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“We need to have more of his [Syliboy’s] artwork in the public sphere, and recognize the heritage of the Mi’kmaq people,” Silverman says. “It’s important for the community, especially the law school, where all kinds of people will now be able to enjoy his works.”

A long-time patron of the visual and performing arts, Silverman had been looking for a way to make Syliboy’s work available for more to enjoy. An opportunity presented itself in 2024, when he went to the �ʹڲ���app Art Gallery to see Alan Syliboy: The Journey so Far, a 50-year retrospective celebrating the artist’s work. Silverman discovered that several of the pieces in the exhibit were on loan from the estate of Marcia Hennessy, a long-time friend and supporter of Syliboy’s who collected his art for 30 years.

“She lived in the United States, and I felt that, rather than have these paintings go back there, I should see if there was an opportunity to purchase some of these paintings so that they stay in Halifax and honour Alan and our community.”

Acquiring more works from Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian artists

Pamela Edmonds, the Gallery’s director and curator, says they had been looking into acquiring works from the Hennessy estate when Silverman approached them. “There's very little funding support for purchases of art, and it is in our mandate to build on the Gallery’s collection and address historical underrepresented artists, in particular those from Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities,” she says. “Meanwhile, it’s challenging for artists like Alan [Syliboy] to find the support they need to make art full time. So, people like Marcia and Allan [Silverman] are like guardian angels.”

Silverman lights up when he talks about Alan Syliboy and the myriad ways that the artist celebrates Mi’kmaq culture.

“I particularly enjoy the topics he chooses—whether it’s petroglyphs or fish life,” says Silverman.

For Syliboy, it was welcome news. Ever since he saw a retrospective of Alex Colville’s work at the Gallery in 1984, he dreamed that, one day, it would host an exhibition of his work. Now, the works from the 2024 show have a permanent home at �ʹڲ���app.

“It’s exciting that we get to keep some of the work here, but it’s also like Marcia’s here,” Syliboy says. “It was a unique relationship, and it had to be made into something lasting. This is the perfect vehicle for it.”

An inherited appreciation for the arts

Silverman says it was his father, Julius, a co-founder and concertmaster for Symphony Orchestra Halifax, a forerunner for Symphony Nova Scotia, who gave him an appreciation for the arts.

“He had a wonderful, successful career, and I feel it's incumbent upon me to honour his contributions,” Silverman says. “That’s why I'm willing to go to any lengths to support the arts and make them available to the community for everybody to enjoy.”

In making the gift to the Art Gallery and the Weldon building, Silverman was also motivated by fond memories of Dal.

“After my first year [of law school], I started articling with Ralph Medjuck’s firm,” says Silverman. “He was my first cousin and one of the reasons why I decided to study law at Dal. That gave me a superior knowledge of property work.”

Following a successful career in law and real estate, Silverman is now enjoying retirement, with more time for sailing and the visual and performing arts. He hopes people will appreciate the opportunity to see Syliboy’s artwork at the Weldon Law Building but also believes his donation to the Gallery may contribute to something bigger than that.

“I think it's crucial that we expand the connection with Alan and the Mi’kmaq in the reconciliation process,” Silverman says. “I think we're all contributing to the process, and hopefully everybody in the community will benefit."