
Collection Priorities
The Gallery's collection focuses on works by:
- Visual artists with strong ties to the Atlantic Provinces
- Canadian artists, both historical and contemporary
- International visual artists that complement the Permanent Collection
Using the Collection
The full collection database is available through Artefacts Canada. Images of works can be requested for personal or professional use. Research visits are also welcome.
Rights & Reproductions
By Canadian law, copyright for a work of art belongs to the artist, their designate, or their estate during the lifetime of the artist plus 50 years. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia holds the copyright for several artist’s estates—including Maud Lewis—as well as specific permissions for works in the Permanent Collection.
To use an image:
If the copyright for a work belongs to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, both image fees and reproduction fees apply. If a work is in the public domain (the copyright has expired) or the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia does not hold copyright, only an image fee is applied.