Media Release
Artist Garry Neill Kennedy presents And Still Counting at Halifax City Hall
(Monday, November 30, 2009) - On November 26, 2009, Mayor Peter Kelly proudly opened an art installation at Halifax City Hall entitled And Still Counting, by Halifax-based artist Garry Neill Kennedy. The artworks will be available for public viewing until March 1, 2010.
“This beautiful exhibit is a clear example of a growing partnership between HRM and the arts community, in this case the Khyber Arts Society and the artist,” said Mayor Kelly: “Art is an important reflection of our culture. "In making this exhibit accessible to the public we are reaffirming our support for one of our renowned artists and contributing to the vitality of our dynamic arts community.”
The art was originally commissioned last summer by HRM to beautify the facade of 1588 Barrington Street (also commonly known as the “Khyber Building”) while it was undergoing restoration. All of the windows had been removed and replaced with wooden inserts, which inspired the Khyber Arts Society (KAS), a long-term tenant of the building, to cover the inserts with artwork. KAS then selected the artist Garry Neill Kennedy to create the site-specific paintings, being a founding member of the organization and for his long-time contribution to the local and international arts community. This innovative approach to heritage restoration, through contemporary arts, is a first in HRM.
For this art installation, Kennedy counted and numbered the plywood inserts used to temporarily replace each of the 27 windows. He then chose colours based on their names – names that related to the building itself and its surroundings, like “Turret Brown,” “Playhouse Plum,” or “Ships at Sea.” Each background colour forms the foreground colour of the following painting. The typeface used for the numbers was inspired by the numbers painted on the bows of the navy ships entering the Halifax Harbor.
“This exhibit has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to discover that my approach to painting, which is essentially conceptual, can fit comfortably within the historic setting offered by Halifax Hall,” said Kennedy.
Along with being a renowned contemporary artist, Garry Neill Kennedy was an art professor at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) for over 40 years, where he also served as president for 23 years (1967 to 1990). His artwork has been shown all over the world, including Beijing (China), Frankfurt (Germany), and Paris (France). More recently, he was awarded the Order of Canada and the Visual Arts Governor General’s Award.
The exhibit is available for public viewing during City Hall regular business hours (pending availability of the room) until March 1, 2010. Appointments are recommended. To make an appointment, phone 490-5739, or email connolc@halifax.ca, or visit HRM’s website at www.halifax.ca.
-30-
Mayor Peter Kelly
490-4010
Christine Lavoie,
HRM Culture and Heritage Development
490-1989
