To the editor,
I wanted to briefly touch on the closure of the Khyber Club mentioned in two recent articles in your paper. First off, I would like to thank you for giving credit to the In the Dead of Winter Festival, which was a beautiful event demonstrating the incredible folk talent in this region. It made me we happy to learn it would be returning to Halifax once again, and I urge as many people as possible to attend. It's a truly unique experience in Nova Scotia.
Secondly, I wanted to thank you for verbalizing how the closure of the club, where many bands and local musicians got their start, affected the local community. The closure of the Club left many in Halifax under the impression the entire organization had closed its doors. The beautiful Khyber Club was the artist-run centre's main point of contact with many in the local community before the bar was closed. Its loss has been a difficult struggle for the Khyber Arts Society, which is still very active in programming art exhibitions through out the entire building. As well, although not every night, we still hold live music events in the club space.
I invite those interested in contemporary art to visit the building and see the work we still do in our tireless commitment to present emerging art to Halifax. The club may sadly be long gone, but the Khyber Arts Society is still alive and kicking. We have continued to work with HRM in hopes of restoring the building. It is our hope one day to have all of its rooms filled once again with artists, cultural groups and music as it was before. Halifax needs organizations like the Khyber, Eyelevel Gallery and Centre for Art Tapes to nurture a thriving art community. Similarly, these organizations need local love to continue to thrive.
We thank you for your continued support.
By Jodi McLaughlin, Administrative Director Khyber Arts Society