Since his artist residency in New Glasgow, emerging artist Curtis Botham has been making a series of large scale charcoal drawings that deal with the industrial history of Nova Scotia. Effluence shows the aesthetic of industry in Nova Scotia and gives context to its historical, and often destructive, roots. See Effluence in the Corridor Gallery January 4 – 30, 2019.

Of the work, Botham states:
These artworks are the result of my artist residency in New Glasgow. I became enamored with Nova Scotia’s industrial history during that time. Nova Scotia is unique to Canada for its heavy reliance on coal power. It is the only province exempt from 2030 deadline on eliminating coal power. Pulp mills are granted environmental leeway and taxpayer funding in order to preserve jobs. It’s apparent that the dichotomy between environment and economy is going to be one of the chief issues of the twenty-first century. This series is an attempt to explore this dichotomy by creating a visual dialogue.

Curtis Botham is a graduate of NSCAD University. He has been the recipient of several awards and grants, including the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/VANS Award, two grants from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, and one from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. During 2017/2018 he participated in an artist-in-residence program in New Glasgow, where he became interested in the industrial history of Nova Scotia. Through large-scale charcoal drawings and layering techniques, Curtis explores the multi-faceted effects of industry on the economy, culture and environment of small-town Canada. Curtis hopes to continue to learn about history and culture by combining art-making and travelling.

Located inside the Visual Arts Nova Scotia office at the Halifax Seaport since 2000, the Corridor Gallery is complimented by a historical legacy of Nova Scotia culture, simple yet modern architectural elements and an array of current cultural activity in the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia office. The Corridor Gallery is located at 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia and is open Monday through Friday, 9:30am – 5pm.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia advances the visual arts through leadership, education, and communication.

See more of Curtis Botham’s work on his website: curtisbotham.weebly.com.

High resolution image for press available via Dropbox.

For further information regarding the exhibition please contact:
Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator
902.423.4694 | 1.866.225.8267 | f: 902.422.0881
vans@visualarts.ns.ca | www.visualarts.ns.ca