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Media Advisory: The Rooms Poised to Open Two David Blackwood Exhibitions

Opening June 9, The Rooms will present the exhibition Black Ice: David Blackwood Prints of Newfoundland, organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Museums Assistance Program.

David Blackwood is one of Canada’s leading printmakers and most popular artists Black Ice will present iconic Blackwood etchings about Newfoundland and Labrador, revealing the richness of his imagination and working methods. It will also include related historical artifacts and archival material from the artist’s own collection. To further animate these narratives, the exhibition will situate Blackwood’s etchings by looking at the history of the province and the people who settled here.

Also opening June 9, is the exhibition Back in the Day: David Blackwood’s Newfoundland and Labrador, a unique exhibition co-curated by Mr. Blackwood. In June 2011 the artist spent a week at The Rooms identifying artifacts, archival records and examples of his artworks from The Rooms collections that are of particular relevance to his images. Capitalizing on this opportunity to highlight the collections, curators and archivists at The Rooms have worked with David Blackwood to organize an exhibition contextualizing his art.

Black Ice: David Blackwood Prints of Newfoundland will be on view at The Rooms from June 9 until September 9, 2012. Back in the Day: David Blackwood’s Newfoundland and Labrador will be on view from June 9 until spring 2013. To celebrate these exhibitions, there will be a public reception Friday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m., media are invited to attend.

Media are also invited to make appointments to interview Mr. Blackwood prior to the June 9, opening of Black Ice and Back in the Day. Interested media may contact Chrysta Collins at 709-757-8091 before Wednesday, May 30, to arrange an appointment.

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Media contact:
Chrysta Collins
Communications Officer
The Rooms
709-757-8091, 691-5681
chrystacollins@therooms.ca

2012 05 23                             3:35 p.m.