Gallery 78: Fredericton’s hidden art gem
- Jennifer William
- Oct 6
- 2 min read
Just a short walk from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery sits a colourful house overlooking the riverfront – Gallery 78.
Gallery 78 is a space that has been at the centre of Fredericton’s art scene for nearly 50 years. Founded in 1976 by Inge Pataki, a German emigrant who came to Fredericton with her Hungarian husband, a classical musician at the University of New Brunswick.
The gallery began as an experiment in their family home on Brunswick Street. It has since grown into the province’s oldest private art gallery, dedicated entirely to showcasing Atlantic Canadian artists.
Today, the gallery remains a family business. Pataki’s granddaughter, Sophie Thériault, studied fine arts at Mount Allison University before returning home to take on the role of communications and sales manager.
She now works alongside her mother, the gallery’s managing director and her sister, who helps part-time.
“Growing up, I’d come downstairs and there would be clients in the living room looking at art,” said Thériault. “It was just part of daily life, art was everywhere.”
Thériault now spends her days planning exhibitions, connecting with artists and guiding clients from around the world.
With rotating shows every four to five weeks, Gallery 78 offers a steady stream of fresh work, from painting and photography to sculpture and textiles.
Unlike public museums, everything is for sale and visitors are encouraged to sit on the couches scattered throughout the space, taking in the works at their own pace.
“You don’t need to know anything about art to come in here. Just take a walk around, sit for a while and see what pulls you in,” said Thériault.
The gallery’s focus remains firmly on Atlantic Canadian art, both established figures and emerging talents.
Thériault said this mission has carried the gallery for decades.
“When my grandmother started this, there weren’t many opportunities for Atlantic Canadian artists to show work on par with other parts of Canada,” she said. “That’s what Gallery 78 has always tried to provide.”
For students who might be hesitant about stepping into a gallery space, Thériault offers advice: treat it like an invitation, not an obligation.
“Art isn’t meant to intimidate,” she said. “The best piece is the one you want to live with, the one that makes you stop, smile, or think a little deeper.”
For her, that’s the reward of keeping the family legacy alive.
“It’s not just about selling art, it’s about creating a space where people feel something,” she said.
“If someone walks out the door a little more inspired than when they came in, then we’ve done our job.”
Gallery 78 offers free admission and is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.