Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
Date: Jun 21
10:00 am
- 9:00 pm
Where: Everywhere
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at The Rooms
The Rooms celebrates the rich and diverse voices, experiences and histories of Inuit, Innu and Mi’kmaq and 9000 years of presence in this place – today and every day.
Free admission to exhibitions all day.
Check out self-guided family activities in the Level 4 museum exhibition: This Place: Our Lives on Land and Sea.
Make Inuit snow goggles, play traditional string games, or try your hand at a traditional Mi’kmaq game of Waltes.
2 pm – 2:30 pm –Celebrate with Kilautiup Songuning-Strength of the Drum. Performance outdoors in the Fortis Courtyard (note: if weather is not suitable, the performance will move to Level 3 atrium).
2 pm – 4 pm
The Rooms will share in the excitement and showcase the art car, Whale Family on its grounds. Come by for a photo opp!
A unique three-way partnership between a local business (MINI St. John’s), a local non-profit (Business and Arts NL), and a Newfoundland artist (Marcus Gosse) launched on Tuesday, June 13, to help celebrate and promote works of public art across the province.
Business and Arts and MINI received proposals from many artists across the province, interested in creating a unique artwork that could be printed and wrapped onto a 2023 MINI Countryman. The artist selected was Marcus Gosse. Not only is
it a moveable piece of art, but the back window entices passersby to check out Business and Arts’ Explore Art NL public art app, which features 111 pieces of public art across the province.
Marcus’ work is also available for purchase in The Rooms Giftshop. Check out the series of Colouring Mi’kma’ki: A Colouring Book of Mi’kmaq Territory.
About Marcus Gosse and “Whale Family”
Artist: Marcus Gosse (Mi’kmaq Name: “Ala’suinu” (“Traveller”))
Art Car Title: “Whale Family” (“Putup Ni’kmaq”) (Pronounced: Boo-doop Nee-gim-ock)
Description: This digital image wrap titled “Whale Family” (“Putup Ni’kmaq”) displays different families of humpback whales swimming and gathering together to display their love of Ktaqmkuk(Newfoundland). The designs featured on the SUV are Mi’kmaq Petroglyphs(Carvings in Stone), such as the Mi’kmaq Star, ancient appliqué patterns, double curve motifs, and the Mi’kmaq hieroglyphs(symbols which represent words) for “Forever In Peace”. Each double curve design symbolizes the life cycle of a person, or, living thing. The curve on the left represents youth; the centre middle age; and the curve on the right represents becoming a senior, or, an Elder. When each of these people, or, curves, are connected it symbolizes community connectedness, pride, unity, and support. It also symbolizes people holding hands, and connecting, not only physically, but, spiritually as well. The whale reminds us that it is not about the destination; it’s about the journey. We are all connected on this journey. As we travel, let us support each other spiritually, and have fun doing it. Msit No’kmaq(All My Relations-We Are All Connected).
Visit some of our new exhibitions, including Jerry Evans: Weljesi and Double Vision.
Events & Programs
Save The Date – Online Registration Opening Soon!
Registration Dates:
- Rooms Members: Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 AM
- Non-Members: Thursday, March 20 at 10:00 AM
A “Get Tickets” button will appear on this page when registration opens. Online registration only.
Once you've completed your online registration, please download the Registration Form and submit it to RoomsOrders@therooms.ca to complete your registration.
Adventures Await!
Get ready for an unforgettable summer! The Rooms will be offering exciting 5-day camps for 8 weeks, filled with creativity, exploration, and fun.
Who Can Attend?
Camp K-3: Open to campers who have completed Kindergarten to Grade 3 by June 2025.
Camp 4-6: Open to campers who have completed Grades 4 to 6 by June 2025.
(No Exceptions)
What to Expect?
Each week, campers will dive into inspiring exhibitions and collections, with activities focused on creative expression through engaging daily themes.
Camp Details!
Cost: $265 Per Week + HST.
10% Discount for Rooms Members (Member Number Required)
Schedule:
Camp Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Drop-off: Between 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM
Pick-up: Between 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Mark your calendars and get ready for an amazing summer at The Rooms!
Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the Cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow tour, there is something for everyone.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
Fishing for Cod
For centuries, fishing for cod has played a vital role in the lives of the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador. Generations of fishing men, women and children made use of the land and sea to sustain them and spent their lives “making fish”.
Drop by and talk to local visual artists throughout the summer as they share stories about their work and creative process!
Schedule
• Thursday, July 3 – Amber-Lynn Thorne
• Thursday, July 10 – Daniel Rumbolt
• Thursday, July 17 – Daniel Rumbolt
• Thursday, July 24 – Kayla Walsh
• Thursday, July 31 – Kayla Walsh
Artist Bios
Amber-Lynn Thorne
Amber-Lynn describes herself as "an artist who owes everything to the ocean." She is from Thornlea, NL, on the isthmus of the Avalon Peninsula, where generations of her family have fished. She is an interdisciplinary visual artist and graduate of the Visual Arts Program at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her practice incorporates imagery symbolic of the fishery and the ocean, serving as both a reflection on and continuation of her family’s fishing legacy.
Daniel Rumbolt
Daniel is an artist from the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. His multidisciplinary art practice is informed by experiences being raised in rural Newfoundland, using material manipulation to transform rural narrative and queer tensions into visual form.
Kayla Walsh
Bio coming soon.
Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the Cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow tour, there is something for everyone.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
In Each Other’s Shoes
Join us for a guided tour of footwear known throughout the province. Learn how shoes are created, fashioned, and crafted for different environments by the people who thrive there. See how cultural identity is displayed through style, design, and decoration.
After looking at contemporary examples, we will visit the archaeology displays and look at what happens to shoes after hundreds of years!