Halifax in four galleries

FRED – Beauty Food Art

2606 Agricola St.
Halifax, NS
(902) 
407-3733
fredsalon.ca

The philosophy behind FRED is simple.

“We like to take things people do every day and elevate them to being extraordinary by emphasizing excellence in everything,” says owner Fred Connors.

The five-and-a-half-year-old business includes a hair salon, cafe and art gallery under one roof. Connors says the gallery provides some much-needed space to the Halifax art scene.

But the gallery isn’t just for paintings. Musicians Rose Cousins, Megan Smith, Jenn Grant and Amelia Curran have played small concerts there. The gallery has just finished hosting an annual three-night flamenco dance performance that featured dancers from Halifax and Spain.

“It draws so many people from other communities to the North End, to be able to have these cultural experiences that are traditionally not available in the neighbourhood or venues like this … we’ve been able to showcase some of the most amazing talent in Nova Scotia,” says Connors.

FRED’s current selection of paintings – environmentally-themed works such as stylized trees and landscapes – is a fundraiser for the Ecology Action Centre. The centre and the artists will split the proceeds.

- Jonathan Charlton

Utility Gallery

5224 Blowers St.
Halifax, NS B3J 1LW
(902) 420-1348
utility-gallery.com

With the intermittent buzz of tattoo guns, the scent of fresh antiseptic in the air and a large window overlooking bustling Blowers Street, it’s clear Utility isn’t your typical gallery.

With antique tattoo and barbershop chairs tucked away in the corners and flash adorning its walls, Utility also doubles as a tattoo and piercing shop.

“People who come for tattoos are always surprised that it’s an art gallery, and people who come for the art are surprised by the tattoos,” says Ami Goto, Utility’s curator.

But the 10-year-old establishment’s large reception area doubles as a space for local artists to strut their stuff. This week, Alberta-born mixed-media artist Chelsey Tellier is showcasing her work, but Goto says Utility hosts between eight and 10 shows a year, including painting and jewellery exhibits.

While Goto says the non-profit space isn’t used exclusively for emerging artists, she says she likes to exhibit the work of the underdogs.

“I try to do art shows for people who need the space to show their work,” she said. “So I’ll do a lot of shows for students from NSCAD.”

- Mark Teo

Eyelevel Gallery

2063 Gottingen St.
Halifax, NS B3K 3B2
(902) 425-6412
eyelevelgallery.ca

Emerging from Inventions, a feminist art collective, Eyelevel has been a staple in Halifax’s art scene since 1974.

A not-for-profit gallery, Eyelevel has bounced between Barrington and Gottingen streets. While the gallery focuses mainly on contemporary art, expect to find an eclectic mix of local and international artists at both the emerging and professional level.

“All forms of media are welcome to the gallery,” said Michael McCormack, Eyelevel’s director. “We do pretty much everything …. That can range from sculpture, to installation to photography.”

Eyelevel is also involved with public outreach programs, like the Go North program, which offers free, guided tours of galleries, artists’ studios and businesses throughout the city.

- Mark Teo

Secord Gallery

6301 Quinpool Road
Halifax, NS B3L 1A4
(902) 423-6644
secordgallery.com

The Secord Gallery Hall of Frame has operated above the shops on Quinpool Road for roughly 17 years. The gallery shows the work of artists who have, one time of another, been based in Nova Scotia.

The gallery is cozy and a little crowded, every corner decked with art. Most of the artists who exhibit their work at Secord Gallery are painters, though the gallery does show prints, photographs, sculptures and ceramics.

From Feb. 19 to March 12, the gallery will be showing the paintings of Lorena Ziraldo, a NSCAD graduate who paints with rich colours and exhibited her work in Toronto and Vancouver.

Secord Gallery moonlights as a frame shop and Holly Thompson, a framer and consultant, says that’s what separates it from other galleries. She says the gallery is able to meet the needs of artists who need to frame pieces that don’t come in standard square shapes.

Thompson says operating above a store has its advantages: the gallery can decide its own hours and its position above the street provides plenty of natural light and air.

Thompson says being outside of downtown can be a challenge but, since they’ve been around for so long, their loyal customers tend to seek them out.

- Monika Warzecha