Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

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The gallery is housed in the historic Dominion Builiding (pictured) as well as the adjacent Provincial Building

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is located in the central downtown region of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Since 1988 it has been housed in the historic Dominion Building, built in 1865, with more facilities located in the newer Provincial Building. These two buildings are separated by Ondaatje Court, a public space that besides being used for temporary exhibitions, contains several large permanate sculptures. Underneath the courtyard is a large underground exhibition room, which connects the two buildings.

The gallery has over 9000 works of art in its varied collection, ranging from Nova Scotian folk art to Inuit stone carvings. One of the most popular attractions in the gallery is the restored former home of rural folk artist Maud Lewis. The home was moved from its original location near Digby, Nova Scotia, dismantled, restored, and reassembled in the South Gallery of the AGNS. Most of the home, including the doors, part of the windows, and the wallpaper, was painted for decoration by the artist herself. Many of Maud's paintings reside in the same room as her home.

A gift shop, art store, and cafe are located off the main lobby.

With a history dating from 1908, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia acts as a gateway for the visual arts in Atlantic Canada by bringing the art of the world to Nova Scotia and the art of Nova Scotia to the world. It is committed to this mission as an agency of the Province of Nova Scotia and one of the premier arts institutions in Canada. The Gallery is responsible for acquiring, preserving and exhibiting works of art, and for providing education in the visual arts.

The AGNS is governed by a 21-person Board of Governors who are appointed by the Governor in Council. Members come from throughout the province and represent the business, volunteer and artistic communities. The Gallery has over 35 full and part-time staff, who are assisted by around 200 dedicated volunteers and more than 6,500 regular and life members.

With the commitment of bringing world art to Nova Scotia and Nova Scotian art to the world, the AGNS strives to meet this goal through its education and exhibition programs. The Gallery’s educational programs are devoted to supporting lifelong learning. The Gallery provides in-school programs, artist contact, hands-on workshops and other opportunities for families, children, teens and teachers. Tours, symposia, films and lectures are offered for adults.

The Gallery’s two venues make up approximately 90,000 square feet of space which houses its permanent collection of over 13,000 pieces. In addition, AGNS brings in many Nova Scotian, national and international exhibitions every year, contributing to the paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, ceramics and other works that can be found on display.

Other services that can also be found at the Gallery include a full-service Gallery Shop, the Cheapside Café run by Scanway Catering [1] and Art Sales & Rentals.

The AGNS has grown significantly from its past life as the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts, which was entrusted in 1908 to maintain the Crown’s 200-piece art collection on behalf of the people of Nova Scotia. The Gallery was renamed in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Act of 1975, and shortly thereafter implemented educational programs, started developing their collection and looking for a permanent home.

In 1988, AGNS officially opened the doors to its new home, the Dominion Building (circa 1865), in the heart of downtown Halifax [2] on Hollis Street. This gave the Gallery a home and permanence in the city and province. The home grew ten years later, in 1998, when 2½ floors of the neighboring Provincial Building opened as the newly expanded Gallery. This expansion made room for the Maud Lewis House and Gallery, collection storage, office space, café facilities and extended space for all other services, not to mention the additional gallery space.

A 1994 strategic plan outlined numerous goals for growth. One of these goals was reached in 2006 when the Gallery opened a second branch, making it the only satellite gallery in Canada. The new Western Branch is located on Main Street in Yarmouth [[3]] and helps the Gallery continue bringing the visual arts and Nova Scotians together.

The AGNS annual operating budget is supported by a number of government initiatives. The provincial allotment is given from the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. Additional funding comes from the Department of Canadian Heritage [4], The Canadian Council for the Arts [5], Halifax Regional Municipality [[6]] and other municipal governments. Despite this support, each year the AGNS must raise more than 45% of its operating funds from individual, corporate and foundation donors, as well as other partners in the private sector.

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is open daily 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Thursdays till 9:00 pm year round. For more information visit [7]