Halifax Art
& ArtistsAn Illustrated History

Halifax, also known as Kjipuktuk, or “Great Harbour” in the Mi’kmaw language, has long been a base for visual artists working across diverse media and genres. From craftspeople and portrait painters to filmmakers and contemporary multidisciplinary makers, Halifax has been a home for many artists. It has also held significance for countless others who may have never lived in the city proper, but whose careers have influenced—or been influenced by—Halifax’s art institutions, events, and communities.

Author Ray Cronin guides the reader through a rich narrative of the diverse cultures that have formed Halifax’s artistic world. As a place transformed by both residents and visitors, the city has welcomed many pivotal leaders in Canadian art, from the war artists who came to Halifax to record the country’s defenses during global conflicts to the visionary professors who turned the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design into a world-renowned centre of Conceptual art. Halifax Art & Artists offers an authoritative account of the city’s outstanding contributions to the nation and reveals the unique synergy between creators and the place itself.

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Banner Images: (left) Installation detail of Ketu’ elmita’jik (They want to go home), 2018–19, by Jordan Bennett (includes Artist was known, Mi’kmaq, Nova Scotia, Chair Seat Panel c.19th century), at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax. Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, and Jordan Bennett. (right) Maud Lewis, Lighthouse and Ferry at Cape Forchu, Yarmouth County, 1960s, oil on board, 31.4 x 33.7 cm. Collection of CFFI Ventures Inc. as collected by John Risley. Courtesy of CFFI Ventures Inc.