Photographic Exhibition Opens on Earth Day
The Museum of Natural History in Halifax will celebrate Earth Day with a new photographic exhibit of the beautiful and natural surroundings of MacKinnon's Brook in Cape Breton.
Spirit of Place -- Protecting Land, Celebrating the Legacy -- by Halifax photographer Joanne Chilton, opens on Thursday, April 22 and will be on display until May 25.
Spirit of Place is presented by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, a land conservation organization, as a special 10th anniversary celebration. It is also a benefit to help ensure that the legacy of the Mabou highlands is protected for the future.
Chilton's images of MacKinnons' Brook link together the land, the music it inspired, and the conservation achievement of the trust.
"We are extremely proud to be celebrating 10 years of protecting Nova Scotia's natural legacy, and to be presenting Spirit of Place, a unique artistic celebration of the work of the trust and the province's spectacular natural beauty," said Martin Janowitz, president of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. "This exhibition provides an opportunity for Nova Scotians and visitors alike to discover, explore, appreciate and celebrate an important part of the province's cultural and natural heritage."
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Rodney MacDonald, applauded the trust's initiative to make people aware of Nova Scotia's natural history by working with artists such as Ms. Chilton.
"These photographs present reminders of Nova Scotia's cultural heritage and reflect the diversity of its natural surroundings," said Mr. MacDonald. "Joanne Chilton has captured the spirit, beauty and richness of MacKinnon's Brook."
Spirit of Place depicts the simple moments in nature, and is a time capsule of 27 images, visually representing the MacKinnon family's journey from the Isle of Barra in Scotland to the New World, and to the brook that would eventually bear the family name in the Mabou Hills of Cape Breton.
Spirit of Place reveals the artist's sensitivity and spiritual connection with the natural beauty of the Mabou highlands, and of the Isle of Barra. "In my own reflection, I see the Mabou Highlands as a place containing wisdom, spirit and magical qualities beyond description," said Ms. Chilton.
The artist's work was inspired by the haunting, beautiful music of MacKinnon's Brook Suite, composed by Scott Macmillan and originally performed by Ian McKinnon and Symphony Nova Scotia.
The exhibition travels to Sydney this fall, and will be on display at the University College of Cape Breton from Sept. 17 to Oct. 29.