This September, the research institute Charmaine Nelson wishes she could’ve attended will finally open its doors. The Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery—a new division of NSCAD University—will dig deep into Canada’s overlooked, 200-year legacy of slavery. It’ll be the sort of spot that reminds you history is more complex than what you learned […]
Arts & Culture
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The Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery is not closing
Consider this a hand stopping the rumour mill’s crank: The Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery is not going anywhere. Despite whispers in the visual art scene that the space was finished with the ending of longtime curator Robin Metcalfe’s 17-year-tenure, a university spokesperson tells The Coast via email that the gallery is alive and well. […]
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The week in local book, theatre and music releases
A short, holiday week also means a lean week for new releases, but Halifax culture hasn’t ground to a complete stop. We’ve got three things for you to check out, and we’re looking for me. Have we missed a recent release? Do you have a project about to go into the world? Let us know […]
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7 Sure Things happening in Halifax from March 31-April 8
Tactics for Staying Home in Uncertain Times The Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery’s latest show has its finger so firmly placed on the pulse that it must be beginning to cramp. Comprised of works by five emerging BIPOC artists from across the country, the gallery describes the show–which can be viewed completely online via […]
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ICYMI: The week in local book, theatre and music releases
Christy Ann Conlin’s The Speed of Mercy The prolific Nova Scotia author’s newly released novel promises prose that’ll jolt you out of winter hibernation–while delivering the salt water-sprayed scenery Conlin fans know and love. Described by her publisher as “capturing the unbearable cost of childhood betrayal and what happens when history is suppressed, our past […]
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The Khyber releases database of BIPOC mental health resources
“It is difficult to find adequate and culturally competent mental health support that truly meets the needs of BIPOC people and communities in our current existing system,” writes The Khyber in a Facebook post earlier this week. The local arts organization couldn’t be more correct. During the hellscape of 2020, when our collective trauma meant […]
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Jack Bishop’s latest paintings need to be witnessed IRL
Jack Bishop ambles into Studio 21 right on time for his interview with The Coast, bringing his dog Ted along with a gentle move of the leash. He’s at the Doyle Street gallery to talk about his new collection of paintings–called Road Trip Playlist–because “it’s just easier for me to talk about the paintings when […]
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7 Sure Things happening in Halifax from March 25-31
Anne & Aretha: Kindred Spirits Decorated Halifax writer Evelyn C. White explores the unlikely bond between PEI’s redheaded queen, Anne of Green Gables, and the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, in this Halifax Public Libraries-sponsored Zoom lecture. Thu Mar 26, 7-8pm, Zoom, free, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81713458352 Related MAJE w/Yohvn Blvck Two local hip hop heavyweights sharing the […]
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ICYMI: The week in local book and music releases
JRDN’s new video for “Missing Us” One of Halifax’s biggest R&B exports, the Juno-winning JRDN served up a new music video yesterday, to remind us how dexterous and deft his range is. The slow jam is what Ne-Yo wishes every song he ever made could be, and you can vibe along to the video below: […]
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7 Sure Things happening in Halifax from March 18-24
Road Trip Playlist Painter Jack Bishop’s latest canvases are a departure from the brand-and-logo-soaked landscapes of his early work–as a quick lap around his new show at Studio 21 will tell you. Rich in texture (he tells The Coast he “almost over-paints on purpose”) and full of vibrant colour, these paintings–an almost-cross between Abstract Expressionism […]
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A Concerto is a contender
It’s a good week to be Ben Proudfoot: The Halifax-raised filmmaker co-directed the 2021 documentary short A Concerto is a Conversation, which is now up for an Oscar, as announced Monday by The Academy. (Arguably, though, Proudfoot has already won the ultimate prize by working alongside the Oscar-winning filmmaker Ava Duvernay, the genius behind 13th, […]
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UPDATED: I can’t stop thinking about this giant pipe organ
Update March 17: As of an hour ago, the previous organ owners took to our Instagram replies to tell us that the big beaut has found a new home. “No gimmicks here,” says Jonathan Brook, a photoless Facebook user, in the ad for a free pipe organ he posted on Facebook Marketplace Thursday. “Free means […]