Art Gallery Opening Reception
Date: Oct 11
7:00 pm
- 9:00 pm
Where: Level 3 Atrium
You’re invited to a night of art, music, and fun at our FREE public gallery opening!
Enjoy a performance by Ukrainian pianist Alla Melnychuk, enjoy tasty snacks, and grab a drink at our 19+ cash bar. Plus, all art exhibitions are FREE to explore during the event.
Denyse Thomasos: just beyond is a career retrospective of one of the finest painters to emerge in the 1990s. The late Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012) left an indelible, yet frequently overlooked, mark on contemporary painting. This exhibition brings together more than 50 paintings and works on paper, many rarely seen, to show how she challenged the limits of abstraction, infusing personal and political content onto her canvases through the innovative use of formalist techniques. Through pattern, scale, and repetition, Thomasos conveys the vastness of events, such as the transatlantic slave trade, without exploiting the images of those who were most affected.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and the Remai Modern, Saskatoon, and curated by Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern; Sally Frater, Senior Curator, Remai Modern; and Renée van der Avoird, Associate Curator, Canadian Art, Art Gallery of Ontario. Circulated with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Stay tuned for details on a Curatorial Talk on Saturday, October 12 at 2:30 pm!
Click here for more information on this exhibit.
Ginok Song: I Reach Home, I am Serene
This exhibition bridges East and West, merging memories and landscapes from Busan, South Korea and Newfoundland. As an immigrant artist in Newfoundland, Ginok Song sees her work as a journey of self-discovery and away to make visible those who often feel like outsiders. Her paintings tell the story of a young woman travelling through time and space, constructing her identity.
Click here for more information on this exhibit.
Tekweywinen tel Weljesultiek (Be With Us In Our Joy), curated by Jenelle Duval, is a unique, multidisciplinary, interactive, and play-based experience. It showcases the works of seven artists based in Wabanaki*—inviting you to explore their individual interpretations of joy. Artists: Jordan Bennett, Samaqani Cocahq, Michael R. Denny, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Megan Samms, Kayla Stride, and Nelson White. Note that a larger scale celebration focusing on this exhibition will take place with the curator and several of the artists in November as part of the Spirit Song festival organized by First Light.
*Wabanaki, translated as “People of the First Light” or “Dawnland,” includes five nations: the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki.
Click here for more information on this exhibit.
Image: Denyse Thomasos. Metropolis, 2007. Acrylic, charcoal, porous-point marker on canvas, unframed: 214 x 335.6 x 3.5 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchased with the assistance of the Toronto International Art Fair 2007 Opening Night Preview, and with the Financial Support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program, 2008. © The Estate of Denyse Thomasos and Olga Korper Gallery. 2007/241
Events & Programs
What fills the void when a species is no more? Legends, folklore, and history worth learning from. Come listen to the stories of the Great Auk, the Newfoundland Wolf, and Endangered Whales as they echo across the ages through their body and bones. Commiserate with the extinct, heed the calls of the endangered, hold ossified bones, and see how artists transform tragedy into hope for a sustainable future.
Tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and included in the cost of admission.
In Beaumont-Hamel and the Trail of the Caribou exhibition find out about the impacts of the First World War on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and how events overseas dramatically altered our lives at home.
Tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and included in the cost of admission.
Celebrating Indigenous Voices: An Evening with Artist Deantha Edmunds
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day! An intimate evening in conversation with multi-disciplinary, award-winning Inuk artist Deantha Edmunds. She will speak to her inspirations (including Billy Gauthier’s sculpture at The Rooms The Earth, Our Mother), her creation process, and her artistic journey, as well as her milestone successes winning a JUNO and ECMA in 2025.
This is a free event but a ticket is required. Please reserve your free ticket online or by calling (709)757-8090.
About the Speaker:
Recent JUNO & ECMA winner Deantha Edmunds is Canada’s first Inuk soprano and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023 for her activity as a performer, writer, composer, and mentor. Her work seeks to empower Indigenous people and share their stories and resonates with both her community and internationally with integrity. She brings a level of professional excellence to Canada’s art scene that is unique and important. Deantha shares her voice and vision from the heart and draws accolades from across Canada and abroad.
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 harbor 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 sketch book!
Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% Discount for Rooms Members. Please call (709) 757-8090 to book your space.