Elissa Barnard spent 35 years as an arts and entertainment reporter for the Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia’s daily newspaper, in Halifax until August, 2017.
She has a BA in English with honours from Dalhousie University and studied creative writing at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ont., with W.O. Mitchell and at the Banff School of Fine Arts.
Initially a news reporter, she became part of the Herald’s entertainment department in 1984. During the 1980s and 1990s the arts and coverage of the arts in Nova Scotia flourished until the Herald had large arts and features departments.
While reporting on everything related from film to fashion, Barnard focussed on visual art and theatre. She reviewed theatre, both mainstream and independent, in Halifax and outside the city.
She received a silver Atlantic Journalism Award in 2015 for her article on artist Mary Pratt for the Herald Magazine. She has written about art for Launcelot Press, BILLIE Magazine and Canadian Art.

Elissa Barnard
elissa.barnard@gmail.com