Visual Arts Nova Scotia, in partnership with ARCAC, is so pleased to welcome Cortney Cassidy as the newest VANS in Residence Artist. Cortney will be in residence from June 2 – 28, 2024 at ARTPLACE in Annapolis Royal.

Cortney Cassidy is an emerging painter, based in Mi’kma’ki (Halifax, Canada). They are a recent graduate of NSCAD University, with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. Their work has been represented nationally and internationally in galleries and publications in Canada, the US and England. They are the recipient of a number of awards, including the Joseph Beuys Memorial Scholarship and the Robert Pope Painting Endowment Scholarship. They have a wide range of experience in arts facilitation, community engagement and arts administrative roles.

From the artist

I am particularly interested in how physical space can offer revelatory experiences for my creative work. During my time in the Animotion Puppetry Intensive at Mermaid Theatre (Windsor, NS), I became passionate in my research around theatrical set design and puppetry, as well as engaging in cross-discipline conversations with those in the theatre arts. At ARCAC, my research will involve visiting King’s Theatre to learn their approaches to creative production, attending their programming and hosting studio visits with local artists in both visual and theatre arts. While my paintings involve imagined and abstracted landscapes, my studio research involves visiting and studying natural environments. I’ll be excited to be immersed in the natural landscapes of Annapolis Royal, as well as visit the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens to study the unique foliage and translate on-site drawing studies into my large paintings.

I’ll be offering workshops geared towards local youth who are interested in gaining skills around creative discussions and critiques. It is an honour to get to be an encouraging force in the early creative practices of youth, supporting individuals to explore their intuitive impulses.

About the partners: 

ARCAC was founded as a Society in 1982 by a group of artists who wanted to share their work and ideas with each other and their community. ARCAC is a registered charitable organization, and is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), the NS Dept. of Communities, Culture and Heritage (CCH), and through membership, donations and fundraising.​ In 1996, the organization acquired its own building, known as ARTSPLACE.

ARTSPLACE delivers a year round schedule of workshops, classes, readings, screenings, talks and special events. Their artistic vision is rooted in respect for the variety and importance of artistic practice, and a desire to share stimulating work and strengthen artistic life in our region. Creating environments for art and arts practitioners to thrive is key to their work, as is supporting audiences in their growth, awareness, and excitement about art.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia believes in a future where a career as an artist is accessible, sustainable, and recognized as an integral part of our communities.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS) supports artists through education, connection and advocacy. We operate across Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the L’nu people, also known as Nova Scotia. We prioritize artist-to-artist learning through workshops, mentorship, and sharing information about meaningful opportunities. Visual Arts Nova Scotia advocates for artists by listening to their concerns, speaking up for their needs, and creating platforms to share their work. Recognizing that equity-seeking artists face additional barriers to a career in the arts, Visual Arts Nova Scotia works to make resources accessible to artists across the province, while prioritizing support for those who are impacted by systemic oppression.

Featured Image: We’re Fine in the Lowlands, Oil on canvas, 2024, 48” x 36”
“We’re Fine in the Lowlands” depicts an imagined and dream-like landscape, packed with abstracted water and plant-like forms, along with cartoonish blobs that are suspended within the scene. Referencing theatrical set design through proscenium arching, and the layering of forms and foliage to create an illusion of deep space, this piece is playing with notions of both personal and artistic space-making. The work involves vibrant colours, many layers of paint application, energetic brushwork, and shifting perspectives to create a cavernous environment that simultaneously pulls the viewer in and pushes them away. A picture light installed above the painting offers a humorous nod to traditional modes of scenic landscape painting.