Thaddeus Holownia on Bridge St.
The Sackville Arts Wall Committee has announced its 2017 inductees.
The late musician and dancer Mary Connelly, artist and photographer Thaddeus Holownia and singer-songwriter Julie Doiron are joining the distinguished writers, performers and artists whose photos and biographies are displayed on the Arts Wall.
“Well it’s obviously an honour, and to be honest I’m a little surprised to be included,” Doiron said in a Facebook message to The New Wark Times.
“It is very nice to be in such outstanding company!” the award-winning performer and prolific recording artist added.
Thaddeus Holownia also expressed surprise during a telephone interview from his home in Jolicure.
“It’s always nice to be recognized in your own community,” he said.
“I moved here 40 years ago and built a career and much of it was built around the landscape and the atmosphere of the Tantramar,” Holownia, who is Mount Allison’s Dean of Fine Arts, added.
“It’s home and I’m really, really touched and taken aback by the honour.”
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia held a major retrospective of Holownia’s work this year and a book based on it, The Nature of Nature: The Photographs of Thaddeus Holownia, 1976-2016, will be released next month.
Meantime, Mary Connelly, who died in 2014, is being recognized on the Wall as an Arts Builder, someone who, in the words of the committee made “exceptional contributions to the artistic life and cultural development of the community” and who served as an arts champion, patron and mentor.
Arts wall moving to new location
At its meeting this week, Sackville Town Council approved moving the Arts Wall from its present location at the United Church (the former town hall) to a new spot at 113 Main St. next to Cranewood near the Sackville Waterfowl Park.
Council awarded a $41-thousand contract to Beach Hill Landscaping to build and install the new Wall. Part of the cost — $15,500 — will be paid for by a provincial Canada 150 grant. Beach Hill was the only company to submit a tender for the work.
An induction ceremony for the new Arts Wall members will be held on October 1st at the Sackville United Church.
BRAVO to all our Inductees! Well-deserved!! Congratulations also to the company who earned the business contract! Now, $41K to build a wall? I bet the Wall of China did not cost much 🙂 (that was a joke obviously, although I am serious). Congrats again everyone!