Sacred Worth Exhibition Opens on Earth Day

The Museum of Natural History is celebrating Earth Day, April 22, with the opening of a new exhibition, Sacred Worth: Protecting Nova Scotia's Natural Areas.

Sacred Worth is a series of 32 exquisite watercolour paintings by Halifax-based artist Alice Reed. It is a collaboration between Ms. Reed and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, a charitable organization dedicated to the protection of natural areas on private lands.

In 1995, the province accepted the recommendations of a public review that included the protection of 31 wilderness areas. It was at that time that Ms. Reed decided to paint them.

"I was motivated to capture their essence in art and show how precious these places are," she said.

Travelling by foot, canoe, kayak, and several times by helicopter (courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources), Ms. Reed sketched, photographed, and sensed the spirit of these magnificent areas.

After two and a half years of research and adventure, a superb body of work has emerged. Now, all Nova Scotians have a chance to explore these places, some so remote that few Nova Scotians have seen them.

Through the eyes of the painter, these wilderness areas are rendered in exquisite detail, capturing the spirit of these landscapes in all seasons. Visitors will see stillwaters amid thick coniferous forests, rivers thundering over rugged waterfalls, dawn waves gently lapping on a granite shore, canyons draped in dense deciduous Acadian forest, and high granite barrens amid the splendour of autumn colours.

"The exhibit is clearly a celebration of the beauty and diversity of the Nova Scotia wilderness and offers all Nova Scotians the opportunity to appreciate what nature has provided," said Ian McLaren, president of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

The exhibition runs until June 21 at the Museum of Natural History, Summer Street, Halifax. During June, thousands of schoolchildren will have the opportunity to view and better understand the wonders of nature and the need for protecting our environment.

After its stay at the Museum of Natural History, Sacred Worth will leave Halifax to tour eight other Maritime locations until March 2000.

Earth Day is celebrated by more than 100 countries each year. In Nova Scotia, the day is honoured by students, individuals and communities, planting trees, creating displays on environmental issues, and organizing community cleanups.

SACRED WORTH TOUR SCHEDULE:<br/>
1998 April 22-June 21:
Museum of Natural History, Halifax July 7-Sept. 25:
University College of Cape Breton Art Gallery, Sydney Oct. 4-Nov. 21:
Alexander Graham Bell NHS, Baddeck Dec. 5-Jan. 24, 1999:
New Brunswick Museum, Saint John

1999 Feb. 9-March 12:
St. Francis Xavier University Art Gallery, Antigonish March 27-May 9:
DesBrisay Museum, Bridgewater May 23-Sept. 19:
Fundy Geological Museum, Parrsboro Oct. 3-Nov. 14:
Eptek National Exhibition Centre, Summerside, P.E.I. Dec. 6-March 24, 2000:
MacDonald Museum, Middleton