The Khyber Centre for the Arts

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The Khyber Centre for the Arts A q***r-led artist-run centre located in downtown Halifax NS, which is Kjipuktuk, unceded Mi’kmaq territory.

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PERFORMANCE IS POSTPONED TO OCT 17TH! ❤️Arielle Twist | Notoriously Immoral WomanPERFORMANCE + NOCTURNE HOURS:6PM-midnig...
10/03/2026

PERFORMANCE IS POSTPONED TO OCT 17TH! ❤️

Arielle Twist | Notoriously Immoral Woman

PERFORMANCE + NOCTURNE HOURS:

6PM-midnight on Saturday, October 17th ⏰
Performance at 630PM (20 minute duration) ❤️
The Khyber Centre for the Arts (1880 Hollis St) 📍

Like Knife Through Soft Belly is a public performance of mark making; to the soundtrack of CHOPPED by Arielle Twist.

CHOPPED was originally commissioned by MASS MoCA in conjunction with Jeffrey Gibson’s POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT and was produced by Patrick ‘Reachout’ Coll. CHOPPED is a sound work informed by notions of erasure, disembodiment, hauntings, and the power of absence and ancestral presence. Twist conceived the sound installation in the wake of increasing discrimination and violence suffered by trans and gender nonconforming people, particularly in America. CHOPPED is both a manifesto and a prayer, authored and performed by Twist and a small number of trans collaborators.

The gallery will not be open during the 12-5PM hours this day. Doors are at 6PM and the performance will begin at 630PM (20 minutes), followed by open hours and a durational piece The Hunch of My Back, The Grip of My Hand coinciding with Nocturne: Art at Night.

ID: A graphic poster sharing event details with a bright red background and pale pink rectangular text panels, underlaid with almost black/deep red speckled ink marks. Black typography is across the panels, with some bold and italicized text.

Arielle Twist’s Notoriously Immoral Woman is on view at the Khyber until October 17th. The exhibition is co-presented wi...
09/26/2026

Arielle Twist’s Notoriously Immoral Woman is on view at the Khyber until October 17th. The exhibition is co-presented with NSCAD University and is Twist’s MFA thesis exhibition.

Exhibition: September 15th - October 17th, 2026
Gallery Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Saturday (hours differ on days with events)

Artist Talk: 12PM on Thursday, October 1st
Performance: 6PM on Saturday, October 3rd
Nocturne Hours: 6PM-midnight on Saturday, October 17th

NOCTURNE HOURS:

6PM-midnight on Saturday, October 17th

Closing Notoriously Immoral Woman, a durational performance, The Hunch of My Back, The Grip of My Hand, will be presented.

The gallery will not be open during the 12-5PM hours this day.

Imagine IDs:
A close up of a unstretched hung canvas with dark mark marking. Imbued in red lights.
A full image of the first photo
Another painting that is unstretched and hung from the ceiling imbued in red light. Hung in the middle of the gallery there is a braid attached to the right n left bottom corners.
A close up of the braid.
Entry peakaboo. Two lamps with space beading and red lightbulbs. One is on a small plinth. They are both surrounded by ephemera ie books, ci******es etc

Exhibition: September 15th - October 17th, 2026Gallery Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Saturday (hours differ on days with events)...
09/25/2026

Exhibition: September 15th - October 17th, 2026
Gallery Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Saturday (hours differ on days with events)

Artist Talk: 12PM on Thursday, October 1st
Performance: 6PM on Saturday, October 3rd
Nocturne Hours: 6PM-midnight on Saturday, October 17th

ARTIST TALK:

12PM on Thursday, October 1st

Join us for a conversational-style artist talk with Arielle Twist. She will speak about the works in Notoriously Immoral Woman, and then open up the floor for questions and conversation about the work. This talk is public with no registration.

Attendees will be seated and the gallery will be open before and after the talk for folks to view the work. Following the event, the gallery will be closed for the rest of the day.

PERFORMANCE:

6PM on Saturday, October 3rd

Like Knife Through Soft Belly is a public performance of mark-making, to the soundtrack of CHOPPED by Arielle Twist.

CHOPPED was originally commissioned by MASS MoCA in conjunction with Jeffrey Gibson’s POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT and was produced by Patrick ‘Reachout’ Coll. CHOPPED is a sound work informed by notions of erasure, disembodiment, hauntings, and the power of absence and ancestral presence. Twist conceived the sound installation in the wake of increasing discrimination and violence suffered by trans and gender nonconforming people, particularly in America. CHOPPED is both a manifesto and a prayer, authored and performed by Twist and a small number of trans collaborators.

