More than most cities, Saint John can be defined by its architecture. It is the physical expression of its very history. From its first wooden structures to the rows of century old brick homes that dominate its streetscapes today, history has gifted the city a rich heritage of character. That didn’t happen overnight, or without reason (with the possible exception of The Great Fire). The New Brunswick Museum is relaunching an exhibit this week that highlights of that history of architecture and its influences. Continue reading Saint John’s Architecture Gets Celebrated With New Brunswick Museum Exhibit
Category Archives: Places
Buckland Merrifield Gallery Opens December 4th
Saint John is getting a new art gallery to add to its already gallery-studded uptown landscape. Peter Buckland and Shannon Merrifield will be launching the Buckland Merrifield gallery this Friday, December 4th. Continue reading Buckland Merrifield Gallery Opens December 4th
The Saint John Arts Centre: How To Look Good After 113 Years (Updated)
Inside the front doors of the Saint John Arts Centre is a large brass plaque with a very short list of donors. It’s their exclusive platinum donors list, reserved for only the biggest of names. At the very top is none other than steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie. In 1904 he donated the money to construct the building (and 2508 others buildings across North America and Europe just like it) as a public library. You can imagine how hard it is to compete with that. Lady Aitken made the list in 1987 after providing the funds to support the building for over a decade in it’s conversion to the Aitken Bicentennial Exhibition Centre. While that’s some pretty rare air, over the last one hundred and eleven years a lot of love and support has gone into this building as a hub for the arts and culture community, often in the form of smaller donations and grants. Now in its current incarnation as the Saint John Arts Centre, it’s looking for a new way to give back. Continue reading The Saint John Arts Centre: How To Look Good After 113 Years (Updated)
The House On Kennedy Street
The old Indiantown of Saint John’s North End is not the sort of place you would expect to find a hotbed of culture, it’s barely made it into the 21st century. The modern trappings of power lines have crept across neglected homes and often derelict buildings like vines. The old carriageways haven’t seen a lot of love since they were laid out after the fire of 1864. But in the very heart of it, on Kennedy Street, is the home to a collection of artists and musicians that have turned their space into something special. Continue reading The House On Kennedy Street