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21-458: The facility was constructed on a hill overlooking the port city, at a historic location once occupied by Fort Townshend . The building's name, as well as its architecture, is a reference to the simple gable-roofed sheds (called "fishing rooms") that were once so common at the waterline in Newfoundland fishing villages. During the planning and construction of the building much opposition

42-405: A National Historic Site of Canada in 1951. 47°33′58″N 52°42′40″W  /  47.566°N 52.711°W  / 47.566; -52.711 Helen Parsons Shepherd Helen Parsons Shepherd RCA LL. D. (16 January 1923 – 9 May 2008) was a Newfoundland and Labrador artist, known for her portraits and still-life paintings. Her father was the poet R.A. Parsons, and her brother

63-581: A fellow student and artist. She moved to St. John's with Shepherd and co-founded the Newfoundland Academy of Art (NAA), the first art school in the province, where she taught from 1949–1961. After the Shepherds closed the NAA in 1961, Parsons Shepherd devoted her time to commissioned portraits. These included numerous portraits of public officials and prominent members of the community, including

84-453: A solo exhibition of her work in 1975, which later toured Canada. The provincial gallery also held two major retrospectives of Parsons Shepherd and her husband, the first in 1989, called Four Decades , and the second in 2005–06, called Reginald and Helen Shepherd: A Retrospective . Their work was also the subject of the 2005 book, Reginald Shepherd, Helen Parsons Shepherd: A Life Composed , edited by Ronald Rompkey. Parsons Shepherd's artwork

105-576: A war with France, "as part of changes made to the entire defense system". "In the same year, a French fleet under the command of Admiral Richery appeared off the Narrows, but was deterred by the formidable appearance of the defences, and the fleet withdrew. With the impending threat from America as a result of the War of 1812 , the Fort was again refortified although no conflicts took place there". After garrison

126-494: Is 9 Bonaventure Avenue in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Museum is affiliated with: CMA , CHIN , and Virtual Museum of Canada . Fort Townshend (St John%27s) Fort Townshend is an archaeological site in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador that was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1951. The original military fort was built, as the headquarters of

147-473: Is to preserve records of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador which have enduring value, whether legal, fiscal, evidential or for research purposes. The Archives also collects documents and other records from private sources if they are deemed to have value to the history of the province. The Archives database can be accessed here . The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery is the premiere public gallery in

168-687: The "Permanent Collections": Memorial University of Newfoundland; the J. K. Pratt Memorial Collection; The Rooms Collection; and the Art Procurement Collection of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Provincial Art Bank). Altogether, they comprise over 7,000 works of art, primarily post-1960 Canadian art. Emphasis is placed on art of Newfoundland and Labrador , with major holdings of such artists as Christopher Pratt , Mary Pratt , Gerald Squires , David Blackwood , Reginald Shepherd , Helen Parsons Shepherd , Don Wright and Anne Meredith Barry . The Provincial Museum focuses on

189-790: The British garrison, between 1775-1779, to secure St John's from attacks, from the French, as well as from American privateers, and it was abandoned in 1871. The great star-shaped citadel was one of the largest British fortifications in North America at the time. The Rooms which houses the Art Gallery, the Provincial Archives and the Provincial Museum, of Newfoundland and Labrador now stands on this site. During

210-563: The history of Fort Townshend. The outline of the Fort was marked with granite pavers along a lit pathway, as an extension of the Grand Concourse . Plans to excavate archaeological remains of Fort Townshend, which are largely located under the building, were not defined in the scope of the project. The outdoor space was completed by the Grand Concourse Authority in two phases between 2013 and 2014. The facility

231-516: The natural and cultural history of Newfoundland and Labrador. Exhibits include dioramas of the animal and plant life of the tundra and bog , mounted bird displays, and the aboriginal people who lived in the area. Other displays include the city's British military history, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary , and the culture and contributions of the area's Irish fishermen. Changing exhibits focus on other aspects of

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252-503: The need to improve St. John's defences. By 1779 Colonel Robert Pringle of the Royal Engineers, and Commandant of the garrison, had completed the construction of Fort Townshend, which Governor Lord Shuldham had begun in 1773. A road (Military Road) had also been built, linking it with Fort William. Fort Townshend then became the headquarters of the Newfoundland garrison. Fort Townshend was enlarged and strengthened in 1796, because of

273-455: The planning and construction of the building much opposition was raised by archaeologists and historians. Because of the vulnerability of Fort William to artillery fire from Signal Hill , Fort Townshend was built between 1775-1779 to secure St John's from attacks, from the French, as well as from American privateers. The vulnerability of Fort William had been revealed when the French captured it in 1762, The American Revolution had increased

294-529: The province dedicated to developing and exhibiting contemporary art , with 10,000 square feet of space for permanent collections and travelling exhibits. Since opening in 2005, the gallery has produced an average of 15 exhibitions annually; ranging from new-media installations to Renaissance printmaking . The gallery presents new work from across Canada and the world, with a special (though not exclusive) focus on artists working in Newfoundland and Labrador. The gallery manages several collections, known together as

315-481: The province's history, natural history and culture. The original Newfoundland Museum was located in a large Classical Revival brick and sandstone building at 285 Duckworth Street in downtown St. John's . The building is designated by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador as a municipal heritage structure because it has aesthetic, historic and cultural values. The address of The Rooms

336-498: The site became the home of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and, later, the St. John's Fire Department. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1951. On-site interpretation allows visitors to explore this historic past. Careful research and documentation before construction ensured that future study of the site is possible. In March 2013, The Rooms Corporation announced it would be developing an outdoor space to improve access and safety, and to commemorate

357-717: The speakers of the House of Assembly, mayors of St. John's, and presidents of the Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 1976, she was commissioned to paint Prince Philip , and in 1984 painted the official portrait of then Governor General Edward Schreyer . In 1978, Parsons Shepherd was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art . She received an honorary doctorate from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1988. The Memorial University Art Gallery (now The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery) organized

378-408: Was officially opened on June 29, 2005. The building offers a panoramic view of downtown St. John's and its architecture, St. John's Harbour, The Narrows and Signal Hill . The Rooms operates as the provincial archives, art gallery, and museum . The archives, art gallery, and museum serve as separate departments of The Rooms. Located on the third floor of The Rooms, the mandate of Archives Division

399-424: Was raised by archaeologists and historians because of its location. Previously on the same strategic spot of land was located Fort Townshend , an 18th-century military fort, that was eventually buried under ground. The great star-shaped citadel , one of the largest British fortifications in North America at the time, was built to defend Britain's fishing interests. With the withdrawal of the imperial garrison in 1870,

420-759: Was the painter Paul Parsons. As an adult, Parsons studied at the Memorial University of Newfoundland . In 1944, she was accepted into the Ontario College of Art , where she was influenced by the Canadian portrait painter John Martin Alfsen . Parsons studied under Franklin Carmichael of Canada's Group of Seven in her first year at OCA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in 1948. That same year, she married Reginald Shepherd,

441-404: Was withdrawn 1871 the fort had been allowed to decay, and the site became the home of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and, later, the St. John's Fire Department. However, though there are "few accessible remains of the fort, some may still be found in situ in the basement of The Rooms, which was built upon the original site" of the fort. The Fort Townshend archaeological site was designated

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