Eyelevel Bookstore
EYELEVEL ARTIST-RUN CENTRE & BOOKSTORE
2482 Maynard St
Halifax, NS
Canada, B3K 3V4
t. 902.425.6412
info@eyelevel.art
Open Wed - Fri 12 - 5 PM
Schedule a curbside pickup here
ABOUT US
Eyelevel is an arts worker/artist-run organization mandated to present and support the development of socially-relevant and thought-provoking artistic practices locally, regionally and nationally. Eyelevel supports artists through residencies, mentorship, publishing and presentation outside of a traditional gallery context that is accompanied by care-oriented and trauma-informed artistic, professional and personal support. Eyelevel aims to raise public awareness and capacity of our local arts community; particularly artists and arts workers who have been historically underserved and misrepresented in the contemporary art dialogue. Eyelevel strives to be a connector between artists, communities and the broader public, to constantly question the balance of power and work against systemic oppression and discrimination by centring anti-violence and pro-survivor practices. Eyelevel works in treaty to build a more inclusive and caring world through art, and to advance positive change within the arts through its operations, policies and programming.
Eyelevel's Bookstore is a unique part of Eyelevel's programme dedicated to showcasing artists' books, multiples, sound works, and publications from national and international artists and organizations. Since 2003, the Eyelevel Reshelving Initiative has been a biennale programme to re-stock, take stock and exhibit a fresh breathe of printed matter: opening a call for new submissions and offering to return archived works to their respective artists' care.
The Eyelevel Bookstore is a member of the publishing consortium, Halifax INK, and regularly attends book fairs such as the New York Art Book Fair and the Vancouver Art Book Fair, exhibiting works which have been shared with us through the Reshelving Initiatives.
In addition to exhibition, the bookstore also presents lectures, publications, and residencies to create opportunities for local and visiting artists to develop their practice and advance the medium of printed matter.
ACCESSIBILITY
Eyelevel's office and bookstore has moved! We are now located at 2482 Maynard Street in the north end of so-called Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is in Kjipuktuk and on unceded and unsurrendered Mi’kmaq territory. Eyelevel's staff and board acknowledge our organization's settler history and recognize our responsibilities as an uninvited guest operating in Mi'kma'ki. Eyelevel also maintains 6 artist studios at 2177 Gottingen Street. Eyelevel strives to accommodate the needs of our visitors as best as possible, mitigating the barriers to access. In order to send an inquiry of our facilities or feedback about your experience, please contact Eyelevel's Artistic Director Sally Wolchyn-Raab at director@eyelevel.art or by phone at (902)425-6412.
2482 Maynard Street is a wheelchair-accessible building. The building has visitor parking with reserved accessible parking spots. There are push-button door openers at the main entrances, and a button-operated lift to the second floor. The building has wide hallways and all doorways are a minimum of 36" wide. 2 non-gendered washrooms (one with a changing table) are located on the first floor, and 2 non-gendered washrooms without changing tables are located on the second floor. All washrooms have sharps containers, room for a wheelchair to turn, and grab bars. A quiet room is also located on the first floor. 2482 Maynard Street is a low-scent, all-ages, low-stimuli building. The second floor is not open to the public except for special events and is normally locked with keypad entry.
Eyelevel's bookstore is located on the first floor. Toddlers and young children are welcomed to touch and explore it with supervision. The bookstore is wheelchair friendly with display tables at 36" and room to pull a chair underneath. The till is mobile and there is room to turn a wheelchair 360* in the bookstore. Eyelevel's office is located on the second floor. Visitors can access our office for meetings and events by contacting Eyelevel's staff when they arrive at the building. The office has room for a wheelchair to make a 360* turn, and a 36" wide unobstructed path to and from each workstation.
COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS
2482 Maynard Street is a building accessed by a group of around 20 artists and the staff of Wonder'neath, Art Bikers and Eyelevel on a regular basis. Starting August 5th, Eyelevel's bookstore will be open to the public from Wednesday to Friday, 12PM - 5PM. Saturday and evening openings will be added as the entire space opens up. At this time, all visitors to Eyelevel's bookstore must:
Practice social distancing, please only 5 people maximum in the booktore at a time
Wear masks as required by all visitors to 2482 Maynard (disposable masks are available at the front door)
Staff must wash hands upon entering the space and throughout the day
Staff do not normally wear masks while working in the upstairs office, but masks are worn in the bookstore and all public areas
Curbside pickup is available for online purchases, which can be booked here: https://eyelevel.appointlet.com
We will do our very best to accommodate the health and safety needs of our visitors. If you require measures beyond our normal COVID-19 protocols, please let us know before your visit to Eyelevel. There is a space in our appointment booking section where you can ask for special measures to be taken by Eyelevel's staff to help you safely visit our space and pick up your bookstore order.
VISITING OUR BOOKSTORE
Service animals are always welcome in our space and at our events. Please let a staff member know if your service animal requires water or you need directions to an area where they can relieve themselves. Unless otherwise specified, all events at Eyelevel are all-ages. Guardians and caregivers are invited to contact Eyelevel to get any further details on events that they need to assess its kid-friendliness beyond any content warnings that we provide. We do occasionally serve alcohol by donation, but will always accompany bar service with non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. Wonder'neath's Project Space, where we program most events, is clean, but not precious. Objects in our bookstore are meant to be explored and handled. Young children and toddlers are invited to explore Eyelevel's bookstore with supervision.
During events where intensity of subject matter is expected, Eyelevel has begun to provide a “decompression space” where stimulus is reduced, and seating is available in the event that someone needs to take respite. In addition to this, Eyelevel aims to notify visitors of triggering subject matter through the use of “content warnings.” Wonder'neath has a low-stimuli quiet room located next to the bookstore (enter through the Project Space) that is available during all events hosted in that space, including Eyelevel events.
Eyelevel has begun to involve volunteers who are trained in bystander intervention to work events that are deemed to be high-risk, such as one where alcohol is present. These individuals identify, interrupt, deescalate, and respond to potentially harmful situations.
Eyelevel carries these practices with us to all outside events and exhibitions that we present. Details on facility accessibility will be posted alongside event descriptions on our website, newsletters and social media.
OTHER NOTES
2482 Maynard Street is a wheelchair-friendly building and designed with sensory accessibility in mind. Visitors to Eyelevel's office and bookstore should note the following:
The bookstore is located on the first floor, through Wonder'neath's Project Space. The Project Space can sometimes be loud and as it is used as a creative teaching space, collaborative work space, meeting place and open studio.
There are two entrances to the building. The door on the left leads up to the second floor and is generally reserved for office use. The door on the right is propped open for public access during Eyelevel's bookstore hours (Wednesdays to Fridays 12PM-5PM), and leads to a second door that generally remains closed. This second door is a pull door but can also be opened with a push-button door opener.