Nova Scotia Folk Art

A full-colour, photo-filled, narrative guide to the uniquely Nova Scotian folk art genre from former Art Gallery of NS curator and author of Our Maud.

There may be many folk artists in Canada, but there is only one integrated folk art scene: the one in Nova Scotia.

Classic folk art is the work of artists who did not think of themselves as artists, who made art that they never considered to be art at all. There were no festivals, no galleries, and no touring exhibitions when they started —just a sign by the side of the road, a painted house, or colourful sculptures in the yard to attract the attention of passersby. Today in Nova Scotia, contemporary folk art has become a distinct style, one which stresses individual creativity over collective utility. The maker, and their stories, is central to the appeal.

Written by former Art Gallery of Nova Scotia curator Ray Cronin, and co-published by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Folk Art features profiles of 50 artists — some obscure and some well known — from the first, second, and third waves of folk art. The list includes Barry Colpitts, Laura Kenney, Ralph Boutilier, Craig Naugler, Joseph Norris, and Maud Lewis. With more than 100 colour images, this illustrated guide explores the exhibitions, collections, and festivals that allowed a group of Nova Scotia artists to move their creations from the roadside to the museum, and in so doing to create its own genre: Nova Scotia Folk Art.