
Allieanna Ballagh
Home is Where the Heart is
My art piece is a play on the phrase “Home is Where the Heart is”. I wanted to encapsulate and represent all things North End, in vibrant colour, within the form of a human heart. I am originally from Prince Edward Island but have lived all throughout Canada and can safely say that I have never felt more at home than I have here in Halifax - ringing true that home isn’t where you are born but where your heart feels full. I wanted my submission to include not only landmarks of the North End but also highlight important communities and community members within our neighbourhood, because although the sights are what make us picturesque it’s the people that make us vibrant and special. I included the Tufts Cove smoke stacks which every North Ender can’t miss from their seaside view, the MacKay bridge, and the coloured houses of Agricola street. The mural by Mi’kmaw artist Lorne A. Julien is not only a beautiful part of our North End but also an important reminder that we are in Kjipuktuk, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. Another important part of our North End history is the loss off Africville, an integral part of our community that should forever be celebrated. I included the Pride flag and a Gottingen street sign because these are two fundamental parts of who I am. I am a pansexual woman living in the North End with my beautiful girlfriend and I have never felt more safe and so free to exist loudly and proudly as a queer person within my community. We live in a province with the highest proportions of trans and non binary people in Canada and that is because we strive to create a supportive space for all! Lastly, I am a full time server/bartender at HopYard here on Gottingen street and spend the majority of my days talking and listening to all of the incredible humans in our neighbourhood and it’s my favourite part of the job. I get to interact with humans of all different walks of life, all different abilities, all different backgrounds, and learn how each and every one is an essential part of what makes it the North End our wonderful home. I’ve never felt more connected to a place or its people in my life before and I hope that is something I was able to convey through this piece.
Image Description
Drawing of a human heart on a blue background. Parts of the heart are made of various landmarks including smoke stacks, a bridge, brightly coloured houses, and street signs that read “Agricola, Gottingen, and Africville”. A pride flag and Mi’kmaw eagle mural are also included inside the heart drawing.