The gallery will not be open during the 12-5PM hours this day. Doors are at 6PM and the performance will begin at 630PM.

Image IDs: a close up of an installation art. Plexi circle with natural cut outs. Surrounded by text imbued in red.
A painting on unstretched canvas imbued in red light
A painting with darker brush marks hanging from the ceiling on unstretched canvas imbued in red light. And a close up of that painting

ARTIST STATEMENT:Notoriously Immoral Woman, as a title, is derived from the etymology of the word “scarlet,” which trace...
09/24/2026

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Notoriously Immoral Woman, as a title, is derived from the etymology of the word “scarlet,” which traces back the use of the Biblical term scarlet woman as an identifier for a “notoriously immoral woman,” with the notion perhaps being from the idea that she is “red with shame or indignation.” This understanding combined with the historical use of Red as an identifier for Indigenous peoples of North America; RedSkin, Red Man, and a process that I am describing as “a salvaging from the wreckage of colonial artillery” I aim to bring these understandings of colonial notions back to the “rootbound orality” of indigenous ways of thinking and being, To stake claim to and document this role of The Notoriously Immoral Woman, a woman of scarlet affinity, mother of all colors, a woman who has been changed by shame or indignation and the hauntings that unfold in the aftermath.

This collection of work, poiesis and visual modes of making, concludes in a manifesto of contamination that is unravelling into a personal visage - ink on paper, ink on body, ink on canvas, ink on hair; everything here is red, even my skin.

Image IDs two paintings woven together with string bathed in red light. As well as close up images of the brush strokes

We are excited to share more info on public events for Arielle Twist’s exhibition, Notoriously Immoral Woman ❤️All progr...
09/23/2026

We are excited to share more info on public events for Arielle Twist’s exhibition, Notoriously Immoral Woman ❤️

All programming will continue to take place at the Khyber (1880 Hollis St)

Exhibition: September 15th - October 17th, 2026
Gallery Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Saturday (hours differ on days with events)
Artist Talk: 12PM on Thursday, October 1st
Performance: 6PM on Saturday, October 3rd
Nocturne Hours: 6PM-midnight on Saturday, October 17th

Further event details can be found on the promo images and text linked in our bio 🔗

ID: Six promotional images with text and background details of ink drawings on canvas for Notoriously Immoral Woman by Arielle Twist at The Khyber Centre for the Arts (1880 Hollis St). Each image uses a vivid red background with black mark-making and translucent red text boxes with black text. The text shares details for the exhibition (September 15 - October 17, 2026), an artist talk on October 1, a performance of Like Knife Through Soft Belly on October, and closing Nocturne hours on October 17.

Out of Line 3 will include guest artist talks and mentorship 💓APPLY NOW! Call details and full artist bios are linked in...
09/02/2026

Out of Line 3 will include guest artist talks and mentorship 💓

APPLY NOW! Call details and full artist bios are linked in our bio 🔗

ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS:

Chris Cochrane-Stillwell (Elle Noir) is a 21-year veteran of drag and a local legend in Halifax’s drag community. Her impact has been recognized year after year on The Coast’s Best Drag Performer list for 18 consecutive years, earning 7 Gold, 7 Silver, and 4 Bronze titles. Chris is known for bringing a dynamic new-skool energy to her performances. Often referred to as the Beyoncé of Halifax, she draws inspiration from both contemporary artists and the divas of previous generations, including Tina Turner and Diana Ross. Chris is a proud trans Black activist and public speaker who uses her platform to speak about her lived experience and educate others about intersectionality and equity. She is the creator of MelaNATION, which has grown into one of Canada’s largest QTBIPOC showcases, and served as Vice Chair of Halifax Pride from 2020-22. She is also a makeup artist, Master Esthetician, and actor, with many television and film credits. Chris is committed to uplifting QTBIPOC youth and supporting the next generation of 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and community leaders.

Truly Am is a stand-up comedian, preparator/curator and artist who lives and works in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They have worked in exhibition installation and design for over a decade, and have collaborated with a variety of artists as a sculptural fabricator. Their own previous projects include their recently released comedy album, several plays, and their short film “Baggage.” They also have written for a variety of publications, including Visual Arts News and The Outport. As an illustrator, Am has produced projects for CBC East Coast, TEDx, CBC Podcasts and Edible Maritimes. They were long-listed in the CBC Comedy Next Up competition as one of the top 100 up and coming comedians in Canada, and won Gold (2019) and Silver (2023) in the Best Of Halifax reader’s poll for Best Comedy Show. They have opened for a variety of acts, including “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars” winner Trixie Mattel.

