PAINTS FUNDING CUT 100%
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Budget cuts will end Artists in the Schools! The Nova Scotia Government is proposing budget cuts that will be devastating to the arts, our natural environment, social services, mental health and equity programs. Among these heavy-handed cuts, they are proposing to eliminate 100% of the provincial support for the Artists in the Schools programs, including…
Save Arts and Culture in NS!
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Dear Artists, Arts Organizations, and VANS Members, Thank you for your continued engagement and advocacy during this challenging time. The proposed provincial budget includes a 30% cut to operational funding for (already underfunded) arts, culture, and heritage organizations and a $14M cut to discretionary funding within Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage (CCTH). These cuts will be…
Advocate for Arts Funding!
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This is a call for action from all of us involved in the arts and culture community in Halifax and the entire province. Arts funding at BOTH the Municipal and Provincial levels are under threat. Budget season for both municipalities and the province is upon us and there has been talks of a 10% reduction…
VANS in Residence in Church Point
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A 4-week residency to work, play and connect with community in Church Point, NS. A stipend, a studio space, as well as support from VANS and le Conseil des arts de la Baie (le CAB) to help to make the residency a rich experience for the artist and the community alike. 60% of the artist’s…
Take our Spring Workshop Survey
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VANS will be offering online and in-person workshops for our Spring Workshop Series in April and May. We’d love to get your feedback about which professional development workshops we should offer and when. Let us know what you would like to see VANS offer by completing the Spring 2026 Workshop Survey, here: https://forms.gle/7MHtMChW3T9QfXtc7. Then we would…
Advocacy Resources
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LETTER TEMPLATE WRITE YOUR MLA: Find out your Electoral district and MLA here: https://enstools.electionsnovascotia.ca/edinfo/. CC: FinanceMinister@novascotia.ca, MIN_CCTH@novascotia.ca, PREMIER@novascotia.ca Dear MLA ____________ (find your MLA here), The Honourable John Lohr, Minister of Finance, The Honourable Dave Ritcey, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism & Heritage, and The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, My name is…
It’s cold outside, so why not take the time to brush up on your skills (or learn some new ones) by taking the two NEW online info sessions in VANS’ winter series? Sign up for Writing for Accessibility in the Arts with Jacquelyn Miccolis (presented in partnership with Creative Community Impact Association) and Artist Inventories:…
Signatures’ By Hand Gift Show
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Discover 100% Canadian Handmade at Toronto Market Week. Signatures’ By Hand Gift Show is back January 24-27 at The International Centre in Mississauga, ON. By Hand is a thoughtfully-curated gift show celebrating Canadian makers, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Bringing together a diverse mix of Canadian handmade goods, small-batch products, and emerging brands, the show offers…
VANS In Residence in Sydney, CB
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Artist-caregivers: This residency is for YOU! We know balancing caregiving and artistic practice is challenging. That’s why VANS in Residence at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design is specifically for artist-caregivers—with real support to make it work. What makes this different: Caregiver support that is specific to YOUR needs (child/respite care, housing, meal prep…
PAINTS is accepting schools’ requests for workshops until January 30th. There are new workshops in our roster in a variety of media: textiles, clay, collage, drawing, painting, and more! We have great artists all over Nova Scotia who are eager to work with students. We will begin accepting requests January 6. Check out and request…
Be a part of our 50th Anniversary!
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You are invited to be a part of VANS’ 50th Anniversary logo! Better Drea.ms Design Studio is designing our logo to capture what we are celebrating – 50 years of Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s existence. Here is Better Drea.ms’ concept brief: “Using 50 unique interpretations of the ‘0’ in ’50’ becomes a living showcase of the…
VANS Holiday Office Closure
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The VANS office will be closed for the holidays between December 19, 2025 and January 4, 2026. Our last day in the office is Thursday, December 18 (so get your membership renewals in before then, if possible) and we will be back to work on Monday, January 5th. Thank you for your patience as we…
CFNS Holiday Party – You’re Invited!
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On behalf of the eight federations that comprise the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia, we warmly invite you to our 2025 Holiday Party! Join us as we celebrate the culture, artistry, and heritage of Nova Scotia with an evening filled with festive cheer on Thursday, December 18. Drop in between 5 – 9 pm at the…
Support VANS this Giving Tuesday
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Visual Arts Nova Scotia is participating in Giving Tuesday on the global day of giving. As you know, VANS works to support artists though professional development workshops and our Mentorship Program, promoting them through the Artist Pages and Visual Arts News magazine, providing opportunities through PAINTS (Professional Artists in the Schools), advocating on their behalf, and more. We could use…
If you have purchased a VANS auto-renewing membership, you will be charged your membership fee for the full year ahead when your membership renews automatically each year, on December 1. It’s convenient and you never have to set a reminder – the VANS website processes your payment every year on December 1st (via PayPal). Not…
We can’t believe how fast 2025 has gone! As the end of the year approaches, remember to renew your VANS membership before it expires on December 31. If you selected an automatically renewing membership when you joined or renewed last year, then it will automatically charge your 2026 membership fees on December 1, 2025. No need to…
Remembering Andrew Terris
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Andrew David Terris, a tireless champion of artists and cultural programs, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2025 at the age of 82, after a terminal struggle with pancreatic cancer. Andrew chose Medical Assistance in Dying and was surrounded by close friends, love and dignity. He is survived by his beloved wife Janice Isabel Jackson.…
Apply to be a PAINTS artist
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Are you interested in working with students? The PAINTS (Professional Artists In The Schools) Program is seeking professional artists and fine craft artisans who want to offer workshops to schools in their home community. Our program is available to schools throughout the province, for grades Primary – 12, so we need artists everywhere, particularly in…
Scam alert!
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Attention artists! VANS members and other professional artists are being solicited with personalized (but poorly spelled) emails that are scams. The public emails on the Artist Pages are mined and used to contact artists. If you receive an email similar to the one below that was sent to one of our member artists, please report…
Visual Arts News turns 50 this year. We want to mark the milestone by widening the circle. We’re inviting writers, artists, and critics to pitch smart, generous stories that deepen conversations around Atlantic art and culture. Surprise us. Challenge us. Bring forward practices, places, and people that haven’t had enough light. Profiles, features, and exhibition…