Colville House

Colville House was the home of Canadian artist Alex Colville, his wife Rhoda, and their four children, from 1949 to 1973. In the modest attic studio of this house, Alex Colville painted many of his most renowned artworks including Horse and Train and Nude and Dummy. Today Colville House is open to the public as a site devoted to Colville and his art.

Colville House is a small house, with all exhibits featured on the first floor. These include the installation of the artist’s studio as he left it at the time of his death in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Tours of Colville House are self-guided, and thematic cards provide context for objects on view. Visitors may spend as much or little time as desired.

76 York Street
Sackville, New Brunswick

Hours

Open July and August by appointment. Appointments can be made Monday to Friday between 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Closed on Holidays.

A low white fence runs parallel to a driveway that leads to a two-storey Carpenter Gothic-style, white clapboard house with tall windows, a steeply pitched roof and a prominent cross-gable.
In an attic with sloped ceilings, Alex Colville stands with one arm raised against the frame of a skylight. His gaze in cast downward. In the foreground, propped up on a desk, is a study for the triptych Athletes, showing a swimmer, high jumper and runner. Behind Colville are two further studies, one placed on an easel, the other pinned to the wall.
In a small room with wood floors an easel is placed against the far wall. In front of the easel is a wooden chair and to the right is a white cart that holds paints and brushes. On the adjacent wall to the left, two tall shelving units are filled with a multitude of studio supplies.
Objects and studio furniture are on display within the adjoining front rooms of Colville House. In the foreground a display case holds coins, a record and open books. On the walls, two shelves display publications that face outward highlighting the artworks that appear on their covers.
Six bottles of Koh-I-Noor drawing ink in brown, cobalt, sepia, orange, yellow and black are displayed in a row. The caps and labels of all but one bottle are marked with drips of ink.

Venue Access

There are two steps to the entrance of Colville House which do not have a ramp or a handrail. There is no automatic door opener. Colville House welcomes guide dogs and other service animals.

Bathrooms

Gender-neutral bathrooms are located on the second floor are not wheelchair accessible. One flight of stairs leads to the second floor.

Other Services

Large print copies of wall labels and thematic cards are available from the Colville House attendant for use in the exhibits.

Parking

All parking on campus is free. See the Campus Map for more information.

Explore Programs Related to Colville House

Sackville Sketching Walk with Kamaya Lindquist

A digital guide that leads you on a drawing exploration across campus

An image is split down the middle by a black bar with arrows pointing left and right. On the left a photograph of a large building with beige siding and burgundy trim. Storefronts occupy the ground level, while central portion of the building steps up to a third story with a peaked roof and half-moon window. In the foreground is a bench and a street sign that reads, “Willow Lane”. On the right in the foreground of the painting a milk truck wheels around a corner. A young boy stands on the running board of a truck, balancing himself with one arm through the open passenger-side window, while holding a bottle of milk in his free hand. Buildings, including storefronts line the far side of the street.

Colville In Situ

Consider Alex Colville’s work in the here and now

Two dice sit on a sea-foam green background. One dice has simple line drawings of a house, a car and a sail boat. The other shows images of a cat, a bird and a dog.

The Colville Drawing Dice

A drawing game for all ages

A smartphone is held up in front of a lush green sports field. On the right side of the screen is a map with a point that reads, "Alex Colville, Running Dog". On the left of the screen is an image of a Wire Fox Terrier racing across a sports field marked with painted white lines.

You Are Here

Seeing Sackville through the Owens Art Gallery Collection

A pair of hands holds up a small, staple-bound book with the cover facing outwards. The book's cover is black, and a gold rectangle across the top contains the title “THE COLVILLE HOUSE SKETCHBOOK”.

The Colville House Sketchbook

Drawing prompts inspired by the work of Alex Colville