The Art Park

The Art Park is developing out of a growing need to celebrate our local artists and crafts persons, and to share the vast talents in our community with others. The Art Park was conceived as a space to house both community art and sculpture created by individual artists and art collectives, and is part of the Seacoast Trail Art Association (STAA). Funding is available to artists who wish to create a piece of art for the park. (See submission form below.)

The park is located beside West River Falls in the village of Sheet Harbour on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. The park stretches along the river and into a mixed wood forest. It is open year round and is not fenced. The park is host to many items including carved benches, fairy doors, a shelter hut and several carved sculptures. In 2007, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable MayAnn E. Francis visited the Art Park and signed a shingle on the Shelter Hut. She wrote “Barriers are meant to cross over, not to stop you.”

Chain Saw Sculpture

The Seaside Exhibition of the Arts commissioned Arthur Turner to create a sculpture in the park. He chose to represent the logging industry of the Eastern Shore. He has dedicated his 16 foot chain saw sculpture in memory of Mike McInnis, who was a scaler who measured the wood brought in by truckers for Scott’s Pulp Mill.

The Shelter Hut

The Seaside Exhibition of the Arts (SEA) also sponsored Julie Adamson Miller’s shelter hut project. The shelter was created to showcase the individuals that make up the community surrounding and including Sheet Harbour through the mediums of art and architecture. Built by more than 450 community members, the shelter acts as a welcome to those that visit and live in the villages on the Eastern shore.  Each decorated shingle allows a glimpse into the spirit of the individuals that make up our community.

Benches

Three benches have been added to the permanent collection of the Art Park. Carvers Anne Keddy and John Nickerson helped students from various schools create these benches 

    Top Left -Boat Bench            Top Right -   Sea Creature Benches 

    Middle Left-Cement Bench of found objects Middle Right-Detail of Cement Bench - Art is made by the     hand of man

    Bottom - Cobbled Bench                              

Clothes Pin Sculpture

This wooden sculpture was made by George Child and commemorates the once successful clothes pin factory in Lewiston Lake, near Sheet Harbour.

Art Park

Submission Requirements

Preference is given to work that responds to the site, taking into consideration its context within the seaside community. Submitting artists are encouraged to visit the site before sending their proposal. 

The selection committee meets two times a year. Submission deadlines are January 15^th and May 15^th. You will receive written notification of the results approximately four weeks after the deadline. There is no limit to the number of times an artist may submit a proposal.

Submissions must include:

• In drawing format, the dimensions and materials proposed for the work and the location of the work on the site.
• A brief written statement of the theme.
• A budget showing materials, installation/removal and other critical costs
• Up to 8 slides/CD of relevant/related work. Identify work on a separate sheet indicating materials, dimensions, year and description

Seacoast Trail Art Association will donate an artist fee up to $500.00 towards the cost.

All work must meet public safety requirements, be installed compliant with municipal codes and meet the following criteria:

• Permanent sculpture must be secured by footings below grade
• Permanent sculpture must be fabricated from durable materials able to withstand climate changes for normal weathering unless the art is a time based piece.
• Must require no ongoing maintenance
• Must have no sharp edges or parts that can be shattered or broken
• Must have no wiring
• Work may not be installed on or over walkways

Please contact address below for more information.

Submissions sent by email to: jadamil@ns.sympatico.ca 

or by mail to:

• Julie Adamson Miller
• 59 Old Taylor Head Road
• Spry Bay, N.S. B0J 3H0