St. Francis Xavier’s Immaculata Hall. Photograph by Winona La Prairie-McSwiggan

Somewhere in between the hustle and bustle of the university campus and the peaceful population of elderly folks lives the dazzling arts community of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Championed by local artists and supported by the townspeople, the arts community in Antigonish is robust.

For a small community of 10,000—whose population is half students and half permanent residents—there is a palpable presence of the arts everywhere you go. From the bustling farmers market, peppered with local artists selling their craft, to the magical Bauer theatre, Antigonish is clearly a place where creativity thrives. Yet a small, rural town as well as the home of Canada’s “#1 Party School” is an unlikely spot for a bustling arts community.

Even the arts department at St. Francis Xavier University is oddly ample for such a small school. Tucked away in the basement of the grand, Victorian-style Immaculata Hall, you will find the arts department. A lively, creative space in the basement of a historic building, you could say the department is reminiscent of a speakeasy.

Mystical bird sculptures made of chicken wire dangle from exposed pipes. At the end of the long hallway hangs a mobile, composed of miniature works of stained glass. If you follow the loud whirring of fume hoods and glass grinders, you will find the stained-glass studio. Despite the abundance of elaborate tools and daunting presence of industrial-grade machines, the studio is warm and inviting.

The opportunity for students to learn stained glass at such a small school is astounding. Janette Fecteau, the current stained-glass instructor, explains that it is the legacy of former professor Iris Delgado-Roach. A stained-glass specialist herself, Delgado-Roach championed the implementation of a three-part design course in 1985 which allowed students to study the principles of design, Batik, and stained glass. Today, these three mediums are individual courses offered by the university.

Student art piece. Photograph by Winona La Prairie-McSwiggan

However, the legacy of the “cult-like” nature of St. Francis Xavier University tends to eclipse the town itself. It is in fact the work of many local artists and the community that is the heart of the town. Many of the art instructors at the university are also local artists in the community. Some of them, such as Janette Fecteau and Ruth Young, grew up in Antigonish.

The support the community gives to established and budding artists alike is heartening. Fecteau’s eyes light up as she recalls a pivotal moment in her life as an artist. One hazy summer afternoon, a teenaged Fecteau stopped into Lyghtesome Gallery, a local attraction founded by Jeff and Beth Parker. “I’m sure after taking one look at me, this 16-year-old kid, they could tell I wouldn’t be able to buy any art—but they took me seriously. She was interested to hear what I had to say about the paintings—she just discussed art with me like another adult and took me seriously as someone who appreciated art. That made such an impression on me.” Local artist Nancy Turniawan also cites Lyghtesome Gallery as a great supporter of local artists. Sadly, the gallery closed in 2017.

Both artists note the influence of nature as an important factor in why such great art comes out of Antigonish. Turniawan is a pebble artist, using small rocks and stones to create sculptures and mosaics. “Pebbles are my thing”, she chuckles. One of her biggest art pieces is a bench featuring a pebble mosaic that sits outside the local library. Turniawan invited folks to help her in sorting the stones as her contribution to connecting art and community.

Nancy Turniawan’s pebble bench. Photograph by Winona La Prairie-McSwiggan

We get to talking about the town’s main drag which is adorned with murals by local artists. She explains that every year, the government commissions a local artist to paint a mural in town. While Lyghtesome Gallery may be no more, its legacy is reflected in the large-scale art gallery that is Main street, Antigonish.

Mural by Trackside Studios. Photograph by Winona La Prairie-McSwiggan

Fecteau rounds off by stating that through the arts, the town “gains affirmation of its spirit”, elucidating that it does not create spirit for the town, but rather adds to the spirit the town already has.