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
Today's Events & Programs
Your Fridays Just Got Creative
Whether you’re a confident sketcher looking for community and inspiration, or someone who’s always wanted to try drawing but never felt brave enough—this is your chance!
Join us in a welcoming, relaxed environment where creativity flows and everyone belongs. Each week, we explore a new theme while building our skills and own drawing style. From investigating the intricate details of our natural history collection to learning and drawing from our gallery exhibitions.
What to Expect:
• A supportive space to learn, share, and enjoy art together
• Guided exercises with an experienced instructor
• Tips and techniques for all skill levels
• Quality drawing supplies provided (or bring your favorite sketchbook!)
No pressure, just possibilities. Come for the art, stay for the conversation.
Cost: $25 per session plus HST. 10% discount for members. Reserve your spot today online or by calling (709) 757-8090
Let’s draw together at The Rooms!
What fills the void when a species disappears?
Legends from the past and lessons for the future.
Step into our Connections Gallery and hear 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, and get hands on with remarkable specimens. Then, stand in awe before The Earth, Our Mother, Billy Gauthier’s breathtaking sculpture carved from the skull of a fin whale.
Join us for an unforgettable experience where science meets storytelling and leave inspired, with a deeper love for the rich natural history of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Included in the cost of admission. This tour is suitable for all ages and includes unique specimens not currently on display.
In celebration of the province’s cultural diversity, Sharing Our Cultures presents: M.E.D.I.A, a display of multimedia work created by NL youth who participated in facilitated sessions on equity, inclusion, and antiracism.
The display includes poems, videos, paintings, and sculpture that all deliver positive messages designed to tackle racism and embrace diversity. This is a free program.
The project is funded by the Government of Canada with the support of NL Schools, CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, The Rooms Corporation, and Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association.
Sharing Our Cultures Incorporated in a not-for-profit charitable organization established in 1999. It is governed by an elected volunteer Board of Directors.
The programs engage school children and youth in activities that enhance their academic, sociocultural, and employability skills.
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.
Your Fridays Just Got Creative
Whether you’re a confident sketcher looking for community and inspiration, or someone who’s always wanted to try drawing but never felt brave enough—this is your chance!
Join us in a welcoming, relaxed environment where creativity flows and everyone belongs. Each week, we explore a new theme while building our skills and own drawing style. From investigating the intricate details of our natural history collection to learning and drawing from our gallery exhibitions.
What to Expect:
• A supportive space to learn, share, and enjoy art together
• Guided exercises with an experienced instructor
• Tips and techniques for all skill levels
• Quality drawing supplies provided (or bring your favorite sketchbook!)
No pressure, just possibilities. Come for the art, stay for the conversation.
Cost: $25 per session plus HST. 10% discount for members. Reserve your spot today online or by calling (709) 757-8090
Let’s draw together at The Rooms!
Based on the national best-selling book by Michael Crummey, Sweetland, tells the story of an endangered Newfoundland community and the struggles of one man determined to resist its extinction.
Sweetland
1h45m
2023
Starring Sara Canning, Mark Lewis Jones and Mary Walsh. Directed by Christian Sparkes.
Cost: $13.50 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.