Mahone Portrait House

The recently-opened Mahone Portrait House is home to a wide-ranging personal collection of portraits and sculpture by significant Canadian artists from across the country spanning two centuries. Items on display are for the public’s enjoyment not for purchase and admission is free.

The exhibition brings the history of the town, province and country to life through a wide range of subjects and styles, from Viola Desmond and Sidney Crosby, to Pierre Trudeau and Joseph Howe.

The collection occupies five rooms on the main floor of a colonial -style house c. 1865. The hundred-odd works are organized thematically. The ‘Harris Foyer’, highlights a family association with one of the town’s famous three churches. ‘The Atlantic Room’ holds paintings by artists from the region. the ‘Canadas Room’ features Indigenous and Quebec subjects; and “The Back Room” focusses on political subjects and leaders associated with Confederation.