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…
The Fall Workshop Series is here!
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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
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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…
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!
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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…
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
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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
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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…
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!
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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
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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
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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…
VANS Summer Office Closure
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The art world never stops, but sometimes the VANS staff takes a break. VANS is closing the office from July 28 – August 8, 2025. We will re-open Monday, August 11th.
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…