In celebration of Bank of Nova Scotia’s 175th anniversary, Rick Waugh, president and CEO this morning presented a gift of a major new fine artwork by Canadian painter John Hartman to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS).

The painting, which was commissioned by Scotiabank, will become part of the AGNS permanent collection after an international touring exhibition, “Cities: John Hartman”, which opens to the public tomorrow in Halifax.

Entitled “Halifax”, the 16.5-foot oil on linen triptych provides a breathtaking bird’s-eye panorama of the city, offering viewers a vivid retrospective of the port’s growth and evolution, including major historical events such as the 1917 Halifax Explosion.

In addition to the artwork gift to the AGNS, Scotiabank is the presenting sponsor of the “Cities: John Hartman” touring exhibition, which brings together 18 new Hartman works from a variety of public and private collections. As one of Canada’s leading contemporary painters, Hartman is known for his large-scale expressionistic landscape paintings animated with the imagery of local historic events and personal narratives.

“To help us mark our 175th year, we felt that the bold and energetic urban images of John Hartman offered a unique way for us to create a permanent tribute to Halifax, Scotiabank’s city of origin, and all of the communities in which we share a long and rich history,” said Mr. Waugh, who is in Halifax for Scotiabank’s milestone 175th Annual General Meeting on March 6th. “Hartman’s work also reminds us of the important economic and cultural role our cities have played on our national identity.”

“Cities: John Hartman” will run at the AGNS from March 6 to April 23, 2007, before traveling to other major galleries, including those in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, New York and London, England.


To complement the art tour and to help chronicle the works of one of Canada’s most respected contemporary Canadian artists, Scotiabank has also sponsored an accompanying book, “Cities: John Hartman,” published by Altitude Press. The fully-illustrated book features essays by Noah Richler, award-winning author and journalist, Dennis Reid, Chief Curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario, and Stuart Reid.