ty and<br />

ambitious: a full-scale horse, crafted <strong>in</strong> the<br />

modest <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>-<strong>in</strong>-<strong>Residence</strong> studio at the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia, appropriately dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the run <strong>of</strong> a Joe fafard retrospective. Harper’s<br />

desire to create a horse <strong>of</strong> this stature predates<br />

the <strong>AGNS</strong> residency, although creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

it with<strong>in</strong> that context gave Harper license<br />

for a larger scale. Technique is one layer to<br />

a multilayered process. Visitors could just as<br />

easily have found Harper <strong>in</strong> the studio read<strong>in</strong>g<br />

books on Victorian pet-keep<strong>in</strong>g practices<br />

as they would have found him embroider<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>tricate patterns on cowhide.<br />

The background research is part <strong>of</strong> what<br />

makes this sculpture so strik<strong>in</strong>g. David<br />

Harper’s <strong>in</strong>spiration for this work came out<br />

<strong>of</strong> his exam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> four famous horses:<br />

Napoleon’s Vizir, Roy Roger’s Trigger, Comanche,<br />

a cavalry survivor <strong>of</strong> The Battle <strong>of</strong> Little<br />

Bighorn, and Gu<strong>in</strong>ness world record holder<br />

for largest horse, The General. each horse has<br />

been mounted for display <strong>in</strong> museums. They<br />

stand as legendary specimens because <strong>of</strong><br />

the men who rode and owned them.<br />

The Last to W<strong>in</strong> has no story—he’s not a<br />

real horse, <strong>of</strong> course, but rather a sculpted<br />

fabrication. Harper has stitched together<br />

cowhide on a styr<strong>of</strong>oam form, glued glass<br />

eyes, styled synthetic hair, and moulded<br />

porcela<strong>in</strong> hooves to create a glorious fiction.<br />

Harper then branded the beast with his own<br />

stitched mark. His brand is luxurious: a Victorian<br />

crest that speaks <strong>of</strong> power, mascul<strong>in</strong>ity<br />

and delicacy <strong>in</strong> one sweep<strong>in</strong>g statement. The<br />

chosen mark tells a story for this animal and<br />

sets it apart from its famous predecessors.<br />

This hybrid creature is <strong>of</strong>fered up like a<br />

trophy, its beautiful embroidered claim<strong>in</strong>g<br />

certa<strong>in</strong> triumph.<br />

As a work <strong>of</strong> art, The Last to W<strong>in</strong> embodies<br />

choices and suggests potential mean<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Harper’s embroidery on an identifiably<br />

tamed and tra<strong>in</strong>ed horse <strong>of</strong>fers a vision that<br />

compels the viewer to ask how this beast fits<br />

<strong>in</strong>to the canon <strong>of</strong> famous equ<strong>in</strong>es. what is<br />

the story, or who is the human, that makes<br />

this animal worth preserv<strong>in</strong>g? Harper has<br />

created a metaphorical l<strong>in</strong>k to Vizir, Trigger,<br />

Comanche, and The General. In his stitched<br />

brand there lies a created myth. As a fabrication,<br />

this sculpture is laid bare for the ersatz<br />

reality it is, allow<strong>in</strong>g us to reflect on the ways<br />

<strong>in</strong> which mean<strong>in</strong>gs and histories can be<br />

developed and <strong>in</strong>vented over time for any<br />

given object.<br />

The result is a sign, a symbol, and a work that<br />

both is and isn’t, <strong>of</strong> course, just a horse. �<br />

Sarah fillmore<br />

Act<strong>in</strong>g Chief Curator<br />

and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibitions<br />

The Last to W<strong>in</strong> will be on view dur<strong>in</strong>g our <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>Residence</strong> Exhibition Fall 2009. Check our website<br />

for details.


Recent expressions <strong>of</strong> surprise from the<br />

media at the revelation that Nova Scotia is<br />

home to a Picasso sketchbook <strong>in</strong>spired me<br />

to <strong>in</strong>troduce what may be another surprise<br />

—the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia holds four<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>ts by Picasso <strong>in</strong> the permanent collection.<br />

These works—like over 95% <strong>of</strong> the collection<br />

cared for by the <strong>AGNS</strong>—came to us through<br />

donation, and most <strong>of</strong> them came from local<br />

collectors.<br />

Born <strong>in</strong> 1881 <strong>in</strong> Malaga, Spa<strong>in</strong>, Pablo Picasso<br />

is an artist recognisable even to those<br />

completely un<strong>in</strong>itiated <strong>in</strong> the world <strong>of</strong> art<br />

and, despite his death <strong>in</strong> 1973 <strong>in</strong> Moug<strong>in</strong>s,<br />

france, rema<strong>in</strong>s among the big names <strong>in</strong><br />

art—the co-founder <strong>of</strong> Cubism and to many,<br />

modern art. The enormous body <strong>of</strong> Picasso’s<br />

work—the result <strong>of</strong> a prolific artist over the<br />

course <strong>of</strong> 80 years—has been exhibited<br />

<strong>in</strong>ternationally and is as widely collected. In<br />

Canada, his artwork can be found <strong>in</strong> public<br />

galleries across the country. A quick search<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>efacts Canada reveals there are over<br />

250 <strong>of</strong> his works held <strong>in</strong> public Canadian<br />

collections—and this by no means identifies<br />

all <strong>of</strong> them.<br />

Pr<strong>in</strong>ts by Picasso first entered the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1977 as gifts from Marguerite and<br />

LeRoy J. Zwicker. Old K<strong>in</strong>g Series (1959) and<br />

Jacquel<strong>in</strong>e (1957) are both later lithographs<br />

<strong>of</strong> fairly large pr<strong>in</strong>t runs (200 and 375<br />

respectively). More recently, two earlier works<br />

Curator Corner<br />

We have FOUR Picassos?<br />

<strong>of</strong> smaller pr<strong>in</strong>t runs have been acquired. In<br />

