VANS

New deadline: VANS in Residence at ARTSPLACE

Apply for VANS in Residence at ARTSPLACE in Annapolis Royal! VANS in Residence provides a stipend to support the artist, a studio space, as well as support from VANS and the community partner to help to make the residency a rich experience for the artist and the community alike. 60% of the artist’s time will…

Oooh, spring workshops!

Announcing VANS’ Spring Workshop Series! The workshops in this series will be offered online over Zoom (but we will return to offering some in-person workshops in the fall). Registered participants will get a limited-time link to a recording of the session afterward so if you can’t make it to the workshop on the day, you’ll still get all…

Get a new perspective on your application

Snow is still on the ground, but it’s time for the spring round of the Peer Application Review Groups! Visual Arts Nova Scotia is facilitating this six-week peer-review process to help current members strengthen their upcoming proposals. Artists will get and give feedback by email on applications from two peers, matched based on the type of…

The VANS logo and the words Spring 2024 Workshop Survey on a white background framed with diagonal geometric shapes in shades of blue.

What workshops should we offer?

VANS will be offering online and in-person workshops for our Spring Workshop Series in March, April and May. We’d love to get your feedback about which professional development workshops we should offer, where and when. Let us know what you would like to see VANS offer by completing the Spring 2024 Workshop Survey, here: https://forms.gle/VqdDt7xogUVhjorEA. Then we would really appreciate…

You can apply for a Membership Bursary

If you want to renew your VANS membership for 2024 but find the membership fee out of reach right now, consider applying for a Membership Bursary. Membership Bursaries provide artists in need of financial support with a VANS membership (which runs from January 1 – December 31). There’s no deadline to apply and applications are confidential.…

PAINTS deadline for teachers in January 30

PAINTS (Professional Artists In The Schools) helps schools in Nova Scotia bring professional visual artists into their classrooms. Projects can range from 3 to 12 hours, and can involve artists working in every imaginable discipline. PAINTS projects make links between the professional artists’ own work and the workshops that they lead with the students. We’re…

Happy Holidays from VANS!

The VANS office, along with the rest of the Cultural Federations, will be closed for the holidays December 19 – January 2. Our last day in the office will be Monday, December 18 (so get your membership renewals in before then) and our first day back will be Wednesday, January 3, 2024. Happy holidays from…

Black background with illustrations of yellow Christmas ornaments hanging from the top. Two issues of the Visual Arts News overlap in the middle, with sparkles on the top left and lower right framing the magazines. Below there is a yellow thin line with text underneath that reads "Give the Gift of Visual Arts News

Give the gift of Visual Arts News

A subscription to Visual Arts News makes the perfect gift for the art lover in your life. Issues will be mailed twice a year, Spring and Fall, to the gift recipient, as well as access to additional online content throughout the year for just $22 (or $36 for a two-year subscription). A letter will be…

A still image from ART RECESS video. Overhead image of hands creating a blue and white collage on a table with art supplies and a laptop nearby,

Take an ART RECESS

ART RECESS. A break, a change, time to play, to have fun – just like regular recess!  You can even have a snack too.  ART RECESS is a collection of short, accessible workshops that can be delivered online at times that work for teachers in the school year, or for parents and caregivers anytime. VANS…

Blue square with darker blue geometric shapes in the background with the works Membership Renewal Time in white in the middle with the VANS logo underneath.

Time to renew your membership

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 time, then it will automatically charge your 2024 membership fees on December 1, 2023. No need to set a reminder – the website will automatically…

visual arts news

Open Call for Visual Arts News Spring Issue

The team at Visual Arts News is eager to hear from writers, artists and critics to expand and deepen conversations inspired by the artistic vision of emerging and established artists who are pushing the boundaries of art and culture in the Atlantic region.  For this open call, we are seeking pitches for features, profiles and…

Join us for Activating Art in Mi’kma’ki panel discussion

Visual Arts Nova Scotia and Visual Arts News, in partnership with the Native American Art Studies Association and Nocturne: Art at Night Festival, present an in-person keynote panel discussion: Activating Art in Mi’kma’ki on Thursday, October 12, from 6 – 8 pm. Moderating the discussion is Tiffany Morris, an L’nu’skw (Mi’kmaw) artist and writer from…

Indigo square with darker blue geometric shapes in the background with the words Equity Subsidy in white capital letters in the middle with the VANS logo underneath.

New Equity Subsidy for Schools

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. The PAINTS Equity Subsidy will support qualifying schools by fully funding projects including the artist fee, materials and any travel costs. Workshops are usually 3 – 4 hours in length for up…

Meet the 2023-24 Mentorship Program

Visual Arts Nova Scotia is pleased to officially announce the participants of this year’s Mentorship Program. After receiving some great applications, the program will be supporting four dedicated emerging artists in Nova Scotia. Barbara Brown Conrod, Kordeena Clayton, Kristi Farrier, and Pam Juarez and have been individually paired with established artists and mentors Susan Tooke,…

Register today for workshops!

Our Fall Workshop Series is back with some familiar favourites like Grant Writing (in person) with Becka Barker, Pricing Your Work with Stacey Cornelius, Networking & Talking About Your Work (in person) with Sarah Maloney, and Documenting Your Work with Steve Farmer. We have some great new workshops this fall too, like Crafting Your Artistic…

Call for Expressions of Interest: VANS Limited Edition Merch

We’re seeking expressions of interest from VANS member artists to support our new annual fundraising initiative – limited edition tote bags and sketchbooks! Artists will receive 15% of gross sales in accordance with the CARFAC fee schedule – estimated at $300-$500. A new artist and design will be selected coinciding with our annual membership promotion…

Membership Renewal Info

YOUR MEMBERSHIP CAN RENEW AUTOMATICALLY Members said that the main reason they don’t renew their membership is because it slipped their mind. With an auto-renewing membership, you will be charged the initial fee for the full year ahead, and your membership will renew automatically each year, on December 1 – no need to set a…

Announcing VANS’ New Executive Director

Visual Arts Nova Scotia is pleased to announce their new Executive Director: Therese Cruz! After a lengthy search by Placemaking 4G, the VANS Board of Directors has hired Therese, who will start as the ED in July. Therese is a community engager, artist and a mother. An immigrant from the Philippines, she moved to Toronto,…

Take our workshop survey!

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 2023 Workshop Survey, here: https://forms.gle/sKjAQXaJhCYiRWjk9. Then we would really appreciate it if you’d share…

In Combination: 2022-23 Mentorship Program Exhibition

Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s 2022-23 Mentorship Program Exhibition The Craig Gallery, June 28 – July 30, 2023 Opening: Wednesday, June 28, 2023, from 6 – 8 pm Emerging Artist Talk (in-person): Saturday, July 15, 2 pm  Highlighting the talents of emerging artists AGLENNCO, Sonia Chow, Gabrielle Theano, and Julie Rosvall, In Combination also includes work…