Studio 21 Fine Art Gallery will sell Nova Scotia art works in Toronto, Miami and New York this year and next thanks to export funding support from the Creative Industries Fund.
The Halifax-based art gallery is only one of many enterprises across Nova Scotia’s creative industries to receive funding under the new program. The $56,353 investment will help Studio 21 increase sales of Nova Scotia’s artists into the American and international market. Musician Mo Kenney and fine craft producer Larch Wood Canada are also among those receiving investments.
“The province is partnering with our artists, musicians and fine craft producers so we can help them increase sales outside our borders,” said Tony Ince, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage. “We have so many talented artists and artisans. We want to help them grow their businesses and allow others to experience Nova Scotia’s artistic excellence.”
Studio 21 plans to attend two international art fairs and to upgrade its website. In previous years, the gallery has sold works by emerging and established artists from Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada.
“This investment is allowing us to reach new potential buyers in Toronto, where we’ve had success, and to grow into the American market,” said Deborah Carver, director, Studio 21 Fine Art Gallery. “Art fairs are now where everyone buys art – corporations, private collectors and institutions. The fairs offer huge export opportunities, and assistance with the upfront cost allows a small business to export the work of Nova Scotia artists.”
The Creative Industries Fund supports creative producers looking to build on their success in exporting outside Nova Scotia. Many of them sell in other parts of Canada, but a large number also sell around the world.
Record producers, artist managers, book publishers, cultural organizations, clothing and product designers, textile artists, and performing artists have all applied to the fund.
Mo Kenney is an award-winning Nova Scotia singer-songwriter. She will use the investments to help grow her business in international markets where she has achieved some profile. This project is the first step in laying the groundwork for an upcoming release in the U.K. and Europe.
Larch Wood Canada will introduce a new product to potential buyers at four upcoming wholesale trade shows in addition to their current offerings of cutting board designs and custom countertops.
Nova Scotia’s Creative Industries Fund is available to businesses, not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises operating in the creative industries. At $2 million, it offers financial support to music, publishing, craft, visual arts, performing arts, and design enterprises.
Information about the Creative Industries Fund and how to apply for it is available at novascotia.ca/programs/creative-industries-fund
Source: Release
