Diversity is the hallmark of Newfoundland and Labrador art. There has never been a shared aesthetic or approach to art making beyond a widely shared use of realism, or at least figuration, employed in a variety of different ways. Newfoundlanders, however, are famous for their deep and enduring attachment to home—an attachment that has been embraced by most incoming artists; therefore it is not surprising that the landscape and references to traditional cultural practices serve as central sources of imagery in their work. The exhibition also explored the concepts of narrative, memory, loss, and the human relationship to the natural environment. Newfoundland and Labrador, in recent years, has become a growing presence in the Canadian consciousness owing to factors such as its oil-fired economic boom, effective provincial tourism marketing, and the many local writers, musicians, actors, comedians, and filmmakers who have emerged on the national stage. This group exhibition, entitled Changing Tides, called attention to the rich and diverse work emerging—quietly but with increasing confidence—from the country’s eastern edge. Artists included in this exhibition were: Anne Meredith Barry, Jordan Bennett, David Blackwood, Grant Boland, Ron Bolt, Marlene Creates, Barb Daniell, Marlene Creates, Michael Flaherty, Billy Gauthier, Will Gill, Scott Goudie, Michael Gough, Kym Greeley, Pam Hall, John Hartman, Barb Hunt, Christine Koch, Michael Massie, Michael Pittman, Barbara Pratt, Christopher Pratt, Ned Pratt, Mary Pratt, William B. Ritchie, Bill Rose, Gerald Squires, Scott Walden, and Don Wright.

Guest curator: Patricia Grattan