Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The outside of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia's main building in Halifax
Established	1908; 117 years ago (1908)
Location	1723 Hollis Street Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Type	Art museum
Collection size	Over 18,000
Visitors	45,455 (2017)

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public art museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the official art museum for the province. The museum's main building is in downtown Halifax. It covers about 6,200 square meters (67,000 square feet). The museum uses the old Dominion building and two floors of the Provincial building next door.

The museum started in 1908. It was first called the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts. In 1975, its name changed to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. The museum moved into the Dominion building in 1988. It grew bigger in 1998, adding more space.

The museum has a large collection of over 18,000 artworks. These works are by artists from Nova Scotia, Canada, and other countries. You can see parts of its collection in Halifax and at its branch in Yarmouth. The museum also hosts many special art shows that travel to different places.

History of the Art Gallery
Amazing Art Collection
- Famous Artworks
See Also

History of the Art Gallery

The art museum began in 1908. It was created to hold about 200 artworks owned by the Crown of Nova Scotia. At first, the museum's art moved around to different places. One time, it was even kept in a gunpowder storage building at Citadel Hill. In 1975, it was officially renamed the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

You can enter the museum through the Provincial Building. The museum expanded into this building in 1998.

In 1988, the museum found a permanent home. It moved into the Dominion Building. This building was built in 1867. In 1998, the museum got even more space. It expanded into two floors of the Provincial Building. This building is right next to the Dominion Building.

Between the two buildings is Ondaatje Court. This is an open space used for temporary art shows. It also has some large sculptures. Underneath this courtyard, there is a big underground room. This room connects the two museum buildings. During this expansion, the museum also made space for Maud Lewis's house.

The museum decided to open another location. In 1999, plans were made for a branch in southwestern Nova Scotia. This new branch opened in Yarmouth on May 28, 2006. It was called the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch. This branch gave more room to show art from the main collection. The Yarmouth branch closed for a short time in 2020. It reopened in July 2021.

Around 2008, the museum suggested building a new main building. They felt their downtown building was not big enough. They also noted that the old building had trouble keeping the art safe. This was due to a lack of proper climate control.

In 2018, there was talk about moving the museum to a new "cultural hub." This new place would also include NSCAD University, an art school. However, these plans were later stopped. The idea was to build a new museum near the Halifax Boardwalk. The government had even set aside money for this project. But in 2022, the plans were put on hold. This was because the costs to build it became too high.

Amazing Art Collection

As of March 2019, the museum has over 18,000 artworks. More than 2,000 artists are part of this collection. These artists come from Nova Scotia, Canada, and other countries. When the museum wants to buy new art, many people review it. This includes art experts and community members. The museum's leaders must also approve new art.

You can see the restored house of artist Maud Lewis at the museum.

The museum has the largest public collection of art by Maud Lewis. As of June 2017, it had 55 of her works. Her art is shown in a special exhibit. This exhibit is the most popular part of the museum. The museum also has Maud Lewis's actual house! After she passed away, the government bought her house. In 1996, the museum moved the small house into its exhibit. They also fixed it up so visitors could see it.

In 2013, the museum received a huge gift. It was a collection of 2,070 photos by Annie Leibovitz. The Mintz family donated these photos. It includes many different types of her work. The earliest photo is from 1983. The museum now owns this amazing collection.

The museum also shows art by many First Nations artists. One famous artist is Kent Monkman. You can also find works by Nova Scotia artists. These include Nancy Edell, Charlotte Lindgren, and Carol Fraser.