Superstition & Magic: Household Protection through History
Date: Nov 24
1:00 pm
- 4:00 pm
Where: Art Gallery Classroom
Workshop
Spooky Season might be behind us, but not long ago, people tried to protect their homes from evil spirits all year round!
Join us to learn about the history of magical house protection, and the objects, symbols, and practices that people used across Europe and North America to keep themselves safe.
The adult workshop includes a visit to This Place: Our Lives on Land and Sea to see some objects from our collections, followed by a hands-on workshop to learn basic embroidery stitches and create a protective symbol of your own (or to gift for Christmas!)
All materials and a refreshment break of coffee and a muffin are included in the cost.
Cost: $40 plus HST per person. 10% discount for Rooms Members.
Seating is limited. Pre-registration is required. No experience needed. To register, please call 709-757-8090.
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.