Bill Daye (2011)
Bill Daye was born in 1899 in Port Morien, Cape Breton. He moved with his family to what is now Mercer St. in Whitney Pier in 1901 when his father was employed by Dominion Iron and Steel Company. He joined the Cape Breton Highlanders when World War I broke out and worked in the demolition of enemy infrastructure in Belgium [Read More]
Simon Gillis (2010)
Simon Gillis, originally from New Waterford, grew up in a military family for which they traveled to many different parts of Canada. Simon has resided in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and in Whitehorse. All of Simon’s travels have led him right back to his home here in Sydney, Cape Breton. Simon joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961 at which [Read More]
Dorothy Rozeluk (2009)
Dorothy [Ardelli] Rozeluk grew up in Whitney Pier on Street, attended Holy Redeemer Convent and married Michael Rozeluk in 1957. Although her education took a different turn Dorothy was always interested in drawing and painting. “I always loved to draw as a child then a teacher at high school said I had talent and should take art lessons, this was [Read More]
Pat Gallivan (2008)
Pat Gallivan has been a resident of Whitney Pier all his life except for his years with the Merchant Marine. While he was at sea he developed a love for the ever changing oceans and all of the beauty that surrounds them. Later he worked for the City of Sydney as a carpenter until he retired. Being precise with his [Read More]
Cyril Hearn (2007)
Life long resident of Whitney Pier and journeyman steel fabricator by trade, Cyril Hearn is a self-taught wood carver and steel sculptor. His work is at the Nova Scotia Art Bank and in private collections in Nova Scotia and beyond. “Cyril’s work has a fluidity of form that is not hampered by the rigidity of his medium” – Bernard Siller [Read More]
Joe (Josef) McKinnon (2006)
Joe (Josef) McKinnon is a lifelong resident of Whitney Pier who is widely known for his folk art creations. Joe showed an aptitude for the arts from an early age. Although interested in acting, painting, singing, and storytelling, it was wood carving that eventually captured his imagination. Working mainly in Cape Breton pine, Joe McKinnon’s folk art pieces are in [Read More]
Margaret Dugandzic (2005)
Margaret (Janega) Dugandzic was born in Slovakia and grew up in Whitney Pier. Her interest in painting began at age fifteen while attending Holy Angels Jr. High School, where she was encouraged by her art teacher. Following her marriage, an intense desire to paint flourished under the capable direction of two local artist, Esther Rice, and Emma LaLoup. Margaret prefers [Read More]
Esther Rice (2004)
The late Esther (Dakai) Rice’s paintings hang in Italy, France, Austria, England, Hungary and various parts of the United States and Canada. Esther was born and raised in Whitney Pier, the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. The family moved to Sydney River in 1955. In 1963 she began attending Home and School art classes at Sydney Academy that were taught by [Read More]
Bernard Siller (2003)
Dada and surrealism inform the visual creations of bernard siller, metaphorical integrations of painted topology, technological objects, and peninsular stained glass surfaces. While titles do provide singular insight, the work is ultimately grasped through subconscious gratification.
Bill MacQueen (2002)
Bill MacQueen’s background in Art consists of two years at the Nova Scotia College of Art in Halifax. He completed three years as an Art Instructor in oil painting at the Adult Evening Classes at Sydney Academy High School. He completed a ten month course at the Adult Vocational Technology College in Sign Lettering under John Tynski. He assisted John [Read More]
Linda Crewe (2001)
Linda Crewe was born in Sydney on April 17,1962. A resident of the Pier Linda started school at Elmwood, then attended grades 2 – 7 at Holy Redeemer Girls School. Junior High years were spent at Don Bosco, and she graduated from Holy Angles (Girls) High School in 1980. While attending Jr. High she began to attend oil painting classes, [Read More]
Charles Dawe (2000)
Charles Dawe was born in Sydney, Feb. 11th, 1923. He enrolled in a 4 year University Course in Art at the Ontario College of Art, specializing in the human form. Later Charles attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. He said he learned “more in one year about art at NSCAD than four years in Toronto”. [Read More]
Alfred Goduto (1999)
Alfred Goduto (1920-1990), was born in Italy and showed a talent for visual art as a child. He received some formal art instruction while a prisoner-of-war in Europe. Emigrating to Canada in 1952, he and his wife Bibiana settled in Whitney Pier, where they raised sons Dominic and Blaise. While working as a master bricklayer by trade, Alfred pursued a [Read More]
Austin “Bud” Gallivan (1998)
A member of the Cape Breton Artists Association, Bud Gallivan has exhibited his work for twenty-five years. He considers the upcoming Festival “a great thing, but with all the artists in Cape Breton, especially Sydney, it is well time we had our own major Festival.” Born July 18, 1930, Bud, in his words, “grew up, lived, worked, did it all [Read More]