Art exhibit brings together past and present of Halifax

Artist William Froude made a painting depicting the launch of the HMCS Margaree. (Source: 14 Bells Fine Art Gallery)

If nothing else, Halifax and its people are defined by change.

As one of the oldest cities in Canada, Halifax witnessed firsthand the transformation of the Industrial Revolution, the advent of vehicles and paved streets, expanding urbanization and countless architectural upheavals.

Beyond those gradual changes, it’s also endured snap moments that instantly altered it, like the infamous Halifax Explosion.

Through it all, the people of Halifax and the surrounding area have watched and experienced those changes, sometimes resisting them, sometimes adapting to them, sometimes championing them.

A new art exhibition aims to reflect on those constant changes.

“Art is important to capture moments in time,” said Cheryl Bell, owner of 14 Bells Fine Art Gallery in the north end of Halifax.

“Halifax: Looking Back, Moving Forward” features work from 13 artists. Each person was charged with creating two pieces – one that focused on a part of Halifax in the past and another that looked at its current state.

“The city has been changing a lot in the last few years,” Bell said. “I thought it’d be nice to juxtapose the old with the new.”

William Froude, one of the featured artists, is not originally from Halifax, so he takes an outsider’s approach to his depictions of the city.

“Being from out of province and learning the history of Halifax has been pretty enlightening,” he said. “I didn’t realize how rich the culture and history is here so I’d thought it’d be a nice way to honour it.”

Froude’s paintings depict two ship launches on the Halifax waterfront, separated by decades: the HMCS Margaree in 1956 and the HMCS Robert Hampton Gray in 2024.

“Whenever you see a ship launch, it’s a massive structure that 2,000-plus people have put together over more than a year,” he said. “You see it launch and it goes form something super industrial to something quite graceful.

“We have a long history of creating ships for our country.”

Jan Davison, who has been with the gallery for three years, likes to focus on the architecture and streetscapes of Halifax with her work. Her contributions to the exhibit highlight the old CBC building near Citadel Hill and the new occupant of the space: the YMCA.

“I have noticed a lot of changes but it actually felt the same because of the design of the building,” Davison said. “There are instances where designers choose to uphold a tradition.

“There are a lot of buildings that are keeping the original façade. I like when that happens. It’s great for the city to have that.”

The exhibit will launch on Saturday and will run until May 30.

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