Nova Scotia’s ‘fairy doors’ featured in new photography exhibit

Nikki-Dee Maggio features her fairy door photographs at the Craig Gallery.

A Dartmouth gallery has been turned into a world of whimsy with an exhibit celebrating Nova Scotia’s “fairy doors.”

The Craig Gallery is showcasing the work of photographer Nikki-Dee Maggio, who has spent the last two years documenting the tiny doors tucked at the base of trees in different parts of the province.

“I go around the city and I seek out fairy doors. They’re little creations Haligonians make, usually at the base of the trees. The Halifax community is very much a part of this project,” Maggio said.

Maggio, who graduated from NSCAD University in 2023, said she first noticed the doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. They later became the focus of her work after many were destroyed by Hurricane Fiona.

The miniature creations, often painted and decorated by families, became a way for children to play and for communities to connect during lockdowns.

“What I’m doing is I’m taking the miniature, the minutia of the community and enlarging it so it becomes in your face. You can’t ignore these images,” said Maggio.

She has photographed doors from Digby to Glace Bay, capturing what she described as fleeting works of imagination.

Maggio says she has been touched by the number of families who have come to see their doors on display and she hopes more people will visit before the show closes this weekend.

“I would love for everyone to come down to the Craig Gallery and see these doors for yourself,” she said.

The show also features miniatures by artist Jennifer Eames.

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