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 in the Pier.” He started to work at sixteen, having left school early. He eventually became a tower operator at the International Piers on Dominion Street, where he loaded coal onto the boats. He retired nine years ago, after forty years working in coal transportation. He is married, has three sons and still lives in Whitney Pier.
Like many “Pier” artists. Bud is self-taught. He began drawing and painting at a young age, moving from oils to watercolours, his medium of choice. His wife, Anna, says that Bud is very hard on himself. “He believes if you’re satisfied, you won’t keep working at it,” she says, “but I love it all.”
Much of Bud’s work depicts life in Whitney Pier, but he has painted many other subjects. His philosophy is, “If I like it, I paint it.” Those who know Bud’s work are glad he likes what he sees in the “Pier”. (Article from “The Cape Bretoner”, Summer 1998 edition)