East of East Atlantic Hip Hop Archive

About the Exhibition

Curated by Michael McGuire; Organized by MSVU Art Gallery

The East of East Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop Archive and MSVU Art Gallery is excited to present an exhibition that delves into the rich history of hip hop culture in the Atlantic Provinces dating back to the 1980s. Curated by founder Michael McGuire this exhibition will showcase a selection of digital and physical items from an archive of over 2100 recordings, 400 posters, and 9 hours of video, along with 850 CDs, 165 cassettes, and 280 vinyl records. This exhibition aims to celebrate and preserve the often overlooked hip hop legacy of Atlantic Canada and honour the individuals who have contributed to its vibrancy.

As an ongoing project, the East of East Archive is dedicated to collecting and documenting materials related to Atlantic Canadian hip hop. The exhibition, designed to be an interactive experience, will highlight the archive’s commitment to supporting and inspiring new projects within the hip hop community. Visitors will not only view but have the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the history of hip hop in the region and experience the breadth of cultural expression within Atlantic Canadian hip hop.

For more information on the East of East Atlantic Hip Hop Archive visit their website.

Audio Companion

Opening Reception

All are welcome to a celebratory reception for MSVU Art Gallery’s Fall exhibitions, ‘Still Tho,’ curated by Mark V. Campbell and ‘East of East Atlantic Hip Hop Archive’, curated by Michael McGuire. The curators and several artists will be in attendance. DJ DTS will play a live set throughout the afternoon. 

Opening remarks will be held at 1:30pm in the Gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available. Like all our events, this is free to attend and there is free parking on campus.

MSVU Art Gallery is dedicated to making our exhibitions accessible to all. Information about access, location, and interpretive services can be found in the About section of our website.

Please contact art.gallery@msvu.ca for any access requests, service needs, or inquiries.

About the curator

Michael McGuire is an artist and academic based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Inspired by the hip hop tapes he discovered as a child, he started rapping and performing spoken word as ‘Hermitofthewoods’. In the years that followed, he began facilitating workshops and giving talks on the culture and production of hip hop, with a particular focus on the local scene in Halifax. Leaning into the academic world, a Master’s thesis on the history of hip hop in Halifax soon followed, along with an opportunity to teach at Mount Saint Vincent University, which, in turn, led to pursuing a doctorate in critical hip hop pedagogy. In 2017, he established the ‘East of East Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop’ to preserve the cultural legacy of the region’s hip hop artists and as a platform for future academic research and study.  He lives in Timberlea, Nova Scotia with an adorable beagle named Goose.