Art Gallery Opening Reception
Date: Feb 28
7:00 pm
- 9:00 pm
Where: Level 3 Atrium
You are invited to join us for a free public art gallery opening reception for three new exhibitions!
Grounding
Marking The Rooms 20th anniversary, the ideas behind this building’s architecture act as touchstones for exploring artistic expression in this province.
Bringing together some of the most beloved artworks from The Rooms’ collections, this exhibition considers how our surroundings and structures shape what has been valued, preserved, and shared by our communities.
Artists include Dinah Andersen, David Blackwood, Grant Boland, Vessela Brakalova, Maurice Cullen, Jerry Evans, A.Y. Jackson, Philippa Jones, Michael Massie, Mary Ann Penashue, Barbara Pratt, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt, Ned Pratt, Helen Parsons Shepherd, Gerald Squires, Jessica Winters, and many others.
To Launch Forth into the Deep: A Legacy of Supporting the Arts at Memorial University
This exhibition, part of Memorial’s 100th-anniversary celebrations, offers a glimpse into its extraordinary collection of over 4,000 artworks. By empowering artists to thrive at home, Memorial transformed Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural landscape, enriching local life, and elevating the province’s voice on the national stage.
Artists: Anne Meredith Barry, Peter Bell, Jerry Evans, Gilbert Hay, Frank Lapointe, Heidi Oberheide, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt, Helen Parsons Shepherd, Reginald Shepherd, Gerald Squires, and Don Wright.
Amber-Lynn Thorne: Because of the Sea
In her work, Amber-Lynn Thorne weaves together ceramics and written reflections. She transforms the ocean into a place where discarded histories are lovingly reclaimed—a boundless reservoir of memory. Her art invites us to witness the quiet power of the hand: to hold, to mend, and to connect the tangible with the deeply emotional.
There will be live entertainment by pianist Alla Melnychuk, refreshments, and a cash bar 19+. Admission to the Art Gallery exhibitions will be free during the event!
See more about the artists here:
Grounding
To Launch Forth into the Deep: A Legacy of Supporting the Arts at Memorial University
Amber-Lynn Thorne: Because of the Sea
Events & Programs
Behold the Blades of the Sea: Join historian, Lee Gillis as he explores the rich history and evolution of swords featured in The Rooms permanent collection.
From Napoleonic sabers to ceremonial swords of the First World War, learn how political upheaval and global conflict shaped the advancement of sword design and technology.
Cost: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
About the Presenter:
Historian, Lee Gillis specializes in arms and armor. While his primary focus has been on the medieval period, he has worked with weapons and objects ranging from the Bronze Age to World War II.
He earned a B.A. in History from Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and later completed a Master’s Degree in Museum and Artefact Studies at Durham University in England.
To support this research, Lee began training in sword fighting in 2012 and took up blacksmithing and blade-making to gain a comprehensive understanding on the form and function of bladed weaponry.
Since October 2024, he has been volunteering at The Rooms, where he has identified, researched, and catalogued nearly one hundred objects in the collection, including a significant number of swords and other bladed weapons.