In Halifax, you'll find amazing art where you least expect it
From a parking lot to a North End basketball court, here’s a local’s guide to the best public art on offer
Destination: Art is a series uncovering some of Canada's unique, unexpected and under-the-radar art experiences. With spring in the air, adventure on the mind and many looking to explore more Canada, CBC Arts is adding some new attractions for readers who want to discover the treasures hiding in their own backyard.
Home to the biggest art gallery in Atlantic Canada, Halifax is nevertheless a city full of art you won't find neatly framed on a white wall. From the Dartmouth ferry terminal to the famed waterfront, there are as many public spaces in Halifax as there are installations, murals and sculptures to fill them.
"Public art has the opportunity to tell stories, to connect us to community, to recognize achievements and bolster community pride" says Lindsay Cory, the city's community developer for public art.
One of Cory's favourite pieces is Lace/Wood at the newly reopened Keshen Goodman Public Library. Created by Andrea Tsang Jackson, the interactive mural enlivens the children's section.
But that isn't the only public art worth highlighting. We talked to local art experts and artists about the best works hiding in plain sight all over the city.
Got Drunk, Fell Down and Fountain (2013)
Location: Bishop's Landing, Halifax waterfront
One look at this artwork on the waterfront boardwalk and you'll get why locals refer to it as the "Drunk Lampposts" and why it's the site of a thousand selfies.
Since 2013, Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg's twisted lampposts have parodied the after-hours stagger home you can witness downtown any Friday night.
The lampposts were originally commissioned for Toronto's Nuit Blanche, and came to town as part of a temporary display before becoming a permanent fixture. And yes, they really light up after dark. But the reason Art Gallery of Nova Scotia head curator David Diviney loves the piece, and walks by it almost daily, is simple: "because it is so smart and funny."
"These sculptures take the form of functioning street lamps doing some particularly human things," he says. "The diptych Got Drunk, Fell Down features a fallen light standard, while a second lamp seems to look on with concern. And Fountain illustrates a biological need [peeing] not frequently associated with keeping our streets illuminated after dark."
Diviney also points to the impact the beloved work has had on the waterfront.
"The site was formerly a helipad and kind of off the beaten path," he says. "So this part of the boardwalk wasn't being used very much by the public. These lamp-like sculptures act like beacons, drawing people towards this site that is now busy with all types of activities."
The Wave (1988)
Location: Lower Water Street, Halifax waterfront
When asked what piece of public art stands out to her the most, Sally Wolchyn-Raab — co-director of Eyelevel Gallery, one of the city's oldest artist-run centres — names The Wave by artist Donna Hiebert. It's a piece on the Halifax waterfront that rivals Got Drunk, Fell Down in fame.
The Wave first arrived on the boardwalk in the late 1980s, an early example of public art in the city. The blue standalone piece sits in the middle of the boardwalk, surrounded by spongy flooring for the safety of those who ignore the engraved stone sign warning "For your protection, do not climb."
"As an art object, The Wave is pretty meh," Wolchyn-Raab says. "But the way that people interact with it is so magical. I love seeing when public art becomes a gathering point or a play structure, and I hope they let kids keep sliding down the side of it forever."
Squaretown Courts (2024)
Location: George Dixon Centre Park basketball courts, 2501 Gottingen St.
Multi-hyphenate Duane Jones points to the heart of Halifax's North End when naming his favourite public art.
"I'm biased, but it's a piece that I designed: the murals on the George Dixon Community Centre's outdoor basketball courts," he says.
Located in Uniacke Square — where many Black families moved after the city displaced them from the community of Africville in the 1960s — Jones's mural on the surface of the basketball courts was unveiled last year and highlights the vibrancy and roots of the area. It's called Squaretown Courts after one of the neighbourhood's nicknames.
"I love that it's a practical artwork that's intended to be interacted with, that shines a positive light on a community that's often overlooked," Jones says. "I love that it shows where sport, art and culture overlap. Many people think we have to be interested in one or the other, but these things exist on spectrums."
Jones drew inspiration from colours associated with Pan-African unity and got input from local ballers, tapping into the community's long-standing love of the game.
"It's become a must-see landmark for people of African descent who love basketball," the artist says. "It's also made people want to use the space more, build friendships and community connections."
Annie Mae Pictou Aquash Legacy Mural (2023)
Location: 2576 Agricola St.
Poet and novelist Sue Goyette's favourite public art in Halifax is a mural, which towers over a tiny parking lot on Agricola Street, one of the city's most happening thoroughfares.
Painted by Tayla Paul and facilitated by the local Wonder'Neath Art Society, it pays homage to Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, an educator and activist from Sipekne'katik First Nation who was murdered in South Dakota in 1975.
"It surprised me, the first time I saw the mural," Goyette says. "I knew it had been painted and knew I was in its vicinity, but hadn't expected to be as moved as I was when I actually saw it in real life.
"It's such a dynamic painting. I love how its details show many aspects of Annie Mae's legacy and life. I also love the vibrancy of it. How bright and pure the colours are and how much heart it contributes to the street and community."
Goyette also appreciates that the mural "creates a site of legacy and memorialization for this fierce Indigenous woman in this singular time we're in."
"I always walk towards this mural intent on honouring Annie Mae's memory and appreciate the opportunity it gives me to reflect on the violence that is still ongoing for Indigenous peoples," she says.
"This learning impacts my understanding of how I can contribute to changing that. I also fiercely admire Annie Mae's spirit and strength and am grateful for being reminded of it in this vital and visual way."
Dartmouth Word Murals (2020)
Location: Various streets, downtown Dartmouth
Kat McCormack, an actor and the artistic director of Eastern Front Theatre, is proudly Dartmouth born and raised, so it's not surprising her favourite public art is scattered around the streets so close to her heart.
The 14 murals, meant to inspire the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, feature inspirational phrases like "Be kind" and "You got this."
"They're so simple and so huge and so positive," McCormack says. "I feel happy every time I see one. I'm not even sure that I've seen them all yet.
"What touches me about this project is that it seems to care for us and this community. It says so loudly that this place and these people matter."
The pieces, created by Fathom Studio, have become a visual treasure hunt since they were unveiled in 2020.
"They popped up seemingly overnight during COVID, so there was a very exciting thrill and sense of discovery and awe attached. They made a big impact because we were all discovering them at the same time."
Adds McCormack: "For as long as I can remember, downtown Dartmouth has had a bad rap, and this art project is just another awesome example of how powerful the sense of community is here.
"It's important to care for the place that you live in, and this piece flips that idea around and shows us that this place cares for us too. It has become another point of pride and reflection."
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