The Amherst Artisan Gallery is a artisan cooperative gallery that features one of a kind fine art and crafts from artists and artisans of Cumberland County, Nova Scotia and Westmorland County, New Brunswick.
At the gallery you will find photographs, pottery, oil and watercolour paintings, carvings, metal art, rugs, jewelry, fabric works, quilts, dolls, stained glass and folk art just to name a few.
The gallery also features a market with foods from a variety of vendors.
Free admission, lots of parking and your community artisans will assist you.
The Amherst Artisan Gallery also offers classes and workshops in a variety of media by multiple artists. Check back regularly to find out the latest happenings at the gallery and market.
Well, it wasn't easy to fit everyone in, but we did it!
We finished painting our newly-built display units, and filled them. The slat boards are installed and painted, lighting is done, and everything has been moved over.
This has been a truly cooperative effort, by and for a truly cooperative gallery showcasing local artists and artisans.
We have live music each week -- there are several big fundraisers on, and all our musical friends are playing at one or the other venue.
We'll welcome you in to see our new gallery space and enjoy the delicious foods at our cafe --
Come check us out!
Our new gallery space in the market gallery space
The Town of Amherst officially recognizes Amherst Train Station Artisan Gallery by presenting it with a certificate of recognition, congratulating the opening of a new business in the Town of Amherst.
The Original Three Amigo Story
The following is a typical story about Gil, the generosity of his time and especially his passion to advance our local ‘Visual Arts’ community. For Ted Evans, John Warner it became – let’s do it attitude, what’s the worst that could happen, let’s jump in the deep end. Who is going to fire us, we don’t have jobs !!!
“Almost two years ago Gil Collicott, Ted Evans and John Warner determined the time was ripe – they set-up a coffee meeting at their newly found head office, often called the Warehouse Café. In their little corner of the café the three amigos developed a concept for an artisan venue – wanted visual arts with high quality, unique art products, must be an active artisan and only from this area.
After the third head office meeting, Gil said “we are ready, let’s go see the mayor” – not an organized word was documented, it was all in their heads and hearts, the concepts were simple. Firmly believed the mayor could handle the latter (editorial - sorry Mayor Small no disrespect intended).
Same day: Mayor Robert Small agreed to meet with them for a few minutes, he kept them tied up for ninety minutes. Later, Mayor Small said, “what a plan, it is so obvious, one of the best presentations I have had – will take it to council”. It wasn’t the multi-page, detailed, heavily studied document we presented – it was three amigos with a lot of history, local recognition and a strong personal passion for the local visual arts community. The three amigos just needed help to get started – it happened within three weeks. VIA Rail leased them a train station at a phenomenal rate, the Town paid this lease for the first six months, artisans rolled up their sleeves – that was the birth of Gil’s, Ted’s and John’s Amherst Train Station Artisan Gallery, their dream. Thanks amigo, you will be missed.”
John Warner
Amherst Artisan Gallery
The Inter-colonial Railway (ICR) opened its line from Truro to Moncton on 9 November 1872.
Initially the ICR served Amherst passengers from a station constructed of wood on the same site as the present-day structure. The present structure was opened on 31 August 1908 and is constructed of local red sandstone.
In 1918, the ICR was merged into another federal Crown corporation, the Canadian National Railways (CNR), however to this day, local residents still refer to the Amherst Railway Station as the Inter-colonial Railway Station.
In 1978, CN transferred responsibility for passenger rail services to another federal Crown corporation, Via Rail. Via is the owner and operator of the station, which serves the 6 days a week Ocean route.
Several minor modifications have been undertaken to the structure in recent decades, including removing the south wing in 1975, replacing the bottom exterior stone in 1991 with stone from the Roman Catholic Church once located on Prince Arthur Street, and in 1992 new metal exterior doors were installed.
Taken from Wikipedia
Postcard early 1900s - Dara Legere collection.
