Old Barn Gallery

About

Carol Rivoire, artist/owner and founder of the Old Barn Gallery & Decor at Beaver Dam Farm is a passionate abstract artist.

Story

The Old Barn Gallery is an art gallery and a whole lot more. It's in the hay loft of an 1845 Maritime barn. Carol and Arthur Rivoire raised Norwegian Fjord Horses on this 350 acre farm for 32 years . . . (well, 21 years at THIS farm, and before that at a 100 acre farm in New Hampshire). -- During the Nova Scotia period of Beaver Dam Farm, the couple had between 25 and 35 Fjordhorses on the farm. That many horses required about 3,000 bales of hay a year, and all that hay filled the immense hay loft in this old barn.

But, 2008, the Rivoires downsized, and in 2010, they formally retired from raising Fjordhorses. The old barn loft needed repurposing, and Carol had always had an idea in the back of her mind. From the first time she saw this magnificent barn, she thought the loft would make a wonderful art gallery. The years went by, and horses were born, came and went, and the idea stayed. An art gallery, maybe sometime in the future. That day arrived in the summer of 2011, when the Old Barn Gallery & Decor opened its doors.

The reaction by the public was very gratifying. They said the gallery was "awesome" . . . "inspiring". . . "like a cathedral". . . Most visitors were just awestruct at the magnificent structure and the backdrop it provided for beautiful art and all the other things available for purchase in the old Barn Gallery.

The Gallery has a strong belief that art is not limited to paintings and sculpture. A beautiful quilt (old or new) is a work of art, as is folk art, garden art, handmade rustic furniture, antiques, and a raft of unique and rare rustic treasure.

The gallery is situated in the middle of 350 acre Beaver Dam Farm. Right outside the gallery doors are beautiful, old-fashioned perennial gardens and a charming courtyard with tables and chairs. The coffee pot is on and there are cookies in the tin. -- On Sundays in "the season" the Old Barn Gallery offers English Cream Teas to visitors.

Well, that's who we are. We're loving every minute of being "shop keepers".
We hope you look us up often on our Facebook page and, if possible, you come out to Pomquet Village right outside of Antigonish and pay a visit to the Gallery.

We still have three great Fjordhorses on the farm - The mom, Holly, now 27 and her two sons, BDF Quasar, 14 years, and his baby brother, BDF Zenith, 4 years.
The barn has four very very friendly barn cats - Drew, the old man of the group, and Callie, White Legs, and Bella.