(1938 - )
Now retired, Murray worked as a coal miner and as a local public works employee until his retirement. He learned to carve from his grandfather, who had been a windmill builder. When Murray begins a piece, he explains, "I got no purpose in mind. I don't know what something's gonna look like until it's done - just that it's got two arms and legs". His subjects include his well known 'Cape Breton Ladies' - always brightly coloured and often carrying handbags. Murray attended the Folk Art Festival in Lunenburg and his carvings have been featured on the festival poster. Sixteen carvings by Murray Gallant are in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. An early Cape Breton lady made out of a pit prop from a mine is part of the collection at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and one of his unique carousels was recently added to the Museum of History's collection. Murray is also an accomplished fiddler in the true tradition of Cape Breton and he is a member of The Feisty Fiddlers.
Ref: A.G.N.S., Nova Scotia Folk Art - Canada's Cultural Heritage (1989); Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society, A Joyous Vision - Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia (1995); Ray Cronin, Nova Scotia Folk Art: An Illustrated Guide (2024).
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