Memorial University Libraries

Mandate

First Space Gallery exists to bring art to the library, to enrich the space, and to provide an opportunity for the artists in our Memorial community to display their artwork.

Operation

The First Space Gallery hosts one art exhibit per semester, resulting in three shows per calendar year. The Spring/Summer Semester is combined and reserved for the annual Faculty, Staff, & Retirees exhibition. The Fall & Winter semesters are open for members of the Memorial community to apply via email submissions to the gallery coordinator.  

The art gallery is the wall space adjacent to the Commons computer area of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. This space allows the gallery to showcase a variety of art styles & mediums, specifically paintings, photography, prints, wall sculptures, and fibre art.

The First Space Gallery is a volunteer operation. It does not directly sell artwork and does not take any commission. Artists may choose to sell their artwork & in that case, First Space will assist in providing the artist contact information to interested visitors; the selling & delivery of artwork is the artists' responsibility.

History

In late 2003, the renovations to the second level of the Queen Elizabeth II Library revealed a long wall space previously hidden by book stacks.

Two of the library staff suggested that the space would be an excellent venue for hanging art, particularly art produced by Fine Arts students from the Grenfell campus. The idea was well received and tested with the assistance of local gallery owners who noted a lack of space for hanging the works of emerging artists. The first exhibition was in January 2004.

While initially aimed towards showcasing graduating Grenfell campus artists, the gallery evolved to accommodate the growing interest from the Memorial community. First Space Gallery expanded its mandate to host exhibitions involving students from the St. John’s campuses, staff, faculty, retirees, Alumni, and special interest groups.

Since the first exhibition in 2004, First Space's success & continuation are the result of the hard work & dedication of the gallery’s first coordinator, Joanne Cole, who organized & mounted the gallery exhibitions for 17 years. When Joanne retired, the First Space Gallery committee was determined to continue her hard work with our current and future exhibitions.

First Space Committee

• Stephanie Williams (Gallery Coordinator)
• Kristine Power 
• Wendy Rodgers
• Colleen Quigley
• Dennis Flynn

Contact 

Stephanie Williams

Email: swilliams01@mun.ca (Preferred)

Phone: (709) 864-3548