Art Work Virtual Talk: What’s in a Name?
Feb 27, 2025 12:00 PM (AST)
Join artist, designer and creator 
Duane Jones (BDes 2004 Honours) & Creative Director Marta Swannie (BFA 1994) as they discuss creating a personal brand, commercial brand & audience for your work. Hosted by Mollie Cronin (BA 2015) 
Registration Required. 

Art Work Virtual Talk: Sounding it Out
March 13, 2 p.m. (AST)
Join director and sound designer Paula Fairfield (BFA 1984, DFA 2021) & sound designer, re-recording mixer and composer Michelle Irving (BFA 1999, MA 2006 SFU) as they discuss storytelling with sound in film. Hosted by Mollie Cronin (BA 2015).
Registration required.

Award: Congratulations to Inuk artist, photographer, and filmmaker asinnajaq (BFA 2015) who is one of two recipients of the prestigious 
2024 New Generation Photography Award from the National Gallery of Canada. The award celebrates photographers who address the ambiguous role of images in contemporary post-colonial cultures. Award winners are part of an exhibition that runs until June 1 at the National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, ON. Read more here. 

Award: Congratulations to Dr. Ford Doolittle (BFA 2013) who recently received a Lifetime Achievement Genomics Impact Award. Doolittle is an evolutionary and molecular biologist who examines prevailing concepts in genomics, molecular biology, and microbial ecology, most often as these reflect understandings of evolution by natural selection. Doolittle is also an avid amateur photographer, and completed his BFA part-time, majoring in photography. Read more here.

In the News: Congratulations to Tanya Tagaq (DFA 2015, BFA 1998) whose book It Bears Repeating, was selected by Dolly Parton's 2025 Imagination Library. The Imagination Library project gives free books to children around the world to teach them the love of reading. It Bears Repeating combines Inuktitut with English and traditional Inuk artwork. Listen to Tanya reading the book here.

In the News: The Saskatchewan Craft Council has chosen Brendan Lee Satish Tang (BFA 1998) and Wally Dion as expert jurors for the 2025 Dimensions exhibition. The two will be involved in selecting pieces for the exhibition, as well as choosing which works to be considered for awards. Dimensions is the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s annual open, juried exhibition which encourages and rewards excellence in handcrafted artwork. Applications for the 2025 exhibition are currently being accepted. Read more here.

In the News: Art Pays Me founder 
Duane Jones (BDes 2004) is featured in the documentary The Square about the history of Uniacke Square in Halifax and his work with the non-profit Buckets & Borders on a community basketball project. Watch here.

In the News: Seth Scriver (BFA 2002) premiered his animated documentary Endless Cookie recently at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary combines Seth's animation with his indigenous half-brother Pete's narration. The result is an offbeat story that explores family connection and Canadian multiculturalism in a lighthearted, approachable way. Read more here.

Residency: Curtis Botham (BFA 2017) has been selected to do his residency at ARTSPLACE. Curtis will be working on Fishers, a series of large-scale charcoal works focused on commercial fishing.  A show of his work runs until Mar. 15 at ARTSPLACE Gallery, 396 George St. Annapolis Royal, NS Read more here.

Acquisition: Steven Holmes (MFA 1994) recently sold his work Stabat Mater to the Southern Connecticut State University's School of Business. Congratulations!
Read more here.

Acquisition: Pinnacle, a piece by mixed media artist Jennifer Bolande (BFA 2004), is currently featured in the Hammer Contemporary Art Collection. Read more here.

Exhibition: Craft Alliance Atlantic Association will again participate in the upcoming COLLECT 2025 art fair in London, UK. Organized by UK-based Crafts Council, the art fair will happen Feb. 26 to Mar. 2, and will feature contemporary makers from across Atlantic Canada including: 
Brigitte Clavette (BFA 1980), Alanna Baird (BFA 2003), Pam Ritchie (MFA 1982, BFA 1975), Emma Piirtoniemi (BFA 2016) pictured left, Teresa Bergen (BFA 2001), Debra Kuzyk (BFA 1983) and Faculty Kye-Yeon Son. Read more here.

