Established in 1968, the Anna Leonowens Gallery is a public exhibition space within the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. With three locations, two storefront premises in Granville mall in historic downtown Halifax and the Port Loggia on Halifax’s waterfront, the Anna Leonowens Gallery (ALG) has hosted over 4400 exhibitions and projects to date in its 50-year history. A unique exhibition space, the ALG presents professional exhibitions by curators and professional artists alongside NSCAD MFA Thesis and BFA graduating solo exhibitions. An extension of the pedagogical activities of the university, ALG gives emerging artists hands-on experience for what is often their first solo exhibition. The Gallery mounts over 125 exhibitions and over 50 events a year, consistently attracting more than 20,000 visitors annually.

In January 2016 the ALG opened a third space focusing on performance art, relational aesthetics and art happenings. The Art Bar + Projects is a rotating performative installation space that creates an atmosphere that promotes the discussion of art and ideas outside of the classroom and in a public place.

Please note: Since all exhibition programming is developed within the university from student, faculty and divisional sources, the Anna Leonowens Gallery does not accept unsolicited professional exhibition proposals.

Gallery Policy

The Anna Leonowens Gallery Systems delivers on three priorities: (a) to provide students with an exhibition experience as part of their academic program in which their own creative work is displayed and “critiqued” within the university community; (b) to provide the community and student body with the opportunity to view exhibitions by artists, designers and planners, including work by faculty and alumni as well as work by individuals or groups from outside the university community, which are organized as part of the academic and artistic program at the university; and (c) to provide space where the work of artists, designers and planners, primarily but not exclusively from the university, can be viewed by the general public as well as specialized publics from the community at large.