Gold Exhibit Opens at Museum of Industry

From the hills and rivers, to culture and art, Nova Scotians will have a chance to learn how gold has shaped the province.

Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leonard Preyra was joined by Natural Resources Minister Charlie Parker, exhibit contributors and people interested in Nova Scotia's heritage and culture at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton today, Nov. 19, for the grand opening of the new travelling exhibit Gold: A Nova Scotia Treasure.

"The new exhibit will give Nova Scotians an opportunity to get to know the role that gold has played in our history and culture" said Mr. Preyra. "This unique look into our past will help Nova Scotians build a greater appreciation of their province and their place in the world.

The exhibit is the result of a partnership between the Museum of Industry and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. A companion website will be launched in the spring.

"I want to thank the contributors and the staff of the Museum of Industry and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia for their excellent work preparing this wonderful exhibit for Nova Scotia families to enjoy."

The bilingual exhibit features several aspects of gold including its geological origins, characteristics and mining techniques. The exhibit tells the stories of the province's three gold rushes and of the millions of people around the world who tuned in for news updates during the Moose River Disaster of 1936. The exhibit will also feature a sampling of Nova Scotians who have won gold, featuring a Nobel prize, Anne Murray's gold record for Snowbird and sports medals.

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia contributed a collection of watercolour paintings of gold mining areas in the 1870s.

"The acquisition of this rare collection of watercolours was an impetus for this collaborative exhibition," said Shannon Parker, curator of collections. "The paintings provide tangible insight into the close ties between art and science that has really only diverged in the last 100 years."

The exhibit also includes contributions from the Department of Natural Resources' Minerals Branch and Archives Nova Scotia.

People can visit Gold: A Nova Scotia Treasure, at the Museum of Industry, 147 North Foord St. until the end of December. The exhibit will travel to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax in January and return to Stellarton in April. It will tour a number of other venues throughout Nova Scotia until the end of 2014 thanks to the exhibit's presenting sponsor Kinross Gold and transportation sponsor DeMont's Transport.

To learn more about the exhibit, go to http://nsgold.ca.