Customs House Artist Incubator Project holds official opening
MLA Derek Mombourquette (left) and Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton join the four artists in the ribbon cutting.
-by John Gillis
It was a day of celebration last Thursday afternoon on the Port Hawkesbury waterfront for the official opening of the town’s Custom House Artist Incubator Project.
The project has been a collaboration between the Town of Port Hawkesbury, The Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, ACOA, The Cape Breton Partnership, and The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design.
Derek Mombourquette, representing Minister Leo Glavine, noted that The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design has been active for more than 45 years in Cape Breton.
“The Centre recognizes that craft tourism is an important product for Cape Breton Island, one that stimulates the economy and provides innovative experiences for our visitors. The Customs House Artist Incubator Project is an excellent example of the Centre’s inventiveness and vision which we value and support. The Province of Nova Scotia has invested $71,000 towards this project,” said Mombourquette.
The project had been several years in the making and sees the renovation of the former Customs House building on Granville Street now housing four artists working out of studios in the building.
MLA Mombourquette noted that Nova Scotia’s cultural sector is valued at $874 million, supports almost 14,000 jobs, and has an export value of $141.5 million.
The artists in the Customs House Incubator Project come from all across Canada including Cape Breton native and leather artist, Kyle McPhee, who returned home by way of Ontario.