Image description in the comments 💬

Out of Line 3 will be facilitated by artists Marley O’Brien and Wren Tian 💚Monthly group sessions will run from October ...
09/01/2026

Out of Line 3 will be facilitated by artists Marley O’Brien and Wren Tian 💚

Monthly group sessions will run from October 2026 to June 2027, culminating in a group exhibition with public programming at the Khyber in July 2027 💜

⭐ APPLY BY 5PM ADT ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 ⭐

Details linked in our bio 🔗

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS:

Marley O’Brien is a q***r and trans painter, performer, filmmaker and facilitator of white settler colonial descent, working and living in Kjipuktuk, Halifax, Nova Scotia. She graduated from NSCAD University in 2022 with a major in Fine Art and has an acute interest in transfeminine perspectives and pop culture. O’Brien is best known for her evocative oil paintings, her drag persona Moist Towlette, and her performances in Atlantic Canadian short films. All of her practices are driven by her sensibilities and intuitions. O’Brien pursues beauty, passion, humour, and truth in all of her work as she does in her personal life. She endeavours to create evocative images that exploit and subvert more recognizable iconography from the canons of painting, filmmaking and popular culture.

Wren Tian is an interdisciplinary artist and facilitator working primarily in lens-based (photo, video). They hold a BFA in Expanded Media Arts from NSCAD University and have exhibited both locally and nationally. Wren considers himself a jack of all trades, master of none, with experience in arts administration, arts programming, and gallery installation, as well as supporting and educating q***r and trans folks on topics around gender and pleasure. Right now, their arts practice primarily looks like finding ways to connect and play with friends through artistic collaboration.

Image description in the comments 💬

The Khyber is excited to announce a KREAM residency and solo NSCAD MFA thesis exhibition by Arielle Twist. Residency: Au...
08/19/2026

The Khyber is excited to announce a KREAM residency and solo NSCAD MFA thesis exhibition by Arielle Twist.

Residency: August 24th - September 8th, 2026 (studio visit requests can be made to [email protected])
Exhibition: September 15th - October 17th, 2026
Gallery Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Saturday
Public Reception: 530-730PM on Monday, September 14th

ARTIST STATEMENT:
Notoriously Immoral Woman, as a title, is derived from the etymology of the word “scarlet,” which traces back the use of the Biblical term scarlet woman as an identifier for a “notoriously immoral woman,” with the notion perhaps being from the idea that she is “red with shame or indignation.” This understanding combined with the historical use of Red as an identifier for Indigenous peoples of North America; RedSkin, Red Man, and a process that I am describing as “a salvaging from the wreckage of colonial artillery” I aim to bring these understandings of colonial notions back to the “rootbound orality” of indigenous ways of thinking and being, To stake claim to and document this role of The Notoriously Immoral Woman, a woman of scarlet affinity, mother of all colors, a woman who has been changed by shame or indignation and the hauntings that unfold in the aftermath.

This collection of work, poiesis and visual modes of making, concludes in a manifesto of contamination that is unravelling into a personal visage - ink on paper, ink on body, ink on canvas, ink on hair; everything here is red, even my skin.

Artist bio and more information linked in our bio 🔗

Image description in the comments 💬

Join us online for the Khyber 2025–26 AGM! 💚Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 6PM ADT on Zoom 🌐This is an opportunity to c...
08/18/2026

Join us online for the Khyber 2025–26 AGM! 💚

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 6PM ADT on Zoom 🌐

This is an opportunity to connect and hear reporting on the last fiscal year. It’s also a great time to renew your Khyber membership!

We are also accepting expressions of interest from individuals interested in joining the Khyber Board of Directors.

All links in our bio 🔗

ID: A poster promoting the Khyber’s upcoming AGM. Text is black and primarily hand-drawn, surrounded by black line drawings of imaginary artworks, a heart with a face, a microphone and XLR cord, dots, and swirls. The background is a peachy tone; there are a couple of red squiggles, and lime green and bright teal boxes amongst the black line drawings and text.

All you could dream of pop-up market!🎭Gallery hours: Friday Aug 14 6-9 & Saturday Aug 15 12-5Come one, come all to Khybe...
08/13/2026

All you could dream of pop-up market!

🎭Gallery hours: Friday Aug 14 6-9 & Saturday Aug 15 12-5

Come one, come all to Khyber’s weekend pop-up sale! Featuring work from our lovely members. From art books to prints to wearables... there is something for everyone!!

Here is a sneak peek at some of the things people will be offering!

Our list of vendors are:
Carriona Iozzo
Caro DeFrias
AC World
Natalie Goulet
Khyber
& prints for Mutual Aid

Address

1880 Hollis Street
Halifax, NS
B3J1W6

Telephone

+19028176620

Website

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