Nova Scotia may pay $2.3M to move stalled Annie Leibovitz photo exhibit ahead

The Nova Scotia government appears ready to shell out more than $2 million to photographer Annie Leibovitz if that's what it takes for her to agree to show her work in the province.

An Ontario familypurchased 2,000 prints from the famed photographer and donated them to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia five years ago.

But the Mintz family didn't get the tax break it sought because a federalboard refused to certify the collection as having "outstanding significance and national importance."

As a result,Leibovitz got only about half ofthe nearly $5 millionshe was promised.

On Wednesday, Culture Minister LeoGlavinesuggested the province might pay Leibovitz the remaining $2.3million.

International interest

He saidmountinga Leibovitz exhibit would put Nova Scotia on the map internationally.

"Nothing has been put on the table for us at this stage," he said. "I think again there is great opportunity (and) immense potential, to have her works displayed here at the Art Gallery and that would not be out of the question if that became the bottom line to get Annie available, not just to NovaScotians," he said.

"We know there would be interest well beyond the borders of our province for her work."

The Mintz family bought theLeibovitz prints in 2013 and donated themto the AGNS two days later.

Under the terms of the deal, the family paidLeibovitz $4.75 million for the prints. However,half of thatmoney was contingent on the works receiving certification.

The valuation initially submitted to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board, however, was $20 million more than four times higher than the purchase price.

Tax credit rejected

Had that valuation been approved, it would have meant a tax credit for the Mintz family worth millions of dollars more than what they paid for the work.

Only the cultural review boardcan provide the certification. The art gallery has applied four times and been denied each time, most recently in July2017.

Even thoughAGNSis the legal owner of the works, it cannot display them unless Leibovitz approves.That's because, according to theAGNS, she still owns the copyright.

Officials at the art gallery confirm they are in negotiations withLeibovitz.

Among the photos catalogued and in storage at the AGNS is a nude and pregnant Demi Moore, an unsmiling Queen Elizabeth II and John Lennon crouching naked beside Yoko Ono.