Exhibition: Katzman Art Projects recently opened Shimmering, a group exhibition featuring Carrie Allison (MFA 2018, BFA/BA 2014), José Andrés Mora (BFA 2013), Jordan Bennett (Faculty), Jerry Evans (BFA 1986), Séamus Gallagher (BFA 2019), Amy Malbeuf (visiting artist), and Ruth Marsh (BFA 2006). The exhibition addresses themes around drag and destruction, showing the deterioration of ecosystems, illusions, and memories. Opening Feb. 14, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Runs until Mar. 8 at Katzman Art Projects, 5431 Doyle St., Halifax, NS Read more here.

Exhibition: Down Home: Portraits of Resilience, brings together nine contemporary artists of African Nova Scotian and African Canadian descent, including: Justin Augustine (BFA 1999), Kayza DeGraff-Ford (BFA 2021), Letitia Fraser (BFA 2019), Preston Pavlis (BFA 2023), Chrystal Clements  (BFA/ANSCAD 1995), 
Rebecca Fisk (BFA 1993) & Saba Blyden-Taylor (current student). This exhibition of portraits and mixed media works explore aspects of self, family, and community. Runs until Apr. 27 at Dalhousie Art Gallery, 6101 University Ave., Halifax, NS. Read more here.

Artist Talk: Voices from Down Home: Dialogues on Community Connections in Black Canadian Art. Feb. 27, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Public Library, 5440 Spring Garden Rd. Read more here.

Exhibition: Gardner Shop and the Ingram Gallery in Toronto are holding 
New Year in Art Pop-Up, an exhibition of six Canadian ceramists, including 
Marla Benton (BFA 2001). Closing reception Feb. 22, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Ingram Gallery, 24 Hazelton Ave, Toronto, ON. Read more here.

Exhibition: Scrim(s) features recent art projects by Robert Bean (BFA 1978) and Angela Henderson. The works depict the artists' common interests in poetic ecology, creative process, perception and technê (practical knowledge). The exhibition also shares concerns about living in a precarious environment and why the future must remain open to agency and hope. Runs until Mar. 16. Artists' presentations will take place Mar. 1, 1 p.m. Hermes Gallery, 5682 North Street, Halifax, NS. Read more here.

Exhibition: Flax Ecologies, The Flaxmobile Project exhibition featuring the work of 15 craftspeople from across Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) in collaboration with regional farmers.
Artists featured include Andreea Murgu (BFA 2018), Frances Dorsey (fomer instructor), Gabriel Soligo (BFA 2018), Heidi Friesen (MFA 2021), Juliana Naccarato (BFA 2018), Kamila Orbegoso (BFA 2024), Kit Holden-Ada (BFA 2009), Wiebke Schroeder (VAC 2017, BFA 2020, MFA 2023). The exhibition runs until Mar. 22 at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, 322 Charlotte St., Sydney, NS. Read more here.

Exhibition: OH BABY, an exhibition featuring new work by Séamus Gallagher (BFA 2019) combines photography, video, drag, speculative fiction, sculpture, and costuming. The exhibition is inspired by a forest fire that broke out in Arizona in 2017, and draws connections with a gender reveal explosion. Opening Feb. 22 
Read more here.

Creative Minds Talk: David Clark (BFA 1985) & Robin Metcalfe (1974-75) discuss Séamus Gallagher's work in OH BABY. This conversation will explore Gallagher’s varied use of image making techniques, the role of drag and camp in their work, and representations of natural and artificial worlds amid the climate crisis. Clark and Metcalfe will share their experiences working with Gallagher and their perspectives on the exhibition  Mar. 20, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Register here.

Exhibition: (IN)VISIBLE New Tape Portraits by Leslie Sasaki (MFA 1984) features portraits constructed of Scotch Brand Magic Tape. Each portrait includes accompanying texts from interviews done with the sitters. The exhibition runs until Apr. 11 at Gallery 59, The Gander International Airport, 1000 James Blvd., NFLD. Read more here.