2005 evelyn Aimis donated Feuille d’etude<br />

Techniques (Neuf Têtes) (1934), and just<br />

this past year the <strong>AGNS</strong> acquired its fourth<br />

work by Picasso—a lithograph, Sur la plage<br />

(1921), donated by Stephanie McCandless<br />

Reford, formerly <strong>of</strong> LaHave, Nova Scotia.<br />

each pr<strong>in</strong>t is significant <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g a small<br />

glimpse <strong>in</strong>to the diverse and abundant<br />

body <strong>of</strong> work that is Picasso’s legacy.<br />

You may be th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, “oh, well, the <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

only has pr<strong>in</strong>ts, they’re not ReAL Picassos.“<br />

A reproduction—commonly (but mistakenly)<br />

referred to as a pr<strong>in</strong>t—is a copy <strong>of</strong><br />

a work <strong>of</strong> art conceived by the artist <strong>in</strong> another<br />

medium (pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, watercolour, etc.),<br />

typically replicated by photomechanical<br />

means. The Picasso pr<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong> collection—and<br />

Picasso produced many pr<strong>in</strong>ts<br />

<strong>in</strong> his career—are orig<strong>in</strong>al works conceived<br />

by the artist as a pr<strong>in</strong>t and executed solely<br />

as a pr<strong>in</strong>t, usually <strong>in</strong> a numbered edition and<br />

signed by the artist. Because <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong><br />

pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g methods—whether pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g from a<br />

plate, stone, screen or other matrix created<br />

for that purpose—each pr<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> the edition<br />

is orig<strong>in</strong>al.<br />

Sur la plâge is a simple and appeal<strong>in</strong>g<br />

lithograph <strong>of</strong> two women on a beach, with<br />

another <strong>in</strong>dividual swimm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the water.<br />

This pr<strong>in</strong>t is from a time period—1916-1924<br />

—that is described as one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />

baffl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Picasso’s entire career. Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

this period Picasso once aga<strong>in</strong> focused on<br />

the figural <strong>in</strong> accordance with the european<br />

forms <strong>of</strong> classicism. The l<strong>in</strong>e def<strong>in</strong>ed a<br />

generous form—and at the same time<br />

Picasso was also pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g classical nudes,<br />

portraits, scenes, and works <strong>in</strong> the spirit <strong>of</strong><br />

Synthetic Cubism.<br />

Shar<strong>in</strong>g some similarities with the 1922<br />

watercolour Women runn<strong>in</strong>g on the Beach,<br />

the Sur la plage figures have generous—<br />

although not as strongly exaggerated and<br />

disproportionate—forms. It is composed<br />

with a simplicity <strong>of</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e that is charm<strong>in</strong>g—a<br />

l<strong>in</strong>e study that has reduced the image to the<br />

essentials and completely ignored shad<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

This work adds immeasurably to the <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

permanent collection as a charm<strong>in</strong>g, early<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>t from a time when Picasso was explor<strong>in</strong>g<br />

neoclassical style. It is an excellent comparative<br />

piece for the later Picasso pr<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> the<br />

collection, and a valuable tool <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />

a visual history <strong>of</strong> the different styles and<br />

approaches he explored as an artist over<br />

a very long career. while the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia focuses primarily on<br />

collect<strong>in</strong>g work by Nova Scotia, Atlantic<br />

Canadian, and Canadian artists, we also<br />

collect <strong>in</strong>ternational work by artists that<br />

extend and complement this collection. I<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k we can all agree that Picasso’s work<br />

def<strong>in</strong>itively falls <strong>in</strong>to this category. �<br />

Shannon Parker, Curator <strong>of</strong> Collections<br />

Left to Right: Pablo Picasso, Sur la plage, 1921, Lithograph on wove paper, 39/50, 25.5 x 31.7 cm, Gift <strong>of</strong> Stephanie McCandless Reford, LaHave, Nova Scotia, 2008, Pablo<br />

Picasso, Old K<strong>in</strong>g Series, 1959, Lithograph on paper, 24/200, 65.5 x 49.0 cm, Gift <strong>of</strong> Marguerite and LeRoy J. Zwicker, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1977, Pablo Picasso, Jacquel<strong>in</strong>e,<br />

c. 1957, Colour lithograph on paper, 148/375, 50.2 x 37.5 cm, Gift <strong>of</strong> Marguerite and LeRoy J. Zwicker, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1977, Pablo Picasso, Feuille d’Etudes Techniques<br />

(Neuf Têtes), 1934, Etch<strong>in</strong>g on paper, 9/50, 31.8 x 22.8 cm (plate), Gift <strong>of</strong> Evelyn Aimis, Aventura, Florida, USA, 2005<br />

21


COMMUNITY<br />

COLLABORATIVE VENTURES IN ART EDUCATION<br />

Members <strong>of</strong> the Fazeli family<br />

Family Portraits: Immigration & Identity<br />

In fall 2008, the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia<br />

embarked on a project with the Portrait<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Canada, a program <strong>of</strong> Library and<br />

Archives Canada, which had been dreamed<br />

up over a year ago. The result <strong>of</strong> this<br />

collaboration is the exhibition Family<br />

Portraits: Immigration and Identity which<br />

opened february 16, 2009 <strong>in</strong> ottawa,<br />

ontario. The exhibition opens <strong>in</strong> Halifax <strong>in</strong><br />

June and runs through the summer.<br />

Seventeen new Canadian families, who now<br />

live <strong>in</strong> ottawa and Halifax, participated <strong>in</strong><br />

studio workshops to create family portraits<br />

that explore identity and the varied life<br />

experiences <strong>of</strong> these families leav<strong>in</strong>g their<br />

places <strong>of</strong> orig<strong>in</strong> and adjust<strong>in</strong>g to a new country.<br />

