This thesis consists of a curatorial essay and project entitled the W(here)Festival, a five day contemporary art festival in Pictou County, Nova Scotia with works by Marlene Creates, Sheilah Wilson, Site Media Inc. (Katherine Knight and David Craig), Susan Sellers, Raina McDonald, Sharon Nowlan, Linda Little and Sheree Fitch. Exploring ideas of place, art and community, makers from a variety of disciplines and experiences led residents in specially designed field trips, projects, presentations as well as discussion, story and song. This festival was a hands-on experience that moved beyond gallery walls exploring new ideas of rural contemporary curatorial and artistic practices through collaboration, place and place-based artwork, as well as definitions of rural identity and community. This essay considers the project’s development, the challenges and opportunities of curating “here”, and the lasting impact of this project within curatorial practices and the local communities of Pictou County.