Written by: Shea McInnis

The art community in Halifax has a long and rich history. The Nova Scotia Center of Art and Design (NSCAD) has played a pivotal role in nurturing the artistic community in Halifax by offering highly regarded programs which brought budding artists into the city. The growth of the Halifax art community has been supported largely by long standing gallery spaces such as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (operating since 1908) and the student focused, NSCAD-aligned Anna Leonowens Gallery (established in 1968). Other spaces, such as the one operated by The Khyber, have helped to grow and support the local art community. It was no surprise then when Nocturne first appeared as an art festival in Halifax.

Beginning in 2007, Nocturne: Art at Night, is an annual nighttime art festival that typically takes place the Saturday evening following Thanksgiving weekend. “Art at night” style festivals such as Nocturne have exploded in popularity in the last decade and occur in cities across Canada, and even around the world. Nocturne has become a favourite event in Halifax, and many in the city make an effort to attend the festival every year due to the unique and enjoyable experience that Nocturne offers.

Because Halifax is one of the oldest cities in Canada, it has an interesting charm and not to mention it’s great location right on the coast. This unique charm is only amplified when explored at night. However, downtown Halifax on a typical Saturday is inhabited primarily by people finding their way either to or from the local bars. During Nocturne, this demographic shifts and the atmosphere surrounding downtown changes. Various art installations are installed throughout the streets, dramatically changing the experience of an evening stroll. While this event normally draws a large crowd, the pandemic has changed how we interact with others and how festivals operate. Because of this, the model Nocturne used previously had to change.

Rolling with the punches: Adapting to the pandemic

In order to adapt, Nocturne has expanded beyond the traditional one-night into a whole week of physical art installations, virtual art experiences, and webinar-style events. These exhibits all follow the theme of “Echolocation”. In this context Nocturne asked artists to “speak and listen to the land”, and encouraged creation rooted in “listening and reciprocity with the natural world”. Stretching Nocturne to span a week was done in effort to minimize the density of people in the same space at the same time. While this change is the result of the ongoing pandemic, the online side of the festival presents the opportunity to bring Nocturne to the rest of the province, and even has the potential to bring the festival to the rest of the globe.

Despite the scope of the festival growing, some claim that Nocturne has declined in quality in recent years. Previously, it was normal to be able to wander around downtown Halifax and be able to find exhibits without much trouble. Exhibits were also conveniently located in downtown Dartmouth, only a ferry ride away from Halifax. But recently it seems that Nocturne has made exhibits harder to find and harder to access. Experiencing Nocturne has become reliant on fervently following a map and hunting to find the exhibits. Additionally, exhibits appear to have spread out, with some exhibits found on the Halifax Commons, and some near the waterfront. This raises the question of accessibility for those who may not be able to walk long distances.

Problems with execution

These issues were made more apparent this year, as the number of physical exhibits at Nocturne was reduced compared to previous years. Many exhibits were also set up to be viewed through windows, some which were especially difficult to find. These “window viewing” exhibits became almost impossible to find with the inconspicuous and difficult to spot signage used to direct attention to exhibits. This was particularly noticeable while trying to find the exhibit “The Impossible Timescale of Trees”. This exhibit was visible through a small window, found down an alley with no signage other than a small sign tucked near a bush. Trying to find exhibits made Nocturne feel more like a scavenger hunt than an art festival.

Another, arguably more frustrating issue, was going to where an exhibit was supposed to be and not finding the exhibit, or finding it closed. In Nocturne’s defense, on the day I attended it had rained nearly the whole day prior to sunset, however it is imperative for any festival to clearly communicate changes in programming to attendees. Additionally, Nocturne states on their website that the festival continues regardless of weather, again raising the question of what happened to these exhibits and why the changes were not communicated.

Even with these issues, Nocturne continues to be one of the most enjoyable events in Halifax. Walking around downtown Halifax at night looking at art feels strangely similar to going out for Halloween as a kid. The scene is similar to other nights, yet just different enough to be worth going out in the cold for a few hours. This feeling is what keeps people flocking to Nocturne year after year, despite some issues beginning to crop up. Nocturne 2020 might not have been the best year for the festival, but even when an event like Nocturne isn’t at it’s best, it’s still well worth attending.

Nocturne 2020: Growing Pains

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