Left to Die by Gary Collins
Date: Apr 11
2:30 pm
- 3:30 pm
Where: Theatre
Coffee & Culture
2024 marks the 110th Anniversary of the historic convergence of ice, seals, and men in late March 1914 and the grim reminder of the dangers of the hunt.
Join award-winning author, Gary Collins as he shares his personal connection to the dramatic stories of men, both young and old, from all over the province that year to pursue the annual seal hunt. Among the vessels that took them to the ice was the S.S. Newfoundland, a wooden-walled steamship captained by Westbury Kean. With no wireless aboard the ship, the stage was set for seventy-eight of the men who went over the side and their fates sealed.
Tickets: $12 (plus HST). Free for Rooms Members. Get your tickets online or by calling (709) 757-8090. Includes admission to the exhibitions and a coffee from The Rooms Café.
About the Author:
Gary Collins was born in Hare Bay, Bonavista North. He spent fifty years in the logging and sawmilling business with his father, Theophilus, and son, Clint. Gary was once Newfoundland’s youngest fisheries guardian. He managed log drives down spring rivers for years, spent seven seasons driving tractor-trailers over ice roads and the Beaufort Sea of Canada’s Western Arctic, and has been involved in the crab, lobster, and cod commercial fisheries. In 2016, he joined the Canadian Rangers.
Gary has written numerous books, including the award-winning children’s illustrated book; What Color is the Ocean, which he co-wrote with his granddaughter, Maggie Rose Parsons.
Gary’s first novel, The Last Beothuk, won the inaugural NL Reads literary competition, administered by the CBC, and was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Gary’s latest work, Away from My Island: The True Story of Eliza Gill is a story of family, heroism, and ultimate sacrifice
Events & Programs
Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!
Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.
What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.
This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.
Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.
Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!
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.
Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!
Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.
What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.
This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.
Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.
Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!
For the last 20 years, Landfall Trust in Brigus has been hosting an Artist in Residence in partnership with The Rooms. Landfall Trust has more recently expanded this idea to include writers and musicians.
Come and hear some of the artists talk about the importance of residency programs to their careers, while they showcase their work through music, songs, readings, and artist talks.
Cost: $15 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
About the Artists:
Ian Foster – A storyteller from Newfoundland, Ian uses music and film to bring his stories to life. Described by CBC’s Bob Mersereau as “a fine example of what a 21st century folk performer should be doing,” Foster continues to evolve and defy genre, as seen in his latest album and film project Close to the Bone (2022). He has toured in Canada, the U.S., Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, and Italy, with music played internationally. He is a MusicNL and ECMA (East Coast Music Award) winner, a finalist for the International Songwriting Competition, and has co-written with legendary folk songwriter Ron Hynes.
Veselina Tomova – Born in 1958, Veselina studied with Prof. Rumen Skortchev at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia (1977–1979), completed her MFA at the Academy of Graphic Art and Book Design in Leipzig, Germany (1979–1983), and continued postgraduate studies with Prof. Rolf Kurt (1983–1985). Since 1990, she has lived and worked in St. John’s, Newfoundland. A founding partner and graphic designer at Vis-à-Vis Graphics, she works in printmaking, illustration, publishing, painting, pottery, and interpretive design. Her book The Wall & The Wind was listed in The Globe & Mail’s Best 100 Books (2020) and was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She has illustrated over 40 books and received awards in Bulgaria, Germany, and Canada. Represented by the Red Ochre Gallery in St. John’s.
Sharon King-Campbell – A theatre and literary artist based in Ktaqmkuk, Sharon was the 2017 recipient of the Rhonda Payne Award and a four-time winner of the Arts and Letters Awards in fiction, dramatic script, and poetry. Her plays Original and Give Me Back have reached audiences throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and mainland Canada, and the Canadian premiere of Dayboil won 6 Robert Merritt Awards. Her poetry collection This Is How It Is (2021) and Dayboil (2024) were both published with Breakwater Books. Sharon holds a BFA and an MA from Memorial University, where she is currently pursuing her PhD.
Nico Paulo – A Portuguese Canadian musician and visual artist, Nico’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut (April 2023) introduced listeners to her melodically dynamic, open-hearted songwriting, exploring relationships and the flow of time in lush, sophisticated pop arrangements. Her upcoming EP, Interval o (March 2025), celebrates transformational time with warm ambient and minimalist soundscapes. Both records feature textural intricacy with collaborator Joshua Van Tassel (Villages, Fortunate Ones).