Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

I’m not really an «arts» person but I do greatly appreciate AGNS. Especially the free admission on Thursday night!
It’s a great opportunity to see some local art and some historical pieces. I try to get in once or twice a year. AGNS keeps it lively with a fairly good rotation of pieces and exhibits. Yes, of course, there are some mainstays but I like that. I learn a little more and appreciate a little more each time I go.
I will say that for newcomers the layout can be a bit confusing. Almost like instructions for a video game cheat move. Up one floor, down two, cross, up three. The people who work here make up for that though by being very friendly and hospitable.

Reasonable. The Maud Lewis section is fascinating and spent most of my time there. Reasonable price.

I love the Art Gallery!
Thursday nights are free night! no reason to miss any of their traveling exhibits!
the Shows in right now (november/​december)
Mary Pratt (TRULY AMAZING), Rats (really freaking scarry), Redbook by Whorhal…
These along with their permanent and semi permanent collections makes it an amazing experience!
I cannot say how much I love going to the Art Gallery!
The native mental health exhibit is also incredable, you feel moved to both cry and hug someone.
So, GO! enjoy! and feel engaged!

I am not unlike Ben B.
«Unapologetic yet undereducated appreciator of the arts»
Went to the National Gallery of Canada this past February in hopes of seeing a big collection of the Group of 7 (more specifically Tom Thomson). but much to our chagrin, the Tom Thompson part of the collection was being shown elsewhere.
So when word got to my Dad and I that the Sobey’s collection was on display, and more importantly, the stuff that sits over top of the rich folks mantles. we jumped.
I am not a huge fan of busy exhibitions. It’s hard for me to find enjoyment when everyone is uttering their own interpretations of the art. But this one is special, and it’s a special part of Canadiana.
The art gallery is an interestingly laid out place to see 100’s of ways to see how other have seen/​saw the world.
I thoroughly enjoy the art gallery, especially when I can have some time alone.

The best thing about the gallery is the Maud Lewis exhibit. Her story is amazing and I am so happy her legacy has been preserved at the Art Gallery for all those to see. If you haven’t been there to see it you should go!

I am an unapologetic yet undereducated appreciator of the arts. What does that mean exactly? Well, just that I will never say no to local theatre, galleries, or literature, but don’t have the Arts Degree itch that makes people want to justify, evaluate, or otherwise critique these cultural products. While they’re discussing the artist’s motivation or historical relevance of the piece, I’m smiling, saying ‘Oh, that one’s nice!’, and moving on. And I’m okay with that.
For me, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is a perfect hideaway for a quiet day of inspiration. You can roam for a solid afternoon between all the exhibits (I’d argue you don’t need days of time as you would at the Met or equivalent) without too many people around making you feel like you’re not appreciating art hard enough or in the right way.
Entry is cheap, opening events in the evening are very lovely without *too* much pretension (although there’s always a little bit… I mean, it *is* art after all…), and the range of exhibits, styles and media on display make it easy to find something you’ll enjoy. Some day I also hope to take advantage of their art rental service!

This gallery is sometime great, sometime boring.
I agree with the sentiment of the others. Although, I do like Maud Lewis. Her paintings are fantastic in a kitchy, folk way. She paints cows or oxen so well. They have such a consistent feel. Its almost like they are a stamp or something. She knows what things look like to her, and I think thats great.
That being said, the permanent collection is tiring. I enjoy the conceptual art that goes through there, the director for the gallery has good choices.
Nocturne is usually quite exciting, as was the Sobey art awards.
Its hard to compare to somewhere like the National Gallery where there is great modernist work from montreal like Riopelle and much more interesting group of seven paintings.
Agns has some grumpy as hell security guards. I was almost escorted out because it was 5 minutes til the gallery closed. I feel like the whole place has a kind of unfriendly quality. Maybe except the gift shop.
–3 out of 5, better to check out NSCAD Anna Leonowens if you want something more fresh and exciting– but im biased! I go there!!!

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is a great place to go on a rainy afternoon.
There is some fantastic art here and history to have a look at.
Of course the Maude Lewis, is famous and is a must see. This is a pretty spectacular Art Gallery for Halifax.

We enjoyed this gallery on a Thursday evening when we visited Halifax, although to be honest, we probably wouldn’t have toured it had it not been free admission. There were still some areas that were under construction on the outside, but we were able to view most exhibits inside. The gallery is pretty small and took us about half an hour to browse the works. I’ve seen much larger collections of Inuit and Aboriginal art in the National Gallery in Ottawa, naturally, but I was surprised that there weren’t more local/​provincial works of art displayed, considering it is representative of Nova Scotia as a whole. It is still an interesting gallery, and the girl at the front desk was really friendly and helpful with all of our non art-​related questions.

