Tourism, Culture and Recreation
January 28, 2011

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

The Rooms Offers an Engaging, Diverse Line-Up this Winter

The Rooms is ready to welcome visitors of all ages and interest levels this winter with seven new exhibitions and over 30 programs offered over the next three months.

Our winter exhibition schedule begins this week with the opening reception for Campbell Tinning: The Newfoundland Series and Lori Doody: Sing, Sing, Sing, today (Friday, January 28) at 7:30 p.m. with artist Lori Doody in attendance.

The Rooms is pleased to present the travelling exhibition Fantastic Sea Monsters, produced in partnership with The Musée du Fjord, The Maritime Museum of British Columbia and Océanopolis (France). Exploring incredible imaginary creatures and the mythic stories that surround them, the exhibition examines the roots of legends that once convinced seafarers the oceans were a place of terrifying monsters. Fantastic Sea Monsters opens on February 12 with a public reception on Thursday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m.

The winter 2011 exhibition season continues in March with Goya: The Disasters of War and Los Caprichos, organized by the National Gallery of Canada. Goya’s remarkable series of prints detail the brutality and horror of the 19th century Peninsula War in Spain. Published in 1863, the prints embody the anti-war, humanist commentary of one of the world’s most celebrated artists. This exhibition also includes a rare bound edition of Goya’s satirical prints, Los Caprichos. This exhibition opens on March 5 with a public reception on Friday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Building on the popularity of past programs, The Rooms continues to host its Big Fun for Little People Tots Program, Youth Animation Club, Coffee and Culture Program, Family Fun Sundays, as well as the on-going Engaging Evening’s Lecture Series. A complete list of Rooms’ exhibitions and programs can be found by visiting www.therooms.ca. 

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

BACKGROUNDER
New to The Rooms for Winter 2011

Campbell Tinning: the Newfoundland Series – on view Saturday, January 29
Opening Reception, Friday, January 28, 7:30 p.m.
George Campbell Tinning, a Canadian war artist from Saskatoon, travelled to Newfoundland in the summer of 1949. The resulting watercolours reflect his fascination with the island’s landscapes and rural communities, and reveal a prairie artist’s eager exploration of Canada’s newest province.

This exhibition is organized by The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery and will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, March 27.

Lori Doody: Sing, Sing, Sing – on view Saturday, January 29
Opening Reception, Friday, January 28, 7:30 p.m.
In this exhibition, Lori Doody creates an intimate encounter with nature in an urban setting. Sing, Sing, Sing is comprised of numerous small-scale intaglio prints of starlings perched upon wires, hung from black wires with bamboo clips. Repeated imagery of bird shapes and neutral tones evoke an empty sky. These bird shapes contrast with the straight lines of the wires, both in the images and in the gallery.

This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, March 27.

Fantastic Sea Monsters – on view Saturday, February 12
Opening Reception, Thursday, February 10, 7:00 p.m.
Seafarers were convinced that the oceans were the devil’s kingdom – a place of terrifying monsters eager for shipwrecks, the home of sirens, krakens, whales, sea serpents and giant sharks. Early naturalists were fascinated by the strange creatures of the deep. This bilingual exhibition will take visitors where the fantastic intertwines with reality.

This exhibition is produced by The Musée du Fjord, in partnership with The Rooms Provincial Museum Division, The Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Saguenay: Cultural Capital of Canada 2010, Government of Canada and Océanopolis (France). Fantastic Sea Monsters will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, June 19.

Crafting Paradox – on view Saturday, March 5
Opening Reception, Friday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
This exhibition presents the work of Cal Lane, John Goodyear and Jason Holley. These artists work in different media and each has their own personal approach. Lane cuts and folds metal; Holley constructs ceramic pieces; and Goodyear sculpts wood. Commonly, there is a paradox that results from the tension between material and technique, form and content. Lane creates percussive lace works from recycled metal; Holley makes chain mail with ceramic links; and Goodyear transforms pieces of wood into intricate sculptures.

This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, May 15.

Goya: The Disasters of War and Los Caprichos – on view Saturday, March 5
Organized by the National Gallery of Canada
Opening Reception, Friday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Goya’s remarkable series of prints, The Disasters of War, details the brutality and horror of the 19th century Peninsula War in Spain. Published in 1863, 35 years after his death, these 80 prints embody the anti-war, humanist commentary of one of the world’s most celebrated artists. This exhibition also includes a rare bound edition of Goya’s satirical prints, Los Caprichos.

This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, May 15.

Robert Sinclair: Fluidity (On view Saturday, March 5)
Opening Reception, Friday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Senior Canadian painter, Robert Sinclair was a 2009 participant in The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery and Parks Canada: Artist in Residence Program. Removed from his usual environment of the Rockies, Sinclair found that Gros Morne demanded a new approach. In Fluidity, Sinclair illustrates how he explored this challenge. It is the first in a new series of exhibitions of work from the Artist in Residence Program.

This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, May 15 and will then travel to the Discovery Centre in Gros Morne National Park for the summer of 2011.

Provincial Arts and Letters Awards – on view Tuesday, April 5
This annual competition gives writers, composers and visual artists – young and old, amateur and professional – a showcase for their talents through a variety of media. The Rooms is pleased to present work by the winners of the visual art section of the competition, alongside those designated honourable mentions or works of merit by the adjudicators.

This exhibition will be on view at The Rooms until Sunday, April 17.

2011 01 28             9:50 a.m.