Guided Tour: Denyse Thomasos FULL
Date: Oct 12
2:30 pm
- 3:30 pm
Where: Level 3 Art Gallery
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.
Join Renée van der Avoird, Associate Curator, Canadian Art, Art Gallery of Ontario; Sally Frater, Curator of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Guelph; and Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions and Collections / Chief Curator, Remai Modern for a guided tour of Denyse Thomasos: just beyond in our level 3 Art Gallery.
This is a free tour but a ticket is required. Please reserve your free ticket online or by calling (709)757-8090.
About the Artist:
Born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, the acclaimed painter Denyse Thomasos was raised in Toronto and spent most of her professional career in Philadelphia and New York City. Thomasos earned a BA in Painting and Art History from the University of Toronto in 1987. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1988 (Maine, US) and the following year completed her MFA in Painting and Sculpture, Yale School of Art, Yale University (Connecticut, US). Throughout her career, she attended various residencies, such as the Ucross Foundation Artist Residency in 2000, in Ucross (Wyoming, US) and the Bogliasco Foundation Artist Residency in 2003 (Genoa, Italy). She won numerous prestigious awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship Prize in 1997; the Joan Mitchell Foundation award in 1998; and the New York Foundation for the Arts award in 2008; as well as grants from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been collected by private collectors, as well as major corporate and public institutions, including Rutgers University (New Jersey, US); Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa, ON); Bank of Montreal (Toronto, ON); Banque Nationale du Canada (Montréal, QC); Art Gallery of Guelph (ON); Oakville Galleries (ON); the Hart House Collection at the University of Toronto (ON), and private collections throughout Canada and the United States. When Thomasos died tragically in 2012, she was at the height of her career, with major museum shows, a full professorship, New York and Toronto gallery representation, and many prestigious awards and residencies.
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
Unlock Your Creativity! Join us for an exciting drawing workshop designed for young artists who are eager to learn the unique and playful style of LEGO® animators.
You will explore the fundamentals of shape, colour and character design. Whether you're a beginner or an aspiring animator, this workshop will inspire you to create your own LEGO® portrait and unleash your imagination!
10:30 am session is designed for youth in grades 3 - 6.
Click here to check out the afternoon session, designed for youth in grades 7 - 12!
All workshop materials included in the cost.
Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms Members. Seats are limited. Please call (709) 757-8090 to book your child’s space.
Spring Break LEGO® Fun at The Rooms!
Join us for an action-packed spring break from April 22–27, where kids 12 and under get FREE admission to a week of creativity, play, and LEGO® fun!
We’re thrilled to partner once again with Bricks & Minifigs St. John’s and NewfoundLUG to bring you an exciting LEGO® brick-building event.
What’s Happening?
Exhibition of Local Builds – Be amazed by stunning LEGO® creations crafted by talented local builders.
Activities taking place from 1 - 4 pm daily:
Builder Spotlight Station – Chat with LEGO® enthusiasts from NewfoundLUG and learn their best building tips!
Community Build – Help create a collaborative masterpiece! Each visitor gets a LEGO® brick to add to our growing display.
Button-Making Station – Design your own LEGO®-inspired button to take home.
Minifigure Search – Minifigures are hiding among the animals in the Connections Gallery—how many can you find?
Daily Themed LEGO® Builds (Level 3, Open Minds Area)
Each day brings a new creative challenge!
April 22 – Fabricating Foliage (Earth Day Special) – Build your favorite nature-inspired features of Newfoundland and Labrador.
April 23 – Beastly Builds – Bring creatures big and small to life! Get inspired by the Connections Gallery.
April 24 – Building Buildings – Design your dream museum or a cozy space that feels like home.
April 25 – This is How We Go – Create your favorite mode of transportation, from boats to snowmobiles!
April 26 – Think Outside the Brick – Get abstract! Experiment with patterns, shapes, and colors.
April 27 – Show Us What You’re Made Of – Build a LEGO® self-portrait that reflects your personality.
NEW! LEGO®-Themed Specialty Workshops
Don’t miss this fun-filled week of LEGO® creativity at The Rooms! We can’t wait to see what you build.
This year, we’re introducing special LEGO®-inspired stop-motion, drawing, and printmaking workshops. Check them out on our events calendar!
Unlock Your Creativity! Join us for an exciting drawing workshop designed for young artists who are eager to learn the unique and playful style of LEGO® animators.
You will explore the fundamentals of shape, colour and character design. Whether you're a beginner or an aspiring animator, this workshop will inspire you to create your own LEGO® portrait and unleash your imagination!
2:00 pm session is designed for youth in grades 7 - 12.
Click here to check out the morning session, designed for youth in grades 3 - 6!
All workshop materials included in the cost.
Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms Members. Seats are limited. Please call (709) 757-8090 to book your child’s space.