Spotlight on Born In The North & Port Rexton Brewing

Public art is a great equalizer. It’s there for anyone to enjoy, at any time, and the value it brings in bringing communities together and attracting visitors (which also benefits local economies), can’t be overstated.

The folks at the Bonavista Biennale know this well. Since 2017, the bi-annual, month-long, multi-site event has been drawing people to the Bonavista Peninsula from near and far, helping revitalize this part of the province in a bold and creative new way. And it’s been making a major impact. According to a news release issued by the Bonavista Biennale this past September, the 2023 event brought over 15,000 visitors to the area, "tripling numbers from 2021, many of whom spent multiple days on the Peninsula touring the 165 km coastal loop that Biennale sites were placed along. The Biennale has a significant economic impact throughout the Peninsula through both visitor spending and job creation.”

Born in the North, Provider, 2023, latex paint on clapboard. Installation view, Port Rexton Brewery, 2023 Bonavista Biennale: Host. Photo: Brian Ricks. Courtesy of Bonavista Biennale.

One of this year’s sites included Port Rexton Brewing, where twin brothers Chris and Greg Mitchell of Born In The North creative studio brought their beautiful mural, titled “Provider,” to life. Weaving together aspects of their Mi’kmaq heritage, the vibrant piece features a larger-than-life caribou, loon and black bear, symbolizing connectedness and cooperation.

According to the Biennale website, the mural "highlights symbolic and sacred relationships integral in the natural world and significant to Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland)” and "honours the sustenance, guidance and influence offered by these animals, who have become woven into Mi’kmaq history and representations of the inhabitants on the lands across Newfoundland and much respected by the Qalipu Nation.”

Born in the North, Provider, 2023, latex paint on clapboard. Installation view, Port Rexton Brewery, 2023 Bonavista Biennale: Host. Photo: Brian Ricks. Courtesy of Bonavista Biennale.

While the Bonavista Biennale is over for another year (returning in 2025), visitors to the area can still pop by the brewery to check out the Mitchell’s mural in person.

“The mural will stay there permanently. We absolutely love it and constantly get questions about it from customers. We’re proud that we’re its home!” says Port Rexton Brewing’s Danielle Lethbridge.

Born in the North, Provider, 2023, latex paint on clapboard. Installation view, Port Rexton Brewery, 2023 Bonavista Biennale: Host. Photo: Brian Ricks. Courtesy of Bonavista Biennale.

Chris and Greg have worked on a variety of creative projects together as Born In The North studio, including a mural for Sudbury’s 2022 Up Here festival, an art installation at Toronto’s Downsview Park, and gift box products for Destination Canada (given to members of the Toronto Raptors), to name a few. The Port Rexton Brewing mural, Chris says, is another public art project that he and his brother were proud to create as a team.

"We had a great time in Port Rexton painting the mural,” he shares.

"We believe public art is a great way to support cultural values and bring a community together. While in Port Rexton, we had the opportunity to talk to many community members and share our work. It was great to share our culture with people and talk about the significance of our work.”

Born in the North, Provider, 2023, latex paint on clapboard. Installation view, Port Rexton Brewery, 2023 Bonavista Biennale: Host. Photo: Brian Ricks. Courtesy of Bonavista Biennale.

To see the mural for yourself, head to 6 Ship Cove Road in Port Rexton.