Tourism, Culture and Recreation
May 17, 2007

The following is being distributed at the request of The Rooms Corporation:

The Battery Exhibit Reflecting Changing Outport Communities Opens Today

The Battery: People of the Changing Outport exhibit, a joint-effort between The Rooms and Memorial University, demonstrates the dramatic social, cultural and economic changes occurring in outport communities today. Open today, it is the culmination of months of extensive research, fieldwork, documentation and development. Including personal stories and artifacts, public history, and works of art from The Rooms permanent collections, the exhibit reflects the dynamic shifts taking place in many outports in the province � the shift from thriving fishing community to urban neighbourhood.

"This exhibit is much more than an academic view of our changing communities," said Penny Houlden, director, The Rooms Provincial Museum. "It includes first-hand accounts from past and present residents in The Battery. It tells the personal stories of how people and families are affected by the changes taking place in the province and helps us understand our surrounding environment in a much more meaningful way."

Guest curated by Maureen Power and assembled by Memorial�s Folklore 6740 Public Sector graduate class, The Battery brings together hours of audio and video footage; hundreds of recent and historical photographs; as well as, contemporary works of art and sculpture. Interviews with current and former Battery residents focus on the impact of ongoing change in the province�s outport communities. The exhibition skillfully reflects on the intangible cultural heritage of The Battery and seeks to both document and preserve the changing landscape of the community.

The Battery is a result of an active partnership between The Rooms and Memorial University and was spearheaded by Dr. Gerry Pocius and The Rooms curator Mark Ferguson. This project resulted in a number of other projects including a mural produced by the Brother T. I. Murphy Centre.

The Battery: People of the Changing Outport runs until September 3, 2007. The Rooms Provincial Museum wishes to acknowledge the people of The Battery who gave so generously of their time, knowledge, and expertise.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the public is invited to participate in the following events:

  • Tour The Battery Exhibit with its Curators, Wednesday, May 23, 2:00 � 3:30 p.m. � Find out what inspired MUN�s folklore students so much they wanted to share the stories they collected with the public.
  • See How Fish Was Made in The Battery, Sunday, May 27, 2:00 � 4:00 p.m. � Staff from The Ryan Premises National Historic Park will be on hand to demonstrate the fine art of �making fish� using the museum�s life-sized codfish models.
  • Have Your Say About Changing Outports, Thursday, May 31, 7:00 � 8:00 p.m. � Jerry Dick, Director of Heritage with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation will lead a lively discussion with Dr. Gerry Pocius of Memorial�s Folklore Department, Mark Ferguson of The Rooms Provincial Museum, and Maureen Power, guest curator of The Battery exhibit.
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    Media Advisory: Advance viewings of the exhibit as well as interviews with guest curator Maureen Power and/or Penny Houlden, director, The Rooms Provincial Museum are available to the media. Media representatives are also invited to attend an opening reception Thursday, May 17 at 8:00 p.m. at The Rooms Provincial Museum.

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    Media contact:
    Deanne Hayward
    Director of Marketing and Development
    The Rooms
    709-757-8070, 691-5681
    deannehayward@therooms.ca

    2007 05 17                                                      9:50 a.m.

     

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