Included <strong>in</strong> the exhibition are two video<br />

presentations <strong>of</strong> the respective workshops,<br />

photographs, and written comments from<br />

families. each family was asked to speak<br />

The Bonilla family portrait The Luu family display their f<strong>in</strong>ished art work<br />

about their art work and the decisions they<br />

made for their visual compositions. one<br />

family from Rwanda claimed, “when you<br />

run away from the war you can run without<br />

clothes, without shoes, with noth<strong>in</strong>g… but<br />

you can’t run without your children, you<br />

never forget your child.” The importance<br />

<strong>of</strong> their children <strong>in</strong> their portrait is further<br />

magnified through these words. Another<br />

family described how their portrait evolved<br />

with the <strong>in</strong>clusion <strong>of</strong> a chicken which became<br />

a turkey, an apple tree, and little white<br />

flowers that they first saw when they came<br />

to Canada. They said that they felt a deep<br />

happ<strong>in</strong>ess with the results <strong>of</strong> their art work<br />

say<strong>in</strong>g that the process was at first a struggle<br />

and <strong>in</strong> the end, a victory!<br />

our appreciation is extended to each family<br />

for shar<strong>in</strong>g their stories and to the artists who<br />

helped <strong>in</strong> the facilitation <strong>of</strong> the workshops.<br />

we are also thankful for the support <strong>of</strong>fered<br />

by the ottawa Community Immigration<br />

Services organization (oCISo), the Metropolitan<br />

Immigrant Settlement Association<br />

(MISA) <strong>in</strong> Halifax, and the Community <strong>Art</strong>s<br />

Program, Cultural Services <strong>in</strong> the City <strong>of</strong><br />

ottawa. The opportunity to work together<br />

with the Portrait <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Canada, families<br />

new to Canada, and community partners has<br />

certa<strong>in</strong>ly added a richness and depth to this<br />

curatorial project.


Partners <strong>in</strong> Early <strong>Art</strong> Education<br />

It is not simply enough to tell families and<br />

child care centres that we believe early art<br />

experiences are important; we must lead<br />

by example to show how valuable these<br />

experiences are by actively support<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

youngest members <strong>of</strong> our community<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g their first steps <strong>in</strong> art. form<strong>in</strong>g partnerships<br />

and work<strong>in</strong>g collaboratively with<br />

other organizations have proved to be an<br />

extremely positive way to provide such<br />

early art experiences. our popular Baby<br />

art Workshop program at <strong>AGNS</strong> gave rise<br />

to a new relationship with a local centre for<br />

young mothers. we began with a vision <strong>of</strong><br />

provid<strong>in</strong>g a time <strong>of</strong> art based discovery for<br />

babies and caregivers <strong>of</strong>f site, to a group<br />

who might f<strong>in</strong>d access<strong>in</strong>g the program at<br />

the <strong>Gallery</strong> a challenge for various reasons.<br />

The workshop was an immense success, and<br />

the babies’ comfort with one another and<br />

familiarity with the space led to a particularly<br />

joyous and unreserved experience for all. As<br />

part <strong>of</strong> our relationship with the centre, we<br />

were also able to <strong>of</strong>fer a creative time just for<br />

the mothers, while the centre provided child<br />

care for the babies. Plans are underway for<br />

the group to come for the first time <strong>in</strong> the<br />

near future to the <strong>Gallery</strong> for a guided tour.<br />

This year autism arts, a partnership between<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> and the Prov<strong>in</strong>cial Autism Centre<br />

(PAC), has cont<strong>in</strong>ued to grow and emerge<br />

based on cont<strong>in</strong>ued reflection <strong>of</strong> the program.<br />

with an already flourish<strong>in</strong>g slate <strong>of</strong><br />

Saturday art classes for children and youth,<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> and PAC jo<strong>in</strong>tly identified a need for<br />

art experiences for younger children made<br />

available throughout the prov<strong>in</strong>ce. with the<br />

very generous support <strong>of</strong> the Craig foundation<br />

and the Halifax Infant foundation, a<br />

new pilot program was launched <strong>in</strong> January<br />

2009. us<strong>in</strong>g the same model as the art<br />

classes at <strong>AGNS</strong>, an occupational therapist<br />

and artist/art educator work together to<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer an <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g and rich learn<strong>in</strong>g environment<br />

for children ages 4 and 5, to enjoy and<br />

experience the visual arts. As a recreational<br />

experience, these workshops allow children<br />

to explore new means <strong>of</strong> expression and<br />

participate with materials <strong>in</strong> their own<br />

unique way. The workshops take place <strong>in</strong> a<br />

variety <strong>of</strong> locations, <strong>in</strong> order to better accommodate<br />

the needs <strong>of</strong> the families.<br />

we look forward to our cont<strong>in</strong>ued work<br />

together <strong>in</strong> expand<strong>in</strong>g program options for<br />

children and youth with autism who live <strong>in</strong><br />

Nova Scotia. �<br />

Dale Sheppard<br />

Curator <strong>of</strong> education<br />

<strong>Art</strong>sSmarts Nova Scotia Goes Even Greener!<br />

Public Programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Here is an excit<strong>in</strong>g partnership project that is be<strong>in</strong>g developed through <strong>Art</strong>sSmarts Nova<br />

Scotia and evergreen. <strong>Art</strong>sSmarts <strong>in</strong>spires collaboration among arts, education and community<br />

agencies, and <strong>in</strong>vests <strong>in</strong> creative learn<strong>in</strong>g at the local, regional, prov<strong>in</strong>cial and<br />

national levels to build capacity for arts and education. Projects capture the imag<strong>in</strong>ation<br />

and create an enthusiastic atmosphere <strong>of</strong> active learn<strong>in</strong>g among students, teachers, and<br />

artists. evergreen is a not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization that makes cities more livable. Its mission<br />

is to deepen the connection between people and nature and empower Canadians to take<br />

a hands-on approach to their urban environments.<br />

evergreen and <strong>Art</strong>sSmarts Nova Scotia are support<strong>in</strong>g an art and environment project at<br />

