Art Displays
Curious about local art? We are too!
When it comes to the arts, Nova Scotia is spoiled for talent, and we're pleased to feature local art in many of our Library spaces.
From The Sunroom at Central Library to art displayed in our branches, we want to give local artists space to connect with our community and share their vision.
Want to see your artwork in The Sunroom?
Halifax Public Libraries’ Art Selection Committee invites artists to submit an application, opens a new window to display their work at Central Library. The Sunroom is a complimentary space, where rotating art exhibits highlight emerging and professional local artists, and reflect Halifax’s diverse artistic expression. The deadline to apply is August 22, 2025.
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Current exhibits
The Sunroom at Central Library
On display June 7 to July 17, 2025
In The Sunroom: Révangéline by François Gaudet
François Gaudet grew up in Saint Bernard, Clare, Digby County, an Acadian community nestled along the Evangeline Trail in southwestern Nova Scotia. His artistic journey began at age eleven when his father, a photographer, gifted him his first medium-format camera. Immediately, François recognized the power and significance of the "mythical eye" the camera bestowed, igniting a passion for visual storytelling.
François further honed his artistic skills during his time as an exchange student at the San Francisco Art Institute, in San Francisco, California. He later graduated with a major in photography and a minor in painting from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver British Colombia. It was during this time that he began to merge photography with painting, captivated by how the two mediums could intersect to expand and transform visual narratives.
This fusion of media became central to his practice, allowing him to push the boundaries of time, space, and the image itself. His work has been shown internationally, including exhibitions in Europe, where his unique artistic approach continues to captivate audiences. Through his evolving practice, François challenges the relationship between photography and painting, offering an immersive exploration of identity, spirituality, and cultural heritage.
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Alderney Gate Public Library
Information on next display coming soon.
Cole Harbour Public Library
On display July 16 to August 31, 2025
Art by father/daughter duo, David Kenney and Krista Kenney
David Kenney
David primarily works with oil paints, his preferred medium, though he occasionally incorporates acrylics into his pieces. He began painting later in life, taking it up recreationally shortly after he retired from a career in accounting and management, that spanned both private and public service.
David's journey into art began around 2014. For the most part, he is self-taught. He eventually enrolled in classes on basic oil painting techniques. He would like to thank the artists who led these classes for their support as he developed his skills and gained more experience.
David's work usually highlights landscapes, with a focus on mountain scenes, coastal vistas, and riverscapes. He tries to create peaceful compositions that invite the viewer to look deeper into the composition and appreciate the scene as presented. The natural beauty encountered in his travels around the world serve as a source of inspiration.
David is an active member of the Dartmouth Visual Arts Society (DVAS). He enjoys participating in studio group sessions with fellow artists. He has also exhibited his work at the Craig Gallery.
Krista Kenney
A local of Cole Harbour, Krista has been involved with the arts since childhood. She has had instruction from local artists in the community, NSCAD University, and has taken advantage of the wealth of shared techniques and knowledge in books and online.
A dabbler in various media, Krista always returns to painting. Oil paint has a look and feel that appeals to her and is her preferred medium to use. Light and movement combines with flora and fauna to make up the body of her works.
As a member of the Dartmouth Visual Arts Society, Krista has participated in the society’s group show in Alderney Landing’s Craig Gallery. She is now excited to have the opportunity to show her work alongside those of her father at the Cole Harbour Library.
J.D. Shatford Memorial Public Library
On display July 2025
Art by Yvonne Rowell
Yvonne began studying the art of watercolour painting upon her retirement. She took lessons from renowned Moncton artist Joan Gregory for four years. In addition, she has taken and continues to take art seminars from artists in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI.
Yvonne grew up on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and has lived in Moncton, New Brunswick, for 45 years. Scenes of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are the inspiration for most of her paintings. She and her husband spend four months a year at the family homestead in Fox Point, Nova Scotia, where she is surrounded by a vibrant art community on the Aspotogan Peninsula.
She is a member of the Aspotogan Arts & Crafts Association in Nova Scotia and the Riverview Art Council in New Brunswick. She participates in art shows with each group on a regular basis. She has shown her art in galleries in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Her art hangs in homes across Canada, the United States, the UK, and Germany.
Keshen Goodman Public Library
On display July 2025
Light and Bright - Abstract Art by Sandra Pedersen
Original, one-of-a-kind, multi-media pieces offer a healing escape from reality into a world of colour and imagination.
Musquodoboit Harbour Public Library
On display May 23 to August 29, 2025
Art by Elizabeth Ingraham
Elizabeth Ingraham is a self-taught painter based in Musquodoboit Harbour, where she has long been a dedicated member of the local Library community.
Though she dabbled with paints for years, it wasn’t until after retirement that her passion for art truly took shape. Inspired by a copy of Leisure Painter magazine she picked up from the Library, Elizabeth began exploring painting more seriously, using the magazine’s pages as both a learning tool and creative springboard.
The works on display are drawn directly from Leisure Painter, reflecting her journey of discovery, practice, and personal expression through art.
Sackville Public Library
Information on next display coming soon.
Tantallon Public Library
On display July 2025
Art by Sarah Moriarty
Sarah Moriarty’s art is a reflection of her lifelong connection to the ocean. Growing up moving between Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Ontario, she developed a deep appreciation for the coastal landscapes that felt like home. After spending much of her adulthood in Ottawa, Sarah felt the undeniable pull to return to the ocean, settling in the charming coastal community of Hubbards, Nova Scotia.Â
Now surrounded by the beauty of the South Shore, Sarah finds endless inspiration in the ocean’s ever-changing moods. Painting has become her way to escape, play, and express emotions that words cannot capture. Her work explores a variety of styles and textures, with each piece showcasing her curiosity and experimentation with different techniques. Through her art, Sarah invites others to experience the serenity and wonder of coastal life, creating a connection to the places and feelings that inspire her most.Â
Woodlawn Public Library
On display July through October 2025
Art by Cathy McKelvey
"I am a non-representational painter living in Atlantic Canada. I had thought about what I do as abstraction, but non-representational painting is a better description. I'm not abstracting from the world around me. I'm making my invisible interior being, visible. I'm influenced by my experience in nature, but I paint from within. Although I spent my early years swimming in Lake Banook, you are more likely to find me now, on or near the St. John River. I began painting at the Saidye Bronfman School of Fine Arts in Montreal in the 1990’s. There I was exposed to the work of Les Automatistes (Paul-Émile Borduas, Marcelle Ferron, Jean-Paul Riopelle) part of the surrealist movement of the last century. Painting which incorporates the subconscious is tremendously creative and satisfying."
"My work is a reflection of my psychological state at any given time. I paint intuitively, which means I follow my gut and then respond to what happens. Because everyone is unique, my response is unique to me at that time. I wouldn't be able to copy my own work if I tried because, as time passes, I also change, and my impulses and responses change. I have spent many years learning techniques and rules. The trick now is letting all of that go and trusting myself."
"I am represented by The Prow Gallery, Halifax, NS."
