There’s a new gallery in town. The Cape Breton Women’s Gallery, located in the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation held an opening reception for family and friends last week.
A project of New Dawn, the Cape Breton Women’s Gallery displays the stories of women who have lived and loved across Cape Breton Island. It begins, in a small way, to capture the many and diverse contributions made by our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and friends.
Through images and text, the first instalment of the gallery recognizes four women from Cape Breton Island who have made significant contributions to their families, communities, and others who were fortunate enough to have been in their company. The first four inductees are Alice MacCormack, Sr. Rita Clare, Ethel Miller, and Carol Kennedy.
Jim MacCormack’s mother, Alice MacCormack is one of the four women who have been recognized in the gallery’s debut.
“A wonderful concept – long overdue,” says Jim. “Now light can be shone on the invaluable contribution of nurturing women in creating and sustaining the character and spirit of Cape Breton.”
The gallery will recognize additional women through the gallery annually. This will take place through a nomination process, which community members will be invited to take part in. Details for this nomination process will be released in the near future.
Temporarily located in the main lobby of the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation, the gallery is open to the general public during regular working hours (Monday to Thursday 8am-9pm and Friday 8am-5pm). It will make its permanent home in the Cape Breton Centre for Arts, Culture, and Innovation once work has been completed on that space.
New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation is a mixed-use facility with sustainable working and gathering spaces that draw in and amplify Cape Breton’s creative, innovative and forward-looking energies. It is a centre for social innovation that supports individuals, businesses, not-for-profit and charitable organizations working in innovative new ways to change this community and change the world.