Exhibition: The 9th Artishok Biennial launched this month in Estonia. Last held in 2022, the major contemporary art event connecting artists and writers, will be titled Siesta. Openings of 10 new artworks will take place throughout February and March at various locations in Tallinn, Estonia. 
This year the Biennial includes Gary Markle (MFA 1995). Read more here.

Exhibition: Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge is currently on view at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Annie Kierans (BFA 2014) in-house photographer, videographer and editor for exhibitions at the Museum helped bring the installation to life. Runs until early 2026. 85 Israel Asper Way, Winnipeg, MB. Read more here.

Exhibition: Drawings, mobiles and interactive kinetic sculptures by Andrew Maize (BFA 2011) will be featured in it is as if, an experimental and emergent exhibition that will develop over the coming months through a series of micro-residencies and collaborations. The exhibition runs until April 13. Performance: Feb 23, 1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Ross Creek Center for the Arts, 555 Ross Creek Rd., Ross Creek, NS. Read more here.

Course: Marilyn Smulders (BFA 2019) will lead Lunenburg Puzzle Quilt - Patchwork Shortcuts, a weekly course that covers the shortcuts she has learned over her years of quilting. 
Participants will works on quilts and will have a quilt top to show off in no time! Saturdays, Mar. 15 to Apr. 12, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Lunenburg School of the Arts, 6 Prince St., 
Lunenburg, NS. Read more here.

Market: Hello Valley Events and The August House are partnering for a one-of-a-kind Pop-Up Market, showcasing a vibrant collection of local goods! In honour of International Women's Day, the market will feature women entrepreneurs including: Rachel de Condé Ceramics (BFA 2003). The market will happen March 8, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m at The August House, 494 King St, Windsor, NS. Read more here.

Acting President: NSCAD University’s Board of Governors has announced that Jana Macalik will serve as NSCAD’s acting president effective Feb. 1, 2025.  “Jana has been invaluable in helping faculty, staff and the board develop better work processes, better working relationships and better academic governance through demonstrated and compassionate leadership as Interim Provost,” wrote William Barker, Chair of the Board of Governors in a message to the NSCAD community. Read more here.

Award: Congratulations to NSCAD ombudsperson Jude Gerrard, faculty member Jennifer Green (BFA 2009) and advisor to the president Peggy Shannon, who were honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal for their tireless efforts to improve NSCAD and its community. Read more here.

In the News: A new exhibit exploring Mi'kmaw regalia highlights how dancers maintain cultural integrity while materials and technology evolve. Amalkewinu'k (The Dancers) is on display Feb. 4 to 15 at Treaty Space Gallery, 1887 Granville St., Halifax, NS. Read more here.

Research: As part of research for her Master of Arts in Art Education, Meghan Macdonald (BFA 2012) is researching the pre-application portfolio review that some artists receive before applying to art school. She is exploring how artists feel about reviews, our experiences with them and how they may influence one's trajectory. Please fill in the relevant survey(s) before March 21, 2025.

Exhibition: Metu'na'q; Costumes for a Storm. In the summer of 2024, 15 performers from Sipekne'katik First Nation—in partnership with Zuppa Theatre — reimagined William Shakespeare's The Tempest with a 3-week run performed along the New Town Trail in Sipekne’katik First Nation. Coordinated by faculty member Leesa Hamilton, Student 
Xavier Taylor and other artists from the community. The multi-generational cast engaged with traditional Mi’kmaw cultural practices and history in all aspects of the production. The resulting exhibition, Metu’na’q; Costumes for a Storm, showcases the costumes, props and ephemera created for the production alongside photos of the performance. Feb. 18 - 21 Treaty Space Gallery, 1887 Granville St., Halifax, NS. Read more here.

In the News: Have you ever considered how weirdly beautiful a blood cell can be? NSCAD faculty member Kim Morgan has. Morgan’s exhibition Blood and Breath, Skin and Dust, currently at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown until May 11, features microscopic images of blood cells, belly button lint, skin and more. Kim was recently featured in CBC Radio's Making Art with Microscopes, where she talked about body particles, the intersection of medicine and art, and how her mother sparked her scientific curiosity. Listen to the documentary.