Weljesi: Special Exhibition Tour with Artist Jerry Evans
Date: Sep 20
7:00 pm
- 8:00 pm
Where: Level 4 Art Gallery
Join visual artist, Jerry Evans to learn more about his work in the current exhibition, Weljesi.
Weljesi marks the first major survey of Jerry Evans’ iconic prints, paintings, projections and video portraiture. Questioning the very format of the traditional retrospective, this exhibition is rooted in Indigenous concepts of cyclical time, storytelling and beauty. It reveals how Evans’ works are in constant movement, as they align with his expanding Indigenous worldviews and act as a focal point for life and community.
Jerry Evans is an artist of Mi’kmaw and settler heritage, born and raised in central Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). He is one of this province’s most beloved and respected artists, working professionally for over 30 years. Known primarily as a painter and printmaker, he also works with film, design and traditional hand-poke tattooing to reach beyond Western ideologies. His practice is deeply rooted in his Mi’kmaw heritage, and his artistry comes alive in the creation of his own regalia for powwow dancing. He is committed to sharing and learning with communities all over Mi’kma’ki.
To learn more about Jerry Evans: https://www.jerryevans.ca/
Tickets: $12 (+HST), Free for Rooms Members. Get your ticket online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
Note: This discussion takes place in the gallery, lightweight stools will be provided for any who wish to sit.
Events & Programs
Get to know the artifacts and material culture from The Rooms Collections better through drawing. This new weekly series is designed for creatives who want to sketch independently and draw from a unique collection of artifacts and objects from our six vaults.
Each session of Drawing from Our Collections will feature a new curated selection of artifacts and material culture from our extensive archives, art gallery, and museum vaults. It will be a rare opportunity to observe and draw from items that are not usually accessible to the public.
This series is for those comfortable with drawing independently in a supportive and engaging environment. Bring your sketchbook and pencils and join us for a creative adventure that will deepen your connection to art and history.
4 sessions: October 29, November 5, 12, and 19 from 2 – 4 pm
Cost: $80 plus HST for 4 sessions. 10% discount for Rooms members. OR can be purchased individually for $20 plus HST per session.
Suitable for ages 15 and up. Spaces are limited. Register online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
Prefer an evening time slot? There is also a 6:30 – 8:30 pm session offered.
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.
Get to know the artifacts and material culture from The Rooms Collections better through drawing. This new weekly series is designed for creatives who want to sketch independently and draw from a unique collection of artifacts and objects from our six vaults.
Each session of Drawing from Our Collections will feature a new curated selection of artifacts and material culture from our extensive archives, art gallery, and museum vaults. It will be a rare opportunity to observe and draw from items that are not usually accessible to the public. Prepare to gain valuable knowledge about our collections along with others who are keen to draw, sketch, and learn.
This series is for those comfortable with drawing independently in a supportive and engaging environment. Bring your sketchbook and pencils and join us for a creative adventure that will deepen your connection to art and history.
4 sessions: October 29, November 5, 12, and 19 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Cost: $80 plus HST for 4 sessions. 10% discount for Rooms members. OR can be purchased individually for $20 plus HST per session.
Spaces are limited. Suitable for ages 15 and up. Register online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
Prefer an afternoon time slot? There is also a 2 – 4 pm session offered.
Celebrating the release of two anticipated works of non-fiction from Breakwater Books, join authors Debbie McGee and Jen Winsor in conversation about the ups and downs of writing about personal relationships and representing real life in print. Debbie McGee’s intimate memoir Cautiously Pessimistic is one woman’s personal account of her husband’s death and what it means to die in the public eye. Jen Winsor’s collection Ship Moms tells the beautiful, complicated, behind-the-scenes stories of the lust, love, and pregnancy of cruise ship crew members and the babies they brought into the world.
This is a free event but a ticket is required. Register online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
Presented in partnership with Breakwater Books. Books will be available for sale in The Rooms Giftshop on Level 1.
About the Authors:
Debbie McGee made her first film in Vancouver in 1983, and her last film in St. John’s in 2013. In between those markers, she worked as a writer and director of short dramas and NFB documentaries before joining the Media Unit at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador as Producer/Director. She has been an active volunteer with arts organizations throughout her career, serving on many boards, juries, and councils. Debbie is a mother and a grandmother. She lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with her adorable puppy, Cammie.
Jen Winsor is an arts administrator who has worked in the Newfoundland and Labrador arts scene for almost 20 years, focusing on music and literature. Jen left the province to travel with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Arts and Entertainment Division, but her plans were cut short when she got pregnant, with a crew member 12 years younger than her. Returning to her home province, she happily became the Executive Director of WritersNL. When she’s not lost in a book or typing up funding applications, you’ll find her hiking the East Coast Trail, enjoying a drag show, or experiencing some live music. Jen lives in St. John’s with her son, Gabriel, and his Brazilian dad, Luiz.