'The building is for everyone': Organizers reflect on what The Rooms means after 20 years

Yahoo

01-07-2025

As The Rooms celebrates 20 years since opening its doors, organizers reflect on how the space has changed since, and what it's able to offer its guests.
The cultural institution in St. John's celebrated the milestone with tours, musical performances and an ongoing community art project.
"This building is for everyone and we want everyone to enjoy the history, the art and programming," Sarah Ryan, education and public programming officer, told CBC News.
"We kind of make all those things come to life and we hope people can connect and engage with it in a way that kind of makes their life more exciting and learn a little bit about themselves."
In the course of two decades, Ryan said The Rooms has meant different things for different people, depending where they are in their lives.
"One of the things that were said, is people in the beginning came here for the view, but then over time they realized that they were here for the exhibitions. They were here to learn," she said. "It became a place for them and their family and their friends and to learn a bit about themselves."
Ryan said a lot of thought and consideration goes into programming to bring the artifacts to life.
"We really want to impact people's days when they come here to learn something, so then on their journey home they're thinking about a new experience that they had, a new idea that they had, a new thought," she said.
She added there are more events planned throughout the year to celebrate the 20-year anniversary, including tours and inviting people to draw their own interpretations of the view outside The Rooms.
"They can add houses, wharves, some have added UFO spaceships," she said. "Their drawings then get to be on display at The Rooms."
Anne Chafe, CEO of The Rooms, said she has seen "remarkable" change over the last two decades in what The Rooms does and how people feel about it.
"Our mission is to be a welcoming space for all. And no matter what your background is, no matter what your abilities are, we want you to feel comfortable here," she said.
The Rooms can also offer people stability in what Chafe called "uncertain times," adding their work with history can be comforting to guests. She said the art gallery can help people also think differently about the future.
"When people come to The Rooms, they can experience things from a totally different perspective," she said.
There was a lot of buzz in 2005 over the building's design, and not much talk about what was going on inside, said Chafe.
"There was a joke that we were the box that the Basilica came in. And I think, you know, 20 years later, what people are talking about is what happens inside of the building," she said.
Going forward, Chafe said she wants the space to be like a "second home" for visitors.
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