John MacNeil elementary School <strong>in</strong> Dartmouth. The school receives $3,000 for their project<br />

to contribute towards both artist fees and material costs. Kris webster, <strong>Art</strong>sSmarts Nova<br />

Scotia Co-ord<strong>in</strong>ator and Rhea Mahar, the School Ground Green<strong>in</strong>g Consultant for evergreen<br />

are oversee<strong>in</strong>g this <strong>in</strong>novative and important school project. Projects are be<strong>in</strong>g supported<br />

by evergreen and other partner <strong>Art</strong>sSmarts organizations <strong>in</strong> Vancouver, w<strong>in</strong>nipeg, Toronto,<br />

ottawa, and Montreal.<br />

thank you to all <strong>of</strong> our supporters for believ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

23


24<br />

public programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Famous Family Sundays<br />

one Sunday a month the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova<br />

Scotia br<strong>in</strong>gs you Famous Family Sundays!<br />

Br<strong>in</strong>g your family and friends for a special<br />

afternoon <strong>of</strong> studio activities <strong>in</strong>spired by a<br />

specific exhibition or theme. free for members;<br />

non-members pay regular admission.<br />

for more <strong>in</strong>formation please call 424-5280<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Gallery</strong> hours. Children must be<br />

accompanied by an adult. No registration<br />

necessary. Check our website for dates and<br />

detailed <strong>in</strong>formation.<br />

Dartmouth<br />

Mic Mac Mall<br />

21 Mic Mac Blvd.<br />

(902)466-1611<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

Everyone wants to give a<br />

gift that “wows”!<br />

Drop <strong>in</strong>to Scholar’s Choice and<br />

we’ll show you how. Our friendly<br />

staff can help you choose a toy<br />

that’s unique, engag<strong>in</strong>g and gives<br />

hours <strong>of</strong> fun. Plus, we’ll wrap it<br />

and tag it FREE.<br />

$ 5 OFF<br />

any purchase over $25*<br />

Studio Daze<br />

*Offer valid until July 31, 2009. Not valid with any other <strong>of</strong>fer. One coupon per purchase.<br />

Redeemable at this retail location only.<br />

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm - Select Sundays<br />

Studio Daze is a derivative <strong>of</strong> the popular<br />

Famous Family Sunday program. These<br />

drop-<strong>in</strong>, workshops for all ages are designed<br />

through partnerships with organizations,<br />

artists and members <strong>of</strong> the community to<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer a variety <strong>of</strong> themed art activities relat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to their areas <strong>of</strong> expertise. These partnerships<br />

allow for different audiences to be exposed to<br />

new and diverse themes and concepts while<br />

also <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dividuals to the <strong>Gallery</strong> and<br />

its facilities.<br />

Jo<strong>in</strong> us <strong>in</strong> the studio as you experiment,<br />

explore, and create someth<strong>in</strong>g new. Included<br />

<strong>in</strong> the price <strong>of</strong> admission, free for members.<br />

No registration necessary. Children must be<br />

accompanied by an adult.<br />

899-couponhalifax09<br />

Pick <strong>of</strong> the Month<br />

12:15 pm – 12:45 pm<br />

one Tuesday a month<br />

Pick <strong>of</strong> the Month is an opportunity for<br />

visitors to learn directly from a gallery staff<br />

member about a particular artwork from<br />

the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia’s permanent<br />

collection and to engage <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>formal<br />

discussion through considered responses to<br />

the artwork.<br />

Staff members will facilitate the conversation<br />

<strong>in</strong> an accessible and comprehensive<br />

manner through a descriptive analysis <strong>of</strong> the<br />

work along with background <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

on the artist, the time period the work was<br />

created and the historical significance <strong>of</strong> this<br />

work <strong>in</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> art. Pick <strong>of</strong> the Month<br />

allows visitors, with vary<strong>in</strong>g degrees <strong>of</strong>


experience <strong>in</strong> the arts, to learn more about<br />

the <strong>Gallery</strong> collection and the staff that<br />

manage, preserve and animate it.<br />

Look to our website for an up-to-date list<br />

<strong>of</strong> speakers and the artwork that will be<br />

discussed.<br />

(Note: There will be no Pick <strong>of</strong> the Month<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the summer months but the program<br />

will resume Tuesday, September 8)<br />

Birthday Parties<br />

Book now for the Best Birthday Party<br />

ever! The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

specially designed birthday parties with<br />

hands-on art activities and a child-friendly<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> tour. These birthday parties are<br />

great for kids as young as 3 years old.<br />

It’s not a party without Party Hats! each party<br />

will beg<strong>in</strong> with the mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> outrageous<br />

paper party hats <strong>in</strong> the studio, followed by a<br />

tour <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Gallery</strong> that relates to the chosen<br />

art-mak<strong>in</strong>g theme, and will be dependent<br />

on current exhibitions on display. After the<br />

tour, party go-ers return to the studio to<br />

create their hands-on art projects (aprons<br />

available!) The rema<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong> time is allotted<br />

to food and gifts.<br />

Choose two fun art-mak<strong>in</strong>g activities<br />

suitable and adaptable for any age.<br />

These activities <strong>in</strong>clude:<br />

• Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Draw<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Collage<br />

• Sculpture<br />

The length <strong>of</strong> a party is 2 hours.<br />

Suggested party times are<br />

10:30 am -12:30 pm or 2:00 - 4:00 pm.<br />

Cost<br />

1 - 12 Children (<strong>in</strong>clusive) $125.00 + HST<br />

13 - 18 Children (<strong>in</strong>clusive) $185.00 + HST<br />

Parents <strong>of</strong> guests may visit the <strong>Gallery</strong> for<br />

a discounted adult rate <strong>of</strong> $5.00 (regular<br />

admission is $10.00)<br />

French Programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Select Thursday even<strong>in</strong>gs and Sunday<br />

afternoons. Visit the <strong>AGNS</strong> website for the<br />

next scheduled event.<br />

In partnership with L’Alliance francaise<br />

d’Halifax/Dartmouth, the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

Nova Scotia is proud to <strong>of</strong>fer french cultural<br />

programm<strong>in</strong>g relat<strong>in</strong>g to the visual arts.<br />

Jo<strong>in</strong> us for a documentary about an artist,<br />

movement or period (french with english<br />

subtitles) and a guided tour <strong>of</strong> a current<br />

exhibition, relat<strong>in</strong>g to the themes discussed<br />

<strong>in</strong> the films.<br />

The film and tour are free with the price <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> admission. Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia and l’Alliance francaise<br />

enter free with pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> membership.<br />

