Newfoundland’s arts community has been shocked by the sudden dismissal of Gordon Laurin as director of the provincial art gallery just two weeks after the gallery officially opened the doors of its new home. “Speculation is rampant that Laurin’s departure is linked to disagreements over what art the new gallery should show. Said one observer of the local scene: “One of the problems the art gallery has had in general is a lack of understanding by the government and others about the nature of contemporary art spaces, which are by definition vibrant, vocal, ever-changing places.”