Public Opening Reception: Nelson White
Date: Jan 20
7:00 pm
- 9:00 pm
Where: Level 3 Atrium
Opening Reception
Please join us for the opening reception for Nelson White: Tukien (Awaken)
Organized and circulated by the Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Grenfell Art Gallery, Memorial University of Newfoundland and LabradorCurators: Matthew Hills (Director/Curator, Grenfell Art Gallery, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador) and Pan Wendt (Curator, Confederation Centre Art Gallery)
Tukien (Awaken) maps a community of artists, creatives, activists, and leaders who defy simple and singular understanding of Indigeneity. Nelson White’s works celebrate the blending of the past, present, and future in contemporary Indigenous life – what he describes as “collective awakening.”
The reception will begin with an opening prayer by Elder Marjorie Muise, followed by special performances from Rebecca Sharr and the powwow drum group, Wape’k Muin.
Admission to the Art Gallery exhibitions will be free during the event. Refreshments will be available.
Image: detail of Reclaiming the Throne (Jordan Bennett, Artist, on Joey Smallwood’s Chair) (2019). Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist.
Events & Programs
Peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador
Stroll across land and sea, and through time, to meet the peoples who have made Newfoundland and Labrador home for the past 9,000 years.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
An advance peek of our new exhibition Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works with visiting curator Pan Wendt.
Most recently presented at the National Gallery of Canada, Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works surveys the fascinating and multifaceted career of Erica Rutherford (b. Edinburgh, 1923 – d. Charlottetown, 2008), the first Prince Edward Island artist to be featured at the prestigious Venice Biennale.
Rutherford’s work explores themes of persona and gender, home and landscape, and her life was shaped by the search for identity and community. The exhibition includes over 100 works, accompanied by memorabilia and photographs. The exhibition opens to the public on November 21, 2025.
This is a free program but a ticket is required. Please reserve your free ticket online or by calling 709-757-8090.