A collection of art and writings from Amy Lee Collins.
Visual Art
Posted inArts + Music
Drop the needle
Quilts. Please don’t turn the page. I know quilts are not an easy sell. While they’re comfortable to snuggle in, or remind you of your grammy, no one could have predicted that an exhibition of quilts would break museum attendance records across the United States, or be declared by Michael Kimmelman, chief critic for the […]
Posted inArts + Music
Public Eye contest winners
Aliant and The Coast congratulate the following weekly Public Eye winners: • Katherine Patton of Halifax• Laura Graham of Halifax• Stephen Clyke of Wolfville• Megan MacDonald of Halifax Melanie Slade of Truro was awarded the Grand prize of a Samsung a920 cell phone, exclusive to Aliant Mobility PLUS one year free airtime, text messaging and […]
Posted inArts + Music
Elementary
George Steeves calls his house the photo bunker. It’s well hidden, deep on a looping crescent in an old Clayton Park neighbourhood—it was the end of town when Steeves moved there in 1973—where bungalows protectively stretch out like arms linking in solidarity. The photo bunker is built on angles and soft watery colours. It’s tidy, […]
Posted inArts + Music
The wonderful world of Woodrow.
It’s one week before Graeme Patterson’s exhibition Woodrow opens at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and there’s fresh paint on the walls. A black sky and twinkling stars float above a yellow field, suggesting the moon’s glow on a warm prairie night. Piano-sized wooden crates, scattered along the edges of the room, reveal nine […]
Posted inArts + Music
Thanks for the visual
Dear Spirit of Christmas Past, I know that Christmas is over for this year, but it appears a few items are missing from under the arts tree. I’m sure they fell out of the sleigh. No problem, we also honour orthodox Christmas on January 7, so there’s still time. An arms-length arts council: I know, […]
Posted inArts + Music
Political platforms
In recent years, Canadian domestic politics have been dominated by accountability and corruption scandals. That’s why John van der Woude’s exhibition, Power Houses: Canada’s First Ministers, at Anna Leonowens Gallery, a series of 14 photos documenting the homes of every provincial premier and the prime minister, is so captivating: these guys live mostly in relatively […]
Posted inArts + Music
Economy of scale
Scale works both ways on peoples’ awareness and experience of their surroundings: the small fascinates, the large looms. Cape Breton artist Carl Zimmerman uses both directions in scale in Landmarks of Industrial Britain, running until January 7 at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. His photographs of seemingly massive abandoned buildings from 19th century northern […]
Posted inArts + Music
Pole vault
Last February, as winter’s chill began to thaw, Cathy Busby took a short walk over to One World Cafe, minutes away from her home near the Common. She observed the posters on the wall promoting various shows and events. In particular, she thought one for Gypsophilia—a striking, swirling design on a black background—was nice. The […]
Posted inArts + Music
The great north end
The complex personality and tumultuous history of Halifax’s north end have made it an ideal muse for the many filmmakers, artists, poets and authors who live there. This Saturday, during the Go North! event—when north-enders invite the rest of the city to tour over 45 local artist studios, galleries, homes and businesses—two of the scheduled […]
Posted inArts + Music
Where art thou?
For a city unsupported by a provincial or municipal arts council, Halifax boasts an astounding number of art galleries. Hey, we have a world-recognized art school smack in the middle of the downtown, a network of reputable university galleries and a dedicated arts community with an Energizer-rabbit attachment to hard work, all working hard to […]
Posted inArts + Music
Dig your Roots
During Bill Clinton’s Metro Centre visit last week, he lounged in front of a starry backdrop, speaking about unavoidable—negative and positive—global interdependence. Clinton’s relationship model could also be applied to Halifax’s visual arts community: they work together, socialize together and yes, some even sleep together. An exhibition at Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, Roots […]