Visual Arts in the
Cape Breton Economy

UCCB Art Gallery Curator ~ Beryl Davis

Born and raised in Cape Breton, Beryl Davis has turned a lifelong passion for art into a career. Beryl studied at Mount Allison University and completed her Masters of Arts at Dalhousie University. Although she spent a number of years teaching at the university level, it has been in her present position that she has had the greatest impact on others.

Since becoming the director of the art gallery at University College of Cape Breton, she has been the driving force behind the promotion of the visual arts here, especially the works of local artists. In her report on the visual arts in Cape Breton for the university, she stated: With the impending challenge for innovative development in the millennium, it has become evident that newly established inroads in the visual arts may assist in meeting that challenge. Cape Breton has a population of visual artists second to none The UCCB Art Gallery is committed to the support and promotion of its local artists. Since the opening of the new gallery in the fall of 1997, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the quality of artwork being produced in Cape Breton and greater recognition of the visual artists working here. Many artists have reported an increase in sales of their work.

As artists were being interviewed for this site, the one thing that was stressed by each one was the tremendous impact the new direction at the gallery has had on their lives and livelihood.

When asked what tensions she encounters in her work , Beryl cited the problem of acquiring funds as the most frustrating aspect of her job. She has said: If the gallery is to be successful in fulfilling its objectiveness of community interaction, education, and promotion of Cape Breton artists there must be adequate funding to support these activities. Even with this constraint, there have been many important acquisitions by the gallery, including a rare Picasso notebook. With adequate financial support, one can only imagine how far the development of the visual arts in Cape Breton could go.