Can’t make it on a Thursday night?<br />

The same film will be screened aga<strong>in</strong> the<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g Sunday at 3:00pm, with no guided<br />

tour to follow.<br />

<strong>Art</strong> Classes for all ages<br />

Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g this September, <strong>AGNS</strong> will <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

art classes for adults, children (ages 6 - 12)<br />

and teens. Classes will run for 6 weeks and<br />

are great for all levels <strong>of</strong> experience. All<br />

classes will be taught by experienced artists/<br />

art educators and class sizes will be small.<br />

Jo<strong>in</strong> us for some extra <strong>in</strong>spiration as you<br />

head <strong>in</strong>to the autumn months!<br />

for more <strong>in</strong>formation or to register, please call<br />

424-5280 or drop-by the <strong>in</strong>formation desk.<br />

Check out our website, under <strong>Art</strong> Classes<br />

for more <strong>in</strong>formation and complete class<br />

descriptions. �<br />

public programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

25


Daily 10am- 5pm<br />

Thursdays 10am- 9pm<br />

These are<br />

not your<br />

mother’s<br />

pearls....<br />

This season, we will be represent<strong>in</strong>g the work <strong>of</strong> Canadian artisan Karen Pasieka. Elements <strong>of</strong><br />

these one-<strong>of</strong>-a-k<strong>in</strong>d pieces have been carefully handcrafted, draw<strong>in</strong>g on dist<strong>in</strong>ct design and production skills<br />

honed by a background <strong>in</strong> architecture. Then, <strong>in</strong>spired by colour, form, texture, and s<strong>of</strong>t fem<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>e details, Karen<br />

blends her delicately sculpted polymer clay flowers with sparkl<strong>in</strong>g Swarovski crystals and bright sterl<strong>in</strong>g silver.<br />

This l<strong>in</strong>e has a plethora <strong>of</strong> styles, and a myriad <strong>of</strong> colours and colour comb<strong>in</strong>ations. Come <strong>in</strong> to<br />

see what’s absolutely perfect for your wedd<strong>in</strong>g ensemble. Custom orders, to suit your <strong>in</strong>dividual bridal<br />

party, can easily be managed. For more <strong>in</strong>formation call (902) 424 -3003 or e-mail sabeandl@gov.ns.ca


Are you <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> volunteer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> an arts<br />

organization but wonder<strong>in</strong>g if you have the<br />

necessary knowledge? The members <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong><br />

Sales & Rental Society are currently seek<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

few enthusiastic volunteers who have a love<br />

<strong>of</strong> art and learn<strong>in</strong>g, have some computer<br />

knowledge, and would enjoy work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a<br />

visually stimulat<strong>in</strong>g environment.<br />

usually volunteers work one morn<strong>in</strong>g shift<br />

or afternoon shift on weekdays only. while<br />

the gallery is open year round, volunteer<br />

shifts run from September to mid June; with<br />

summers <strong>of</strong>f.<br />

work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the gallery is a reward<strong>in</strong>g experience<br />

for those who might enjoy help<strong>in</strong>g<br />

patrons select art work for their home<br />

or <strong>of</strong>fice, assist<strong>in</strong>g new and established<br />

artists, and all the myriad details <strong>in</strong>volved<br />

<strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the gallery.<br />

Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is provided and each volunteer has<br />

a partner they work with regularly. If you<br />

enjoy <strong>in</strong>teract<strong>in</strong>g with people, are able to<br />

commit to one half day a week, and are a<br />

member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia (or<br />

would like to jo<strong>in</strong> the <strong>AGNS</strong>) we would love<br />

to hear from you. �<br />

Andrea Smith<br />

executive Director<br />

<strong>Art</strong> Sales & Rental Society<br />

�Ernest Cadegan, Vanilla <strong>in</strong> the Doorway #2, limited edition 3/50, 32.5 x 18 <strong>in</strong><br />

AS&R Featured <strong><strong>Art</strong>ist</strong>s<br />

March Bill Hanrahan<br />

April Golumba Kim<br />

June Bernard Bowles<br />

July Tom Alway<br />

August James Povah<br />

September Mark Brennan<br />

for more <strong>in</strong>formation about volunteer<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

or if you have questions about the <strong>Art</strong> Sales<br />

& Rental <strong>Gallery</strong>, please call (902) 424-3087<br />

or email us at asar@gov.ns.ca.<br />

1723 Hollis Street, Halifax<br />

asar@gov.ns.ca (902) 424-3087<br />

VISIT US ONLINE<br />

www.artsalesandrentals.ca<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

27


28<br />

Support<br />

your <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia is a cultural<br />

gem, with two locations <strong>in</strong> the hearts <strong>of</strong> Halifax<br />

and <strong>Yarmouth</strong>. The <strong>AGNS</strong> relies on some<br />

government fund<strong>in</strong>g and self-generated<br />

revenues (Admissions and Memberships,<br />

for example) to f<strong>in</strong>ance its operations and<br />

programs. However, without the generosity<br />

<strong>of</strong> many <strong>in</strong>dividuals and organizations, we<br />

would not be able to put forth the many<br />

wonderful <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs that we do.<br />

