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

RBC Continues Support of the Emerging Artist Residency at The Rooms

The artist-in-residence program at The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, will receive $22,500 from RBC to allow local artists to take their careers to the next level. RBC has been funding this program since 2009.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Rooms on this emerging artist showcase,” states Sean Munro, regional vice president, Newfoundland and Labrador for RBC. “It embodies everything we look for in an RBC Emerging Artist program – support at the early stages of an artist’s career, providing studio space, and curatorial and technical support. Visitors to the gallery can see the work as it is being completed, so it provides terrific public exposure for the artist.”

The most recent artist-in-residence in the Elbow Room Residency Series received critical acclaim for creating a new body of work which culminated in the solo exhibition, John McDonald: You Don’t Know Cold. The paintings portrayed the story of artist John McDonald’s relatives, James and Stephen Donovan. The brothers were a small, but poignant part of The Great Sealing Disaster of 1914.

“We are very grateful to RBC for their support of The Rooms Artist-in-Residence program.” commented Dean Brinton, CEO of The Rooms Corporation. “The Rooms does not stand alone in our commitment to our provincial artists, it is the sustained support from private sector organizations like RBC that makes the program possible, ensuring that we are able to carry on providing this essential assistance to Newfoundland and Labrador’s artists.”

Philippa Jones is the current artist in-residence artist at The Rooms, beginning her residency in late September 2012. Ms. Jones’ solo exhibition will open at The Rooms in April 2013.

RBC believes in the power of arts to enrich our lives and enhance our communities. The aim of the RBC Emerging Artists Project is to partner with organizations whose programs bridge the gap from academic excellence to professional careers in all aspects of the arts.

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