Defying boundaries and redefining art
Meet the people and passion behind the Turret Arts Space
Who we are
Turret Arts Space Society is a charitable non-profit dedicated to transforming 1588 Barrington Street into an accessible art, culture, and social purpose hub. Turret Arts Space Society was established in 2015 after a successful campaign to save the building and became the building's owner in 2018.
The Turret Arts Space Society has done the work: first, by advocating to save the building, and now, by working as generators of culture and community.
Purpose
To transform social hierarchies and support participation in artistic culture and society.
Vision
A critically engaged community where artists connect and thrive in a space that is physically, economically, and culturally accessible.
Mission
To foster art and expression.
Values
Creativity and Experimentation
Accessibility
Co-operation
Why now?
We need to engage with the growth of Downtown Halifax, or lose it. With continuing unprecedented cost escalations in the construction industry, the time to build the Turret Arts Space is 10 years ago…or NOW!
Downtown Halifax is growing at an unprecedented rate, but the cultural spaces that create community are disappearing
Arts and culture workers are left behind by the systems that should support them
Public commemorations have ignored deserving histories, which deters community participation
Our plan for the new Turret Arts Space provides a home to two organizations with long-standing experience in contributing to the cultural fabric of HRM
The Khyber Centre for the Arts
Queer-led artist-run centre and charitable non-profit. Khyber runs a gallery and multidisciplinary arts programming focused on experimentation and community connection.
Leave Out Violence (LOVE) Nova Scotia
Social worker-led charitable non-profit. LOVE Nova Scotia is a violence prevention and intervention organization that supports youth to thrive and build healthy relationships.
The project team
Our tenacious and talented team has been working to make the Turret Arts Space a reality for 10 years.
Board members
Sobaz Benjamin
PresidentSobaz Benjamin (he/him) studied political science and mass communications (BA, honours 1997) and film and video production (BFA, 2001) at York University. He is the founder, and Executive Director of an arts-based youth engagement, empowerment, and reintegration program called In My Own Voice (iMOVe) Arts Association. For over eighteen years Sobaz has used video and audio production as tools of identity and community development in diverse educational and community settings. Sobaz is a Board Member with Leave Out Violence Nova Scotia (LOVENS) and Decade for People of African Decent Coalition (DPAD) and is Chair of the North End Parent Resource Centre Board of Directors (NEPRC).
Brielle LeBlanc
Vice PresidentBrielle LeBlanc (they/she) is a filmmaker based in Mi'kma'ki: Nova Scotia. They majored in Cinema Media Studies and double-minored in Contemporary Studies and English at Dalhousie and the University of King’s College. In addition to filmmaking and working on the sets of other local film, television, and commercial productions, LeBlanc has worked with the Atlantic International Film Festival, WIFT-AT, St. Johns International Women’s Film Festival, and currently works with the Flaxmobile Project. In 2023, LeBlanc and their creative partner, Sean M. Galway founded their production company Enodia Films and co-launched the underground cinema, FLEAPIT.
Justin Reitzel
TreasurerJustin (he/him) is a Senior Financial Accountant at BF&M Canada in Halifax. He has 8 years of experience at a local chartered professional accounting firm and is a graduate of Dalhousie University. In his current role, he is responsible for financial reporting and analysis within the insurance industry. He also has a wide range of experience in providing assurance and tax services to different industries, including a number of not-for-profit organizations.
Kortney Dunsby
SecretaryKortney Dunsby (she/her) is an urban planner with a background in environmental sustainability (BA Trent University, MPLAN Dalhousie University). She lives and works in Halifax as the Sustainable Cities Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre and wants to see how we can creatively imagine the future of our communities. Kortney believes the best cities have a flourishing arts and culture sector. While Kortney has been an appreciator of the arts her whole life, she dabbles in film photography, graphic design, and ceramics.
Emily Davidson
DirectorEmily Davidson (she/her) an artist, activist, and graphic designer. She graduated from NSCAD University (BFA, 2009, MFA, 2024). She is a founding member of Turret Arts Space Society involved with the Khyber Centre for the Arts as an exhibiting artist and patron of over 15 years. She is Director of Research and Engagement at Slavery North the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Craig Leonard
DirectorCraig Leonard (he/him) is an artist and teacher living in Cape Breton, NS. He has been teaching at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design since 2006. His book “Uncommon Sense: Aesthetics After Marcuse” was published by MIT Press in 2022.
Angela Henderson
DirectorAngela Henderson (she/her) is an artist and designer whose practice explores themes of mapping, place, ecology, and memory. She studied Industrial Design at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, BC (2010) and received her MFA from NSCAD (2016). She currently teaches at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
Brit Fox
DirectorBrit Fox (they/them) is a white settler, queer artist, and writer located in Kjipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki (halifax, nova scotia) on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq. Their work blends personal and collective histories with media, data visualization, and archival resources to reflect on grief and memorialization. Recently they graduated from NSCAD University with a BA in Art History and Contemporary Cultures and a BFA in Expanded Media. Brit has worked in a variety of arts worker positions and enjoys helping projects come together in whatever way they can.
Consultants
Strategy 6 Consulting
Alexis Cormier, Annalise Prodor
Strategy and Project Management
Abbott Brown Architects
Jane Abbott
Prime Design Consultant
Lume Leadership
Joanne Bath, Matt King
Philanthropy and Financial Modelling
Mr. Margot
Margot Durling
Brand & Identity Design
IOTA Studios
Mireille Bourgeois
Artistic Programming Development and Operational Planning
Governance Consultant Team
Mireille Bourgeois, Lauren Sears, Zabrina Whitman
Turret Queer Artist Group
Chris Cochrane, Emily Davidson, Margot Durling, Excel Garay, Hannah Guinan, Robin Metcalfe
Lemonade Co.
Digital Media Strategy
R&G Strategic
Website Development
Crystal Richard & Co.
Public Relations
Our supporters
Funded by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canadian Heritage, Community Business Development Corporation, Halifax Regional Municipality, and Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.
Want to learn more about our history?
Our walls are steeped in stories from happenings down at the Khyber, to Wormwood’s Dog and Monkey Cinema, to the dance floor of the Turret Club. 1588 Barrington Street has been a hub of creativity and social gathering for decades.