Sheepishly, I haven’t frequented this great gallery since October’s Nocturne Festival. And what a remarkable body of work that night infused– from installation artwork to gigantic ceramic sculptures– it was the kind of stuff to fuel reflection and flow. AGNS is one of Halifax’s utmost esteemed purveyors of the Atlantic art scene and an optimum space to utilize creative talents.
The gallery of a large scale, often housing multiple collections to ponder and appreciate. Their website is great to see whats current and on the go. Programs and tours are an option as well, as the gallery extends its notion for art towards the community.
Its a fantastic space with lots to look at. To have this spot at our fingertips, its not necessary to be an expert to enrich ones life through art.

Hey Halifax — Who do you think you are having a pretty great art gallery? A big city or something? Seriously! You go, girl.
I have seen some great exhibits at this place. Maybe large scale artists aren’t always amply represented and yes, Maude Lewis’ perpetual display can run a little stale; nevertheless, I’ve seen some cool up and comers display wicked creations at this joint…
Graeme Patterson’s installations anyone! For real!
Currently, you can suss out Jean-​Pierre Gauthier’s exhibit, Machines at Play, which is both investigative and intricate. There are regular tours and the gallery is open daily, save for Mondays, with Thursday evenings being of the FREE variety!
I highly recommend this as a must visit location in Halifax. Especially with one night a week that’s free, there’s no reason not to go!
Check it out. Open your mind. Be inspired.

My earliest memories of visiting Art Gallery of Nova Scotia were being pretty bored for most of the trip and then getting to color a picture at the end. I’ve gone on countless field trips here over the years and I can distinctly remember not enjoying myself. It’s a pretty tight laced gallery and can get boring for those who don’t appreciate this brand of conservative art. As I’ve gotten older I actually enjoy going to the Art Gallery, but only once and awhile because the exhibits can be tedious.
During a more recent visit I learned all about the «Nocturne at Night» festival which is happening in October that brings «art and energy» to the streets of Halifax. I’m not entirely clear on exactly what that entails, but the girl I was speaking with said that it’s a pretty big deal, so I plan to keep my eyes peeled!
Hot Hint: To volunteer at the aforementioned festival, check out their website for details.

The three star review is an average. Basically, here’s the thing, if there is a special touring exhibit or the Sobey’s award nominees are on display, four stars! But if it’s just the same old gallery, two stars.
So on average, three stars.
I suppose it’s hard to critique the art itself because it’s all subjective, but I can’t stand the work of Maude Lewis. I know she has an interesting story, but that doesn’t mean her paintings are interesting. Since there is so much work by Lewis in the AGNS, it’s hard to separate my complete disinterest in her work from the gallery as a whole.
I suppose it might be easier if the permanent collection was a little more exciting, but it’s not, and it’s certainly not worth the price of ten dollars. If you’re going to go, go on Thursday night when it’s admission by donation, which means you can pay what you feel, which means you can pay a reasonable price.
While I don’t care for the permanent collection, there are usually some very interesting touring and special exhibits. It’s always worth checking the web site to see what is coming up.
As I’ve said, art is very subjective, one man’s coffee is another man’s tea, one man’s whiskey is another man’s… well… you get the idea. It is a very impressive facility and worth taking a look around on Thursday nights, but I don’t think it’s worth the steep admission price every other day of the week unless something special is going on.

While it’s true that there aren’t nearly as many international artists represented here, it’s a wonderful place to spend many an afternoon. I can’t seem to get enough of the Maude Lewis house and exhibit — a must see every time I go… that and the permanent folk art exhibit.
That said, I usually find many other visiting exhibits give me pause. I’m still impressed by a Gee’s Bend quilting exhibit I saw years ago, Mary Pratt, Rodin… but my favorite place of all is the gift shop. From umbrellas to place mats and t-​shirts with some artist’s work imprinted, to the more sublime artisan works in glass, clay, fabric and jewellery, it’s wonderful.
Although I’ve never eaten a meal at the Cheapside Café, I have enjoyed a very civilized ladies tea on more than one occasion.

I get a kick out of exploring art galleries in general, and the AGNS has some great collections. There’s a permanent exhibition of Nova Scotia folk art, now with a full wooden Obama family that’s pretty hilarious. Right now the winner of the prestigious Sobey Art Award is on display, and what an interesting and challenging piece that is.
The gallery has a large Maud Lewis collection and features her fully-​restored house on permanent display.
My beef with the gallery is the $ 10 admission charge for adults, which I think is way too much. I’d go there once a month if it was more affordable, and the cost goes up for special exhibitions. To be fair, every Thursday evening from 5:00 to 9:00pm admission is «by donation», but that’s not usually when I’m hankering for a bit of gallery time. Other than that, very worth exploring.