F<strong>in</strong>ancial Donations<br />

our budgets would not balance without<br />

the generous f<strong>in</strong>ancial donations from<br />

our patrons. Donations to the <strong>AGNS</strong> are<br />

fully tax-deductible, and can be made <strong>in</strong> a<br />

variety <strong>of</strong> ways. Certa<strong>in</strong>ly cash, cheque or<br />

credit card donations are always gratefully<br />

accepted. But have you considered these<br />

options?<br />

BEqUESTS leave your legacy and remember<br />

the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia <strong>in</strong> your will.<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

ENDOWMENTS put money aside <strong>in</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment vehicle <strong>of</strong> your choice (or <strong>in</strong>vest<br />

with us). The capital is preserved, and the<br />

<strong>in</strong>come is used for designated <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

purposes as specified by you.<br />

LIFE INSURANCE consider mak<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> a named beneficiary <strong>in</strong> your life<br />

<strong>in</strong>surance policy<br />

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES are a<br />

donation <strong>of</strong> a capital sum to a charitable<br />

organization <strong>in</strong> return for regular payments<br />

at a specified rate for life. This transaction<br />

is set up so that a m<strong>in</strong>imum <strong>of</strong> 50% <strong>of</strong> the<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>ciple amount <strong>of</strong> the annuity is available<br />

to the charity (e.g. the <strong>AGNS</strong>) follow<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

death <strong>of</strong> the annuitant(s).<br />

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS are<br />

irrevocable, separately adm<strong>in</strong>istered trusts<br />

established by an <strong>in</strong>dividual. Trust payments<br />

are provided to the <strong>in</strong>dividual and/or<br />

other named beneficiaries for life or a term<br />

<strong>of</strong> years, whereupon the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g assets<br />

would be distributed to the <strong>AGNS</strong>.<br />

Many variations on the above are also<br />

possible, and the advice <strong>of</strong> a f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional would certa<strong>in</strong>ly be advisable<br />

should you consider one <strong>of</strong> these options.<br />

Donations <strong>of</strong> Property<br />

DONATION OF ART WORKS Acquir<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

display<strong>in</strong>g works <strong>of</strong> art are what the <strong>AGNS</strong><br />

is all about. In addition to the works that<br />

we purchase every year, we receive many<br />

more valuable works <strong>of</strong> art by donation—<br />

up to 1,000 pieces a year! The <strong>AGNS</strong> enjoys<br />

“Category A” designation with the Canadian<br />

Cultural Property export Review Board<br />

(CCPeRB). This means that your donation <strong>of</strong><br />

art would not only qualify for a tax receipt<br />

(for the fair market value <strong>of</strong> the donated<br />

work), but, if it meets the CCPeRB criteria,<br />

it would be free <strong>of</strong> the annual <strong>in</strong>come and<br />

carry-forward limits that regular donations<br />

are subject to. Better yet, any capital ga<strong>in</strong><br />

on the transfer <strong>of</strong> title is not taxable, while<br />

any capital loss is tax-deductible.<br />

DONATION OF SECURITIES If you are short<br />

on cash but have hold<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> shares or<br />

other securities, these can be considered<br />

for donation also. while there are tax<br />

advantages to be ga<strong>in</strong>ed, capital ga<strong>in</strong>s<br />

taxes on disposal are also a consideration,<br />

although there are ways to m<strong>in</strong>imize this<br />

impact as well.<br />

for more <strong>in</strong>formation on the process<br />

<strong>of</strong> donat<strong>in</strong>g to the <strong>AGNS</strong>, please visit<br />

www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca. �<br />

DELTA VACATIONS<br />

ARE JUST PLAIN FUN<br />

Experience the best <strong>of</strong> summer with a stay at<br />

Delta Barr<strong>in</strong>gton or Delta Halifax! Our adjacent properties<br />

<strong>in</strong> downtown Halifax put you right where the action is.<br />

You'll be just steps away from summer events and festivals,<br />

the historic Halifax waterfront, theatre, tourist attractions,<br />

nightlife and shopp<strong>in</strong>g. When it's time to come <strong>in</strong> to cool<br />

<strong>of</strong>f and relax, our comfortable rooms and popular<br />

restaurants serv<strong>in</strong>g the best <strong>of</strong> Maritime cuis<strong>in</strong>e<br />

will be a welcome retreat.<br />

Check out our Summer events and festivals at<br />

www.deltahotels.com/specials<br />

Y o u r r o o m i s r e a d y<br />

www.deltabarr<strong>in</strong>gton.com www.deltahalifax.com<br />

For reservations and <strong>in</strong>formation call 1-800-268-1133 (toll free)


Mov<strong>in</strong>g On<br />

So my question is: “where did the last two<br />

decades go?” After 21 years with the <strong>Art</strong><br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia and about the same<br />

number <strong>of</strong> additional pounds, the time has<br />

come to turn <strong>in</strong> my key for the last time.<br />

Look<strong>in</strong>g back over these years br<strong>in</strong>gs back<br />

many wonderful memories. The <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

move <strong>in</strong> 1988 tak<strong>in</strong>g us from the small space<br />

on Coburg Road to our new home <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Dom<strong>in</strong>ion Build<strong>in</strong>g was def<strong>in</strong>itely a<br />

highlight. The grand open<strong>in</strong>g and the<br />

thousands <strong>of</strong> people stand<strong>in</strong>g shoulder to<br />

shoulder <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Gallery</strong> that night is a sight<br />

permanently etched <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d. Many will<br />

recall the adm<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices at the time were<br />

located on the fourth floor and Christ<strong>in</strong>e<br />

Dawe was the smil<strong>in</strong>g face and melodic voice<br />

that greeted all visitors. we have certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />

missed Chris s<strong>in</strong>ce she retired.<br />

It didn’t take too many years before realiz<strong>in</strong>g<br />

we had outgrown our space and Bernie<br />

Riordon was <strong>in</strong>strumental once aga<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong> spearhead<strong>in</strong>g a capital campaign<br />

allow<strong>in</strong>g us to expand to the Prov<strong>in</strong>cial<br />

Build<strong>in</strong>g. work<strong>in</strong>g with Bernie for fifteen<br />

years taught me to th<strong>in</strong>k big and never be<br />

<strong>in</strong>timidated when ask<strong>in</strong>g for money for the<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong>; he was a master at gett<strong>in</strong>g people to<br />

empty their wallets as our good friend and<br />

Honorary Governor Jack Keith can attest.<br />

1998 was another big year for <strong>AGNS</strong> when<br />

we moved <strong>in</strong>to the Prov<strong>in</strong>cial Build<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

we were all so excited to have enhanced<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice space; a great new shop; a much larger<br />

