Saturday night a lot of the city was alive with artwork. Galleries, streets, windows, busses, all sported the message that the arts, and interest in the arts, was alive and well in Halifax. People of all ages and interests wandered through the city looking at paintings, sculpture, videos, hearing music and seeing performances. Until midnight, when the city turned into a pumpkin and rolled back to its usual somewhat quiet nature. It was fascinating.
A couple of friends, Zoe Nudell and Pam Rubin, had an installation using pieces of metal debris removed from the demolition site of a beautiful church that was taken down across from the Shambhala School in Halifax. Many of us had watched the destruction of a magnificent building with great sadness. Zoe and Pam had covered the large metal pieces with flowers. In front of the installation, they had placed some vertical metal bars laced with greens. It had a quiet, sacred feeling. A fitting memorial.
But the best part for me was being joined by Aaron and his partner, Joanne. I picked them up at the airport Friday night late. They will be staying here with me until they find a flat in Halifax. A big change for all of us. For Joanne, the first first time in Halifax and the first time to live in Canada. For Aaron, a return to a place he knows and loves well. For me, finally, family here.
My friend Yoko accompanied me to the airport Friday night (so I wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel!). In the waiting area, she noticed there was the panel I had worked on for the Visual Arts Nova Scotia collaboration, Canvas. The painting with all the hearts on it. It was facing the stairs for the people arriving in Halifax. A fitting entry for my family!
And of course, Aaron knows a lot of people from when he lived here before so it was reunion time in Halifax. For Joanne, it was an inviting introduction to life in Halifax.
Comments