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

John Hartman Exhibition at The Rooms Examines Beauty in Urban Complexity

Opening today at The Rooms and sponsored by Scotiabank Group to celebrate their 175 anniversary, the exhibition, Cities: John Hartman combines artist John Hartman�s own memories of cities with a collective understanding informed by many factors including history, politics, film, literature, technology and the media. What results is a multi-faceted mapping that is immediately recognizable.

For Cities, Hartman has painted cities both large and small, from Parry Sound, Port Severn and Owen Sound on the shores of Georgian Bay, to London, New York, Toronto, Montreal and Glasgow, demonstrating a particular interest in cities that are also ports. His paintings of imagined aerial perspectives look down on the intricate contours of the urban space where towers, cranes and docks meet the open blue of an ocean, lake or river.

�The water reflects the sun and creates an intensity of light above these places. This light in the sky is so different in feeling from the material density of the cities themselves, but both are full of possibilities for painting,� explains Mr. Hartman.

�As one of Canada�s foremost contemporary painters, Mr. Hartman has become known for his expressionistic landscape paintings and his dynamic use of local imagery�, commented Sheila Perry, Director of The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery Division. �As part of The Rooms� mandate, we not only seek to exhibit our provincial artists, but to also bring the best the world has to offer to our doorstep, something we have accomplished with this exhibition from one of the country�s leading artists.�

This exhibition of important paintings from Hartman�s new �Cities� series plus related works from a variety of public and private collections has been organized and circulated by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound and sponsored by Scotiabank Group to commemorate its 175th anniversary. Cities: John Hartman opens on Friday, September 25 at 7:30 pm and will be on display at The Rooms until December 6, 2009. The artist will be conducting a gallery tour of the exhibition on Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 pm.

Free admission is offered to all Scotiabank card holders, courtesy of Scotiabank Group. One free admission per cardholder.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Jena Mitchell
Manager of Marketing
The Rooms Corporation
709-757-8144
jenamitchell@therooms.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Born in 1950 in Midland, Ontario, John Hartman studied Fine Art at McMaster University. Over the past 25 years, he has exhibited his paintings internationally including exhibitions in Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, The United Sates and Germany. His paintings and prints are included in numerous public, corporate and private collections in Canada and around the world. The artist is represented in Canada by Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto.

Scotiabank Group is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2006 the Bank provided more than $42 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture.

2009 09 25                       12:35 p.m.