<strong>Art</strong> Sales & Rental and the addition <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Cheapside Café.<br />

The end <strong>of</strong> the 20th century was the<br />

beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> expansion outside <strong>of</strong> Halifax<br />

and I am truly proud <strong>of</strong> my role serv<strong>in</strong>g on<br />

the Capital Campaign Committee for the<br />

<strong>AGNS</strong> western Branch <strong>in</strong> <strong>Yarmouth</strong>. I have<br />

made many wonderful friends on the South<br />

Shore <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ce as a direct result <strong>of</strong><br />

be<strong>in</strong>g part <strong>of</strong> the committee.<br />

There have been so many fabulous exhibitions<br />

at the <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> which I feel privileged<br />

to have been a small part. It is said that art<br />

speaks to the soul and several exhibitions<br />

touched me deeply—Ge<strong>of</strong>f Butler’s angels<br />

exhibition, the Impressionists, and art <strong>of</strong> the<br />

ancient Mediterranean are but a few.<br />

work<strong>in</strong>g at the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia has<br />

not just been about art, it has been about<br />

the people that I have had the pleasure to<br />

work with and meet. one <strong>of</strong>ten hears organizations<br />

state that people are their greatest<br />

asset and as a human resource pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

I can state emphatically that the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia is very fortunate to have<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional staff who are dedicated, enthusiastic<br />

and creative. I feel truly blessed to<br />

have worked with people such as our senior<br />

conservator Laurie Hamilton, a magician<br />

at br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g damaged works back to their<br />

orig<strong>in</strong>al splendor. Dale Sheppard, Curator<br />

<strong>of</strong> education has to be one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />

passionate and enthusiastic people I know<br />

and she and her team have re-def<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

Community outreach. Jeff Gray, Manager<br />

<strong>of</strong> Communications has been <strong>in</strong>strumental<br />

<strong>in</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g the media excited about what<br />

we do; as well, he has been a compassionate<br />

sound<strong>in</strong>g block when I needed to vent.<br />

Donn Sabean has been the beacon for those<br />

Become a Member Today<br />

Contact (902) 424-2194 for more <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

Individual & Dual<br />

Membership<br />

Student $20<br />

Adult Individual $50<br />

Family/Dual $75<br />

National/International $40<br />

Senior (over 60)<br />

Seniors Individual $40<br />

Senior Couple/Dual $55<br />

E- Membership<br />

Dual/Family $65<br />

Adult Individual $45<br />

Senior (over 60)<br />

Couple/Dual $45<br />

Individual $35<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> Staff<br />

special gifts and always picks out just the<br />

right th<strong>in</strong>g; my Visa bill should be a lot less<br />

without the lure <strong>of</strong> the shop treasures.<br />

The other Sue (Melv<strong>in</strong>) is always the first face<br />

and voice we hear <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g as she<br />

arrives before the cock crows and has fresh<br />

c<strong>of</strong>fee brew<strong>in</strong>g for all we non-morn<strong>in</strong>g folks.<br />

Barry Thorne, Head <strong>of</strong> Security keeps us all on<br />

our toes ensur<strong>in</strong>g we don’t leave the build<strong>in</strong>g<br />

without sign<strong>in</strong>g out or without leav<strong>in</strong>g our<br />

keys. His military tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g has kept us <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e<br />

on many occasions; the security staff have<br />

been wonderful to work with always <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to lend a hand when needed.<br />

I feel extremely fortunate to have had the<br />

pleasure to work with amaz<strong>in</strong>g volunteers<br />

and governors <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Gallery</strong> who are too numerous<br />

to mention but each has been very<br />

special and I have had many happy times<br />

because <strong>of</strong> their <strong>in</strong>volvement. unfortunately<br />

it hasn’t been all happy times dur<strong>in</strong>g my<br />

tenure as we have lost several staff members<br />

—Karen Brown, Pat Beauchamp and Sue<br />

Klabunde each leav<strong>in</strong>g their mark on the<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>in</strong> very positive ways.<br />

I have always been proud to say I work at the<br />

<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia and will cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />

to s<strong>in</strong>g its praises. I would like to wish all my<br />

colleagues the very best <strong>in</strong> their futures and<br />

extend thanks to Ray Cron<strong>in</strong>, Director & Ceo<br />

who has had many challenges s<strong>in</strong>ce tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />

on his new role but with his talents and<br />

tremendous staff the <strong>Gallery</strong> will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to<br />

move onward and upward... �<br />

Sue T<strong>in</strong>gley<br />

operations & Visitor Services Manager<br />

Retir<strong>in</strong>g June 30, 2009<br />

Circle Memberships<br />

National/<br />

International Circle $150<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> $150 - $299<br />

