Current Exhibition
Christeen Francis, Love Under the Patriarchy Portraits
May 5 – June 17, 2023
Love Under the Patriarchy Portraits seeks to highlight the ways in which we find love in a patriarchal society, encompassing all forms of love with an emphasis on community. What began as informal conversations with friends, evolved into a podcast and collaborative zine edited by Christeen Francis and Renee Sharpe. From there, Christeen began creating woodcut portraits of friends who had experienced sexual assault or abuse. The portraits are a testament to survivors ability to persevere and heal, but also show the complex fragmentation of self and community that can occur throughout the process. Life and love under the patriarchy is a struggle in which we find ourselves pulled apart by conflicting and contradictory beliefs: the ideals we strive towards versus the afflictions ingrained by the long standing dominant culture. Much like the portraits, we fade in and out of recognition while navigating these beliefs and experiences – splintering in moments of failure, and reveling in moments of clarity with the help of friends and community.
Christeen Francis is a printmaker and musician based in St John’s, NL, where she works as director of St Michael’s Printshop. She completed her BFA at NSCADU then ran a screenprint shop in New York City before returning to her hometown of Montreal to complete her MFA at Concordia University. She is committed to social and political print that engages with local communities and the public at large. She has exhibited in Canada, the United States, Germany, and Iceland, and is a member of Justseeds Artist Cooperative. Her research interests include urban wildlife and wild spaces, the homogenization of cities and culture, and how we find love under the patriarchy.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Monica Ila, I Dream In Shapes and Shadows
June 30 – August 12, 2023
I Dream In Shapes and Shadows combines paper sculptures, shadow puppetry, fantastical creatures and the skyline of St John’s. Monica Ila started off the year by sketching out the city’s harbour from the viewpoint of the East Coast Trail near Fort Amherst. Each building and monster was drawn by hand and brought to life through a combination of hand and machine cutting techniques. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the cascades of shapes and shadows throughout the exhibition. This site specific installation was created for the Eastern Edge rOGUE Gallery.
Drew Pardy, That’s Hot
September 1 – October 14, 2023
Kevin Melanson, Making Ends Meet
February 2 – March 16, 2024
Luca Jesse Apel
March 29 – May 11, 2024
Past Exhibitions
2023
Eastern Edge x Artforce NL: Wake Up Inspired
2022
Charlene Denief: Walking Away From Yourself
Shazia Ahmad: Three Years, Two Gardens, One Feeling
Alex Antle, Njiknam (My Younger Brother)
Mural Honouring Essential Workers
2021
Dion Kaszas | Nlaka’pamux Blackwork: Tattooing for Transformation, Healing, and Adornment
Bruno Vinhas | When it Stopped
100 Mini Houses; A Downtown Exploration | Molly Margaret
Lily Taylor | Funk Dance for Self Defence
2020
2019
Jude Benoit | Diary of a e’pite’ji’j: hypervigilant love
John MacCallum | Forever Young
Michelle Sylliboy | Komqwejwi’kasikl
Benjy Kean | Not as lost as you think
2018
Ashley Hemmings | SOUVENIR DOCUMENTS
Ethan Murphy | Where the Light Shines First
2017
Virginia Mitford | Alluvium: To Wash Against
Emily Pittman | A House of Another Colour