Kent Centennial 2014 Events - a Commemoration of Rockwell Kent in Newfoundland
Illustration from N by E, R. Kent
Rights Courtesy of Plattsburgh State Art Museum, SUNY, USA, Rockwell Kent Collection. Bequest of Sally Kent Gorton. All rights reserved.
Note: Path from Kent Cottage at Landfall to Brigus, NL
Exhibition
Pointed North: Rockwell Kent in Newfoundland and Labrador Exhibition
American artist Rockwell Kent (1882 – 1971) visited St. John’s and the Burin peninsula in 1910 and lived in Brigus in 1914-15. He returned to St. John’s in 1968, at the invitation of then Premier Joey Smallwood.
Curated by Caroline Stone, this exhibition had two sections. The first was made up of prints, drawings and paintings, many with a connection to Kent’s time in Newfoundland, including the House of Dread from the Plattsburgh State Art Museum and Man on a Mast (Young Sailor) from a private collection. The second section of the exhibition was made up of anything to do with Rockwell Kent that had a Newfoundland and Labrador provenance, including drawings, prints, ceramics, books, advertisements, and letters.
The exhibition’s title is part of a quote from It’s Me O Lord: The Autobiography of Rockwell Kent, describing how he first set out for Newfoundland: “If minds can become magnetized, mine was: its compass needle pointed north.”
Documentary top of page
Rockwell Kent, A Documentary
Frederick Lewis, producer and director was in attendance and audiences were spell-bound at the screening of this powerful documentary. The Washington Post called this two-part 170 minute labor of love, "a sweeping, detailed, visually rich portrait of a man who emerges as a complex, compelling and finally contradictory force of nature, a charismatic reflection of the eras in which he lived, from the radical political culture of the 1930s to the movement toward abstraction and expressionism that left his representational paintings behind." The documentary was shot on location in Alaska, Newfoundland, Ireland, Denmark, Russia, Greenland, Argentina and Chile (Cape Horn).
Rockwell Kent the Artist Symposium, May 31-June 4, 2014 top of page
Kent Symposium Day 1 - Through the Artist’s Eyes
The first day of the symposium took place in scenic Brigus, Newfoundland, where Rockwell Kent lived in 1914-15. Participants were treated to a beautiful sunny day, perfect for seeing what Kent saw when he lived there.
The morning session took place in the beautiful St. George’s Heritage Church, with views of historic Brigus and Kent Cottage at Landfall, where Kent resided. The speakers were Robert Rightmire and Richard West, introduced by Frederick Lewis. Robert Rightmire’s presentation, The Affordable Art of Rockwell Kent: The American Artists Group Greeting Cards, examined the popularity of Rockwell Kent’s work as shown in greeting cards offered to the public from 1935 until the early 1950’s, including the Wilfred Grenfell Mission’s 1941 greeting card, another connection between Kent and Newfoundland. Richard West’s talk, Perils of the Sea: Rockwell Kent the Seafarer, covered Kent's relationship with the sea, particularly its dangers and terrors. While focused on Kent’s Newfoundland sojourn, West also spoke about and present other examples of drawings, paintings, illustrations and written descriptions created throughout Kent’s career, from Monhegan to Greenland.
A lovely box lunch, provided by local caterers, fortified participants for their afternoon tour, offered in partnership with the Brigus Historical & Conservation Society, around historical Brigus and into magical Kent Cottage at Landfall to see where Rockwell Kent lived and worked.
Kent Symposium Day 2 - Rockwell Kent – Larger Than Life
The second day of the symposium took place in The Rooms in St. John’s. The focus of the sessions start with Kent’s life in Newfoundland, then shifted to his art.
The morning’s Armchair Discussion proved to be a lively debate, skillfully moderated by local author Kevin Major, who set the context regarding Newfoundland in the war years. Edward Roberts, Will Ross and Richard West traded stories and expressed strong opinions about whether the so-called “Brigus Spy” was officially deported or invited to leave in consideration for his safety, and his eventual return to Newfoundland at the invitation of former premier Joseph Smallwood.
The afternoon brought a shift in focus to Kent’s art. Introduced by Caroline Stone, curator of the 2014 exhibition Pointed North: Rockwell Kent and Newfoundland, a panel of three presenters discussed various aspects of Kent’s art. Constance Martin regaled the audience with To the Hermitage: In Search of Rockwell Kent, an intriguing story of borrowing Kent’s art from The Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Peter Neary placed Kent in the context of a string of talented artists who were also spellbound by Newfoundlandin his talk, ‘Lean and bony land': Artistic Sojourners in Newfoundland and Labrador. Jake Wien end the day with a thought-provoking discussion of Kent in Newfoundland: New Discoveries.
Evening Talk: The House of Dread
This talk by Dennis Costanzo covered the history behind Kent’s famous House of Dread, a moody and powerful depiction of the still-standing Kent Cottage at Landfall, Brigus, Newfoundland. Kent lived there in 1914-15.
Figurehead Replica top of page
Figurehead Launch
FIGUREHEAD REPLICA: The Landfall Trust commissioned Newfoundland artist and wood carver Vince Jones to carve a replica of the wooden figurehead that Kent installed at the cottage in 1914. Please see the figurehead illustrated in Kent's illustration Newfoundland Home on the Kent Centennial Registration page. The figurehead replica was officially unveiled at Landfall in Brigus on Rockwell Kent's birthday, June 21st.
Vince Jones, the carver, was raised in the Bay Roberts area of Newfoundland and has been carving for approximately 20 plus years. The size of his work ranges from 4 inches to 18 feet in height. He carves numerous species of both hardwood and soft woods and finishes with a natural oil finish. He is an architectural draftsman in St. John's.
Rockwell Kent in Fiction Literary Events in July 2014 top of page
Kent Literary Events, Day 1 –Kent’s Appearance in Fiction
Eleanor Wachtel, the well-known host of CBC’s Writers and Company, interviewed three Canadian authors about the appearance of Rockwell ent as a character in their works of fiction. The authors, Jane Urquhart (The Underpainter), Michael Winter (The Big Why), and Mack Furlong, (I Want It All) engaged in a lively discussion about their work.
Kent Literary Events, Day 2 - A Literary Outing to Brigus
In the morning, a Brigus Historical & Conservation Society tour took participants around historical Brigus and into magical Kent Cottage at Landfall to see where Rockwell Kent lived and worked.
In the afternoon, Eleanor Wachtel, well-known host of CBC’s Writers and Company, introduced readings by three Canadian authors from their works of fiction in which Rockwell Kent makes an appearance: Jane Urquhart (The Underpainter), Michael Winter (The Big Why), and Mack Furlong, (I Want It All).
Kent Literary Events, Day 3 - Readings
Readings from Rockwell Kent and Exhibition Tour by Jason Sellars and Caroline Stone.
Printmaking Workshop top of page
Printmaking Workshop
Participants followed in the footsteps of Rockwell Kent and learned the basics of woodblock engraving—all in one day! The Landfall Trust and St. Michael’s Printshop partnered to organize this hands-on workshop. Participants heard about Rockwell Kent’s time in Brigus and soaked in the atmosphere of the cottage in which he lived while artist Jennifer Morgan introduced basic engraving technique.
Visit Jennifer at www.jenniferleemorgan.ca to see her woodblock engravings.
St. Michael’s Printshop is an artist-run print studio which provides professional fine art printmaking facilities for established and emerging artists.Visit St. Michael's Printshop at www.stmichaelsprintshop.com/.
Closing Events top of page
Kent Centennial Wrap-Up Presentation
The Landfall Trust reviewed the highlights of the 2014 Rockwell Kent Centennial in Newfoundland.