Community Hook-in with Larry Weyand
Date: Jan 31
6:00 pm
- 9:00 pm
Where: Level 3
Get hooked at our Community Hook-in with visual artist, Larry Weyand! Larry Weyand is a rug hooker whose mats defy the established properties of traditional floor decor. Fueled by food, oral history, creative writing and emotional trauma, Larry investigates how hard-to-swallow narratives can occupy space within the soft, fluffy boundaries of wool-based craft. As a big fan of the phrase 'healing through making', Larry spent most of their free time last year teaching weekly fine art and craft classes at the Naomi Centre, an emergency shelter for women aged 16-30 in St. John's. Larry is now a visiting professor at Memorial University's Grenfell campus in the Visual Arts program. Larry's work is part of the exhibition, Loops to Live By, which weaves a story of rug hooking in Canada, focusing on contemporary developments and traditional practices in Newfoundland and Labrador. Loops to Live By can be found in the art gallery on Level 4. Image credit: Larry Weyand. Grandmaman. 2018. Briggs & Little yarn, burlap, aluminum screen, puff paint, plastic. 94 x 109.2 cm. Courtesy of the Artist.
Today's Events & Programs
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon with Gemma Hickey, renowned author, humanitarian, and architect of change.
Gemma does not simply tell stories; they move systems. From quiet rooms to global stages, grassroots movements to halls of power, Gemma’s voice has challenged governments, confronted the Catholic Church, and amplified the rights and recognition of marginalized communities worldwide. Their art and advocacy rise from lived experience, razor-sharp insight, and a wit that disarms even as it demands attention.
In this candid conversation, Gemma reflects on childhood, gender fluidity, and a life lived beyond the boundaries others tried to impose. Anchored by the enduring love of their Nan, these stories trace a powerful arc; from vulnerability to resilience, silence to truth, survival to change, and show how one voice, spoken without fear or apology, can echo far beyond the room, changing lives, laws, and futures at home and beyond.
The event includes a live audience Q&A. Includes admission to the exhibition Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works.
Tickets: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.