Curator’s $300 - $499<br />

Director’s $500 - $999<br />

Chairperson’s $1000 +<br />

ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA<br />

29


30<br />

Staff List<strong>in</strong>g<br />

p: 902-424-7542<br />

f: 902-424-7359<br />

Sandra Alfoldy<br />

Associate Curator <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>e Craft<br />

salfol@yahoo.com<br />

Amy Batchelor<br />

Design Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 424.7754<br />

batchac@gov.ns.ca<br />

Laura Carmichael<br />

Public Programm<strong>in</strong>g Assistant<br />

(902) 424.2708<br />

carmiclm@gov.ns.ca<br />

Angela Collier<br />

western Branch Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 749.2248<br />

collieal@gov.ns.ca<br />

agnsyarmouth@gov.ns.ca<br />

Ray Cron<strong>in</strong><br />

Director & Ceo<br />

(902) 424.8075<br />

cron<strong>in</strong>r@gov.ns.ca<br />

Enrique Ferreol<br />

education Assistant<br />

(902) 424.6314<br />

ferreoen@gov.ns.ca<br />

Sarah Fillmore<br />

Act<strong>in</strong>g Cheif Curator<br />

and Curator <strong>of</strong> exhibtions<br />

(902) 424.5169<br />

fillmose@gov.ns.ca<br />

Greg Frampton<br />

Membership and<br />

Volunteer Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 424.2194<br />

framptge@gov.ns.ca<br />

JOURNAL Spr<strong>in</strong>g & Summer 2009<br />

Jeff Gray<br />

Manager <strong>of</strong> Communications<br />

(902) 424.2903<br />

grayjr@gov.ns.ca<br />

Laurie Hamilton<br />

Senior f<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Art</strong> Conservator<br />

(902) 424.2926<br />

hamill@gov.ns.ca<br />

Frank Lively<br />

Preparator<br />

(902) 424.2492<br />

livelyfr@gov.ns.ca<br />

Sue Melv<strong>in</strong><br />

events Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 424.8935<br />

melv<strong>in</strong>sa@gov.ns.ca<br />

Dianne O’Neill<br />

Associate Curator,<br />

Historical Pr<strong>in</strong>ts and Draw<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

(902) 424.2941<br />

oneilld@gov.ns.ca<br />

Shannon Parker<br />

Curator <strong>of</strong> Collections<br />

(902) 424.8457<br />

parkers@gov.ns.ca<br />

Information Desk<br />

(902) 424.5280<br />

<strong>in</strong>fodesk@gov.ns.ca<br />

Willie Reid<br />

<strong>Art</strong>Reach Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

902.455.0045<br />

willie.reid@ns.sympatico.ca<br />

Fionnuala Reynolds<br />

wholesale Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 424.8094<br />

agnswholesale@gov.ns.ca<br />

Dale Sheppard<br />

Curator <strong>of</strong> education and Public<br />

Programs<br />

(902) 424.2197<br />

sheppade@gov.ns.ca<br />

Sue T<strong>in</strong>gley<br />

Manager <strong>of</strong> operations and<br />

Visitor Services<br />

(902) 424.2835<br />

t<strong>in</strong>gles@gov.ns.ca<br />

Barry Thorne<br />

Head <strong>of</strong> Security<br />

(902) 424.8459<br />

security@gov.ns.ca<br />

Don Van Buskirk<br />

Preparator<br />

(902) 424.3021<br />

vanbusdb@gov.ns.ca<br />

Troy Wagner<br />

Assistant Registrar<br />

(902) 424.2987<br />

wagnert@gov.ns.ca<br />

Kris Webster<br />

<strong>Art</strong>sSmarts Coord<strong>in</strong>ator<br />

(902) 424.6651<br />

websterk@gov.ns.ca<br />

Robert Z<strong>in</strong>gone<br />

Assistant Curator,<br />

Contemporary <strong>Art</strong><br />

(902) 424.3001<br />

z<strong>in</strong>gonrj@gov.ns.ca<br />

<strong>Art</strong> Sales & Rentals<br />

Andrea Smith<br />

executive Director<br />

(902) 424.3087<br />

smithal@gov.ns.ca<br />

Cheapside Café<br />

(902) 425.4494<br />

www.cheapside.ca<br />

The <strong>Gallery</strong> Shop<br />

(902) 425.4494<br />

Donn Sabean<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> Shop Manager<br />

(902) 424.3003<br />

sabeandl@gov.ns.ca<br />

Leah Mull<strong>in</strong>s<br />

<strong>Gallery</strong> Shop Assistant<br />

(902) 424.5094<br />

mull<strong>in</strong>la@gov.ns.ca<br />


<br />

A Celtic heart beats <strong>in</strong> downtown Halifax
<br />

5136 Pr<strong>in</strong>ce St.<br />

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J1L4<br />

902.492.4900<br />

www.oldtriangle.com/halifax<br />

Live music 7 nights a week, Saturday mat<strong>in</strong>ees<br />

never a cover charge<br />

A hungry feel<strong>in</strong>’ came o’er me steal<strong>in</strong>’….. and the old triangle<br />

went j<strong>in</strong>gle, jangle, all along the banks <strong>of</strong> the Royal Canal<br />

– Brendan Behan (The Quare Fellow)


SOLD<br />

for $15,500<br />

17th Annual Chester Auction (August 2008)<br />

Jack Lorimer Gray, Perce Rock, d.1951<br />

SOLD<br />

for $31,000<br />

17th Annual Chester Auction (August 2008)<br />

Russian silver, c 1810<br />

Accept<strong>in</strong>g consignments for our 18 th Annual Chester Auction<br />

Saturday, August 1st, 2008 • Chester, Nova Scotia<br />

Seek<strong>in</strong>g Nova Scotian artists <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Jack Gray, Dusan Kadlec, Maud Lewis,<br />

John Cook, Elizabeth Cann, Mabel Day, Leroy & Marguerite Zwicker, Kelsey Ramond, and others.<br />

Also silver, antique furniture, mar<strong>in</strong>e items, oriental rugs, jewelry and<br />

Canadian, European and American artwork.<br />

Appraisal & Auction services available prov<strong>in</strong>ce wide, visit our website for more <strong>in</strong>formation.<br />

www.crowther-brayley.com (902) 423-3226


www.artgallery<strong>of</strong>novascotia.ca<br />

Jo<strong>in</strong> us<br />

(and reap the rewards)<br />

Photo by Steve Farmer

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