Art, numerous “how” artifacts, and a chilling on-the-ice multi-media experience, frame the chapters of a sealer’s life from going to the ice to family and life onshore. The question of “why” ordinary people took extraordinary risks to put bread on the table for their families is answered in these exhibits.
“You Don’t Know Cold” is a larger-than-life, generational triptych by visual Artist John MacDonald. Here in Elliston, these numbing images of penetrating cold serve as an emotional backdrop for rotating exhibits by other acclaimed and emerging Newfoundland and Labrador artists whose works focus on our sense of place.
A Captain’s Life – At Sea and At Home – Through the real story of the Randell family, we learn about brothers coming of age to become sea captains. How they learned, the vessels sailed, the places they went, and the tools used to navigate. We hear the story of a spectacular race from Brazil to St. John’s! Through Mary Randell, we learn of the significant role that women played in the survival and progress of rural communities.
An interpretive path with several panels leads visitors from the Centre to scenic Porter’s Point, where a massive monument wall and bronze sculpture by artist Morgan McDonald stand as a permanent reminder of the Great Sealing Disaster of 1914 . . . those who died and those forever changed.
THE
FOUNDATION
The great sealing disasters of 1914 contributed significantly to the loss of a generation. In remembering these men, Home From The Sea presents the historical and cultural context of sealing in Newfoundland and Labrador through seven captivating visitor experiences.
We have many stories to share with you, virtually, in traveling exhibits, and here in beautiful Elliston, NL. Our interpretive backdrop features a striking Museum and Art Gallery and a powerful seaside Memorial Statue and Monument in an authentic sealing community.
