902-425-5263 (LAND)
Spirit of Place
Cape Breton's Mabou Highlands boasts ancient stands of yellow birch and sugar maples, and brooks that come down from the highlands to a wild and rugged seashore. In 2001, the Nature Trust's conservation efforts in this area (Sight Point/MacKinnon's Brook) inspired a symphonic work composed by Ian McKinnon and Scott Macmillan entitled MacKinnnon's Brook Suite. In 2004, inspired by this music, gifted Nova Scotia photographer Joanne Chilton captured the natural beauty and history of this precious area through a series of photographs taken both at MacKinnon's Brook and at the Isle of Barra in Scotland, the ancestral home of the early settlers to MacKinnon's Brook.
Blanket of Mist
Standing at the Edge
The photographic exhibit begins by inviting the viewer on a journey to the Isle of Barra, where a Scottish family is about to leave their homeland to begin their life in the New World. Some of the visuals related to that time period consist of natural landscapes and ancient stone structures expressing a memory frozen in time. The journey continues on to MacKinnon's Brook, where the family of Mary and Hugh MacKinnon settled. The viewer experiences the spirit of place and natural beauty of the land through the use of colour, light, textures and form in images over the four seasons.
A New World Awaits (Barraigh)
Spirit of Place
The Spirit of Place exhibit celebrates with Nova Scotians our special connection to the land and our cultural heritage, as well as raises awareness of the natural beauty of our province and the Nature Trust's mission to protect it. In particular, funds raised throughout the sale of the photographs will help continue the Trust's conservation of the 2000 acres of spectacular coastal wilderness that inspired the exhibit.
Am Foghar (Autumn)
Harsh Reality
An Geamhradh (Winter)
The exhibit opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2004 at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, then later made its way to the University College of Cape Breton in Sydney. To learn more about the exhibit and the work of Joanne Chilton, please visit her site, Mindful Creations. The Trust sincerely thanks Ms. Chilton and the generous sponsors of this project.
You can share the Spirit of Place through Nature Trust note cards and screensavers, available through the Merchandise section of our website.
Major Sponsors
| Linda Peers | John & Marilyn Peers |
Key Sponsors
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| The Daily News | Clearwater | Hall of Frame/Secord Gallery |
Supporting Sponsors
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| Nova Scotia Dept. of Tourism, Culture & Heritage | Bro-Moc Print & Litho Ltd. | Margo Grant Graphic Design |
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| Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History | Scanway Catering & Pastry Shop | David & Margaret Fountain |