Mary E. Black Gallery Re-opens

The building may be covered in scaffolding but "the Mary Black" is back. The Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design announced today that the Mary E. Black Gallery will present an exciting program of eight exhibitions in 2001.

Located in the Johnston Building at 1683 Barrington St., the centre temporarily closed last September for building renovations. Although renovations continue, the centre will open to the public Friday, Jan. 19.

"The Mary E. Black Gallery is an important venue for craftspeople from every region of Nova Scotia, both amateur and professional," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "For many, it is the only location for their fine work to be seen by a wider audience. I am pleased we are able to resume normal programming after such a relatively short gap."

The Mary E. Black Gallery, operated by the Department of Tourism and Culture, is the only public gallery in Nova Scotia dedicated to craft and design.

The year ahead will include the following exhibitions:

Jan. 19-Feb. 14 -- Intricacies and Endearments: Objects Designed From the Heart, curated by Pamela Pike.

Feb. 23-March 24 -- Peter Bustin: Figure/Figurine, curated by Neil Forrest.

April 6-May 5 -- Ancient Futures: The Art of the Blacksmith at the Third Millennium, curated by Chris Huck.

May 18-June 16 -- Lieutenant-Governor Design Awards in Architecture/Nova Scotia Architects Association Exhibition.

June 29-Aug. 4 -- Watermark: Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council.

Aug. 17-Sept. 22 -- Talking Threads: Voices Among Fibre Artists, curated by Laureen van Lierop.

Oct. 5-Nov. 10 -- Things We Use, curated by Peter G. Zimmer.

Nov. 23-Jan. 5 -- The Hundred-Year-Old Trousseau, curated by Virginia C. McCoy.

The gallery is a program of the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design, which develops and promotes craft and design industries in the province.

Exhibits may be viewed Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. Programming may be subject to change.

For further information call 902-424-4062.