This summer we are exited to offer the exhibition Ice Age Mammals, from the Canadian Museum of Nature. Featuring dozens of real fossils, touchable casts, specimens along with hands-on interactives, this exhibition focuses on ice-age mammals, climate change, extinction and human impact on climate and species, while also presenting contemporary and relevant research in an interesting and engaging way that is designed to appeal to children of all ages.

Featuring works from The Rooms permanent collections, we are pleased to present the multi-disciplinary exhibition Encountering Grenfell: A Life and Legacy, a combined effort involving The Rooms Corporation�s Provincial Archives, Art Gallery and Museum Divisions. Encountering Grenfell is an examination of Sir Wilfred Grenfell and his life's mission in Newfoundland and Labrador. This exhibition looks at the work of the International Grenfell Association, the Grenfell Industrial, as well as the man whose vision began it all; a man whose efforts extended beyond medical care as he sought to improve the socio-economic condition of those in the region.

Continuing throughout the summer is the exhibition REPUBLIC. Combining the new with the old, REPUBLIC explores signs of Newfoundland identity 60 years after Confederation with Canada. Curated by Bruce Johnson, the show includes new work by Angela Antle, John Haney, Ned Pratt, Bill Rose, Patrick Tomlinson, as well as works from The Rooms' own collections.

"We�re looking forward to another successful summer at The Rooms," commented Dean Brinton, CEO of The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador. "With every year we strive to offer innovative exhibitions and build stronger community partnerships. We endeavor to bring our province�s stories to our visitors; a testament to our commitment to present the dynamic and vibrant culture of our province."

- 30 -

Media contact:

Chrysta Collins
Communications Officer
The Rooms Corporation
709-757-8091
chrystacollins@therooms.ca

Slicing the Waves: Canoes, Kayaks and Small Wooden Boats
Most people came here by boat. And almost everyone who has ever lived in Newfoundland and Labrador has needed them to travel the inland waterways or out to sea.  This exhibition looks at how these small but important vessels were made and used, and how they are still a part of our lives today. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, October 18, 2009.

Discovering Bartlett: An Archival Exploration
As part of the Celebrating Bartlett 2009 commemorative year and to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1909 expedition to the North Pole, The Rooms is featuring an exhibition of archival records relating to the life and career of Captain Robert Abram (Bob) Bartlett, the Bartlett family, and Hawthorne Cottage - the family residence in Brigus. The exhibition highlights textual records, photographic images and certificates from the newly acquired Parks Canada Collection of Bartlett records that are also available to the public for research. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Friday, September 25, 2009.

Luben Boykov
Newfoundland artist Luben Boykov's new work explores transience, presence and contemplation through the human form. This exhibition combines drawings and sculpture created from bronze, natural materials, fabric, and epoxy. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, August 16, 2009.

Combining the new with the old, REPUBLIC explores signs of Newfoundland identity, 60 years after Confederation with Canada. Painting, photography, sculpture, installation and film combine with historic artifacts from historic collections, including The Rooms Provincial Archives and the A.C. Hunter Library's Newfoundland and Labrador Collection.

Curated by Bruce Johnson, the show includes new work by Angela Antle, John Haney, Ned Pratt, Bill Rose, Patrick Tomlinson, as well as works from The Rooms' collections. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, September 13, 2009.

Archival Mysteries: Where Is It?
Archival Mysteries: Where Is It? is the first in a series of archival exhibitions featuring unidentified material from the collections of The Rooms Provincial Archives Division. It features photographs, digitally reproduced from glass plate negatives, which although are beautiful, remain a mystery in terms of their geographical location within Newfoundland and Labrador. Visitors to The Rooms are encouraged to submit suggestions on image locations to assist staff in the identification process for these historic images. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

Encountering Grenfell: A Life and Legacy is a look at Sir Wilfred Grenfell and his life's mission in Newfoundland and Labrador. Embracing the peoples and harsh environment of Labrador and the northern regions of the island, Grenfell's efforts extended far beyond medical care. Providing education, skills in arts and crafts, and self sufficiency in agriculture and animal husbandry, he sought to improve the socio-economic condition of those in the region. Encountering Grenfell looks at the work of the International Grenfell Association, the Grenfell Industrial and the man whose vision began it all. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms throughout the remainder of 2009 and into 2010.

This exhibition features dozens of real fossils, touchable casts and specimens along with hands-on interactives. Contemporary and relevant research is presented in an engaging way that is designed to appeal to the public and school audiences. The exhibition focuses on ice-age mammals, climate change, extinction and human impact on climate and species. This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, January 3, 2010.

Across the Polar Sea: With Robert E. Peary of the North Pole Expedition
In the summer of 1908, Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary boarded his ship SS Roosevelt and departed New York bound for the high Arctic to make one last attempt to reach the North Pole. He was accompanied by a small group of men selected for their courage, strength, and intelligence. One of these men was Donald B. MacMillan. This special travelling exhibition consisting of 33 enlargements of hand-tinted lantern slides used by Donald B. MacMiillan and will be on loan from the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum.

Currently on view at The Mary March Provincial Museum

Deanne Fitzpatrick: Darkening the Door
Based on Deanne Fitzpatrick's experiences exploring her family connection to Placentia, this exhibition of hooked rugs is about the importance of the traditional community art of visiting - "what it is to knock upon the door unannounced", as she puts it. Fitzpatrick has exhibited widely, and her work is included in various public collections. She was written books about rug hooking and operates a rug hooking studio in Amherst, Nova Scotia. This exhibition will be on view at The Mary March Provincial Museum until Wednesday, October 14, 2009.