The Culture Rooms
Date: Sep 14
10:00 am
- 5:00 pm
Where: Level 2 & 3 Atrium
Experience what makes the people and this place so unique. MUSIC: When we are not talking, we are singing. And dancing. And having a time. Learn why music runs in our veins and try out an instrument or two yourself. Have you ever played an ugly stick? LANGUAGE: Did you know we have our own dictionary? Become acquainted with local authors. Learn some new words, like sleeveen or callibogus. And discover place names that will make you giggle, such as Come By Chance or Blow Me Down Provincial Park. NATURE: Mother Nature is highly respected here. Her high winds, dense fog, deep snow and horizontal rain have made us a hearty bunch and have defined our fashion sense. Learn about our spectacular hiking trails. Touch a piece of iceberg. And find out what capelin weather is all about. HISTORY: Come find out what brought people to these shores hundreds of years ago and what has made us such a resilient and creative lot. Try your hand at splitting a cod or bring a turn of water. Learn about resettlement and the salt cod trade. GENEALOGY: Many visitors have "roots" in this province. Some come with a clear understanding of where their families came from, while others only know that somewhere in their past there was a generation that started here. This kiosk shows you how to begin!
Today's Events & Programs
Winter may be here, but there’s no need to stay home!
Join us at The Rooms to exercise and socialize during this colder and drearier time of year. While strolling throughout the building and enjoying both the exhibitions and the views, participants will focus on a different spotlight item from our collection each week. After our stroll, staff will lead a brief discussion on the weekly spotlight, and then everyone is encouraged to stay and socialize with friends new and old.
Following the Senior's Stroll, we will open our art gallery classroom for a guided art activity. All materials are provided, and everyone is welcome to attend.
No registration is needed. Included with the cost of admission ($7.80 plus HST for seniors), free for members.
For further information, please contact catherineoneill@therooms.ca
Peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador
Stroll across land and sea, and through time, to meet the peoples who have made Newfoundland and Labrador home for the past 9,000 years.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
In this conversation, writers and educators Rhea Rollmann and Daze Jefferies explore the possibilities of queer and trans worldmaking that are present across Erica Rutherford and Matthew-Robin Nye’s art and exhibitions. With specific attention to depictions of the child and childhood, and to the value of wonder in today's world, they reflect on the lived experiences, hopes, and dreams of trans and gender creative youth in Atlantic Canada.
This is a free program but a ticket is required. Please reserve your free ticket online or by calling 709-757-8090.
Rhea Rollmann (she/her) is an award-winning journalist, writer and audio producer based in St. John's, NL, and is the author of A Queer History of Newfoundland (Engen Books, 2023). She is a founding editor of The Independent NL and her journalism has appeared in Briarpatch Magazine, CBC, Xtra Magazine, Chatelaine, PopMatters, Riddle Fence, Macleans and more. Her academic work has been published in the Journal of Gender Studies, Labor Studies Journal, Canadian Woman Studies, Journal of Work and Society, Canadian Theatre Review, Canadian Review of Sociology, Screen Bodies and elsewhere. She also has an extensive background in labour organizing and queer/trans activism, and she is Station Manager at CHMR-FM, a community radio station in St. John's.
Daze Jefferies (she/her) is a white settler artist, writer, and educator based in Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). Her multidisciplinary, research-based practice explores queer, trans, and sex worker embodiments, counter-histories, and intergenerational relationships in Atlantic Canada. Her work has been exhibited and performed at The Rooms, Eastern Edge Artist-Run-Centre, and the Grenfell Art Gallery, with upcoming exhibitions at Union House Arts and the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Gallery. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Emerging Artist Award and 2025 Milestone Award from VANL-CARFAC.
A new year – a new round of trivia! Get your thinking caps on, settle in with your friends and get ready for some exciting Trivia!
Join host Ramona Dearing for an evening of questions inspired by the history, geography, and the culture of the province.
Teams of 2-6 people. Cash bar available and Prizes!
Ramona Dearing is a writer and a retired host of CBC Radio’s CrossTalk and its popular Trivia editions.
Tickets: $12 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.