At Parkland, the value of art, creative expression and storytelling is unmatched. Inspired by those who share a love of art, every Parkland community is thoughtfully designed with the addition of beautiful collections, many commissioned to honour local history, scenery and artists.

As a new community emerges at the edge of Halifax’s iconic North End neighbourhood, the construction site for Parkland at the Common offers a living canvas to showcase talent. We are proud to be this year’s Emerging Artist partner of Nocturne, bringing joy and meaningful installations to the entire city and its beloved annual art festival.

From October 13 –16, four art installations led by Trackside Studios will come to life on the corner of Quinpool Road and Robie Street in Halifax, the future home of Parkland at the Common Lifestyle Residences.

Each artist will create a unique mural that speaks to the theme of “building community”. Visit the site during Nocturne to see the artists painting live (weather dependent) or follow along on social media. You can also scroll through the photos below to learn about the artists and see the evolution of their exciting concepts.

Meet The Artists

Michael Bart & Jordan Bennett

Leading the project is Michael Burt who has been painting for over 20 years. His inspiration is always to bring colour back into our cities through his work and is well-known for his mural projects where he uses graffiti and street background mixed with casual influences to communicate messages of hope that look to the future. He looks to elders for advice and guidance and is excited to be collaborating on this project with Mi’kmaq visual from Ktaqamkuk (Newfoundland) Jordan Bennett who now lives and works on his ancestral territory of Mi’kma’ki in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia. Jordan is an award-winning artist who has participated in over 75 group and solo exhibitions nationally and internationally over the last decade. His practice explores land, language, the act of visiting, familial histories and challenging colonial perceptions.

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Swade Owens

Swade Owens came to Halifax by way of Toronto, Ontario and has been painting since 2009. His work uses clean lines and unique colour palettes to communicate his message about placemaking and the vibrancy of the city. His graphic style often features fantastical creatures and societal commentary. For this project, Swade was inspired by the relationship between how people build communities and share them with our animal neighbours and more-than-human kin. He feels we can learn a lot about thriving communities from the animal world and we can use these lessons to build more sustainable and inclusive communities.

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Justin Donald Fraser-Fong (Donny)

As a budding artist throughout his youth, Donny attended NSCAD University for a year and graduated in 2019 with a degree in Business from Acadia University. As a self-managed working artist, Donny connects his passion for the arts and entrepreneurial spirit into one exciting career. For this project, Donny is painting the Canadian Lynx which is currently on the endangered species list. As a longtime admirer of his nocturnal predator, he wants to call attention to the delicate balance of our ecosystem. More symbolically, he sees this as a nod to future communities that dwell here and likens the effort and precision he paints with to the livelihood of thriving communities and the care required to make sure everyone feels seen.  

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Daniel Burt

Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Daniel Burt has been drawing and painting for his entire life. His style mixes realism techniques with bold and bright colours to connect the ideas behind his work, which you can admire in various locations in downtown Halifax. For this art installation, Daniel has titled his piece “Keeper” which is inspired by the people and organizations who truly care about our city. He is looking to the people and the places that ignite the city and its people with hope and promise for the future and acknowledge the history and people it belongs to. Daniel says we must protect what we cherish most and treat our community like a sprouting plant – give it lots of love so we can pass it down to the hands of future generations.

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