News

The Fall Workshop Series is here!

You can now register for the Fall Workshop Series online, by e-transfer, in person (by appointment) or by sending a cheque to VANS. We listened to the feedback from the workshop survey and switched up the day and time of the online workshops! And we offered more online workshops again this season. You’ll find some…

Remembering Jim MacSwain

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of James MacSwain (1945 – 2025).  Jim was an extraordinary human. Endlessly creative, joyful, fiercely intelligent and generous beyond words. He was an artist in the fullest sense. His practice which spanned decades included visual art, filmmaking, as well as performance. He was a maker, a…

Schools can apply for the PAINTS Equity Subsidy

Visual Arts Nova Scotia is offering an Equity Subsidy to support PAINTS (Professional Artists In The Schools) workshops in schools serving significant populations of BIPOC students (for the current school year, schools must have 60% or more of the student/school community who are BIPOC). The PAINTS Equity Subsidy will support qualifying schools by fully funding projects…

Visual Arts News announces new editor!

Visual Arts News is pleased to announce our new Editor, Ross Nervig. As we enter our 50th year as a publication, we’re thrilled to have Ross join us to help us keep moving forward on our journey. Ross is a writer, editor, and communications strategist with more than a decade of experience in journalism, arts…

VANS is hiring a Community Outreach and Social Media Coordinator

Visual Arts Nova Scotia is seeking a creative and detail-oriented Community Outreach and Social Media Coordinator to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a passion for connecting with communities in many creative ways and an enthusiasm for social media and digital marketing, with a keen eye for trends and content creation.  You will…

Meet the 2025-26 Mentorship Program

Visual Arts Nova Scotia is pleased to officially announce the participants of this year’s Mentorship Program. After receiving many great applications, the program will be supporting four dedicated emerging artists in Nova Scotia. Jordan Johnson, Kamila Orbegoso, Shane Keyu Song, and Jessica Steele and have been individually paired with established artists and mentors Melanie Colosimo,…

Workshop Bursaries

If there is a VANS workshop that would greatly benefit your art practice, but the workshop fees are out of reach right now, you can apply for a workshop bursary using the form below. Members can apply for a bursary for one workshop per season. VANS has a limited number of bursaries available each season…

Take our Fall Workshop Survey (please and thanks)

VANS will be offering online and in-person workshops for our Fall Workshop Series in October and November. 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 Fall 2025 Workshop Survey, here: https://forms.gle/hyLjZissYwZhkd6M7. Then we would really appreciate it if you’d share this…

Pick up your VANS merch today!

You can purchase this limited-edition, black cotton tote bag and both limited-edition VANS stickers! We are selling the tote bag ($25/ each) and stickers ($5/ each) individually or as a bundle of all three VANS merch items ($30) as a fundraiser, which includes postage to mail them to your door. New totes and stickers designed…

See you at the Halifax Art Book Fair

Visual Arts News will be at the Halifax Art Book Fair! Join us for a celebration of art books, prints, and creative community! The Halifax Art Book Fair and conference will take place Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23 at the All Nations Church, 2535 Robie Street (corner of Robie and Charles). The event…

Apply to be a PAINTS artist

Seeking artists who love their practice and connecting with children and youth. PAINTS (Professional Artists In The Schools) is accepting applications from artists. PAINTS helps schools in Nova Scotia bring professional visual artists into their classrooms. There are artists living and working in every part of NS who are part of the program. Projects can range from 3…

HRM artists: apply for the Mentorship Program!

We are accepting applications for Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s Mentorship Program. The program pairs emerging artists with established artists to take part in a ten-month mentorship from September to June. Focusing on supporting the goals and ambitions of emerging artists throughout the province, mentors may be asked to provide support in any one or more…

Mented: VANS 2024-25 Mentorship Program Exhibition

Mented Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s 2024-25 Mentorship Program Exhibition The Craig Gallery, July 2 –  27, 2025 Opening Reception: Thursday, July 3, 2025, from 4 – 6 pm Emerging Artist Talk (in-person): Saturday, July 19, 1 pm  You are invited to the 2024-25 Mentorship Program Exhibition, Mented, at The Craig Gallery July 2 – 27. Highlighting…

Mentorship Program Call for Applications

Acknowledging that artists in rural and urban areas have very different experiences and needs, the Mentorship Program will run two pilot versions: in 2025-26 VANS will only accept applications from emerging artists in or near Halifax. In 2026-27 VANS will only accept applications from rural artists (location TBD). The deadline for the 2025-26 Mentorship Program…

Show your support for VANS

You can now purchase this limited-edition, black cotton tote bag and both limited-edition VANS stickers! We are selling the tote bag ($25/ each) and stickers ($5/ each) individually or as a bundle of all three VANS merch items ($30) as a fundraiser, which includes postage to mail them to your door. Totes and stickers designed…

You’re invited to VANS’ AGM

Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s Annual General Meeting will take place over Zoom on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Join us from 6 – 7 pm AT to find out about VANS’ accomplishments this year and elect new directors to our Board. Please register by June 16 to get your Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nP_JoAdKQZiIfBmuOFbvxQ After registering, you’ll receive…

Sign up for workshops today!

There are two workshops left in VANS’ Spring Workshop Series! You can still register for Artists and ADHD: The Struggle is Real! with Michelle Lum and Eryn Foster (Thursday, May 8, 7pm), and Teaching an Art Workshop Online with Carley Mullally (Thursday, May 15, 7pm). Workshops are $40 for VANS members and $50 for non-members.…

A spring launch of art and poetry

On May 14th, join Visual Arts News in Halifax for a spring launch of editor Shannon Webb-Campbell’s latest poetry collection – Re: Wild Her and the Visual Arts News Spring 2025 magazine. We will also be joined by Geoffrey Webster, an arts writer who wrote the review on Graeme Patterson’s Strange Birds featured in the Visual…

Visual Arts News is hiring an editor

Visual Arts News is seeking an Editor. This is a freelance contract position to start September 8, 2025. The first print issue under the new Editor will be Spring/Summer 2026. The Editor should have knowledge of the communities of artists, galleries, and institutions in the Atlantic region, and a curiosity to learn more. The ideal…