Spotlight on Genoa Design & Artist Julie Lewis

As a local company that works with clients all over the world, collaboration and innovation is built into the very core of Genoa Design International. Anchored in Mount Pearl, with offices in Vancouver and New Orleans, Genoa Design has been offering production design and 3D modelling services to shipbuilding and offshore industries for almost 30 years.

When it came time to host their second annual employee conference, called GenoaCon, back in February at the Emera Innovation Exchange, the company wanted to weave some fun and creativity into their event, that also embraced those collaborative values. So they connected with local visual artist Julie Lewis of SassyTuna Studio to achieve just that.

Stationed in the lobby outside the conference room, Lewis led participants through a group project, where they painted a large illustration of a boat modelled off of one of the company's Coast Guard vessels.

"She worked in our colours and our branding, but made it a bit more whimsical...We didn't want it to be a technical drawing, we wanted something fun," says Craig Murphy, Genoa's Marketing and Administrative Coordinator, who also coordinated the conference.

Genoa Design’s CEO, Gina Pecore, tries her hand at the group painting project during GenoaCon 2024 at the Emera Innovation Exchange in St. John’s. Photo: James Lewis Pictures

And the process was fun, too, with over 100 people adding their brushstrokes. Lewis took the time to get the know the makeup of Genoa's team, and some of the projects they were working on, "So that could give her a good gauge of the type of people in the room," Murphy says. The casual set-up added to the welcoming atmosphere where people could feel comfortable contributing as little or as much as they liked, with Lewis providing assistance when needed.

"If that artwork had just been on an easel with a bunch of paints there and some signage, we would have had some uptake...but because she was there to talk to people...I feel like that's a big part of it. She's just so engaging herself, and that helps make people engage and be comfortable with the activity."

At the end of the conference, Lewis took the painting back to her studio to help get it in shipshape, filling in some of the spaces that participants didn't have time to finish.

Photo: James Lewis Pictures

The activity made a big splash, Murphy says, and contributed to the company's goal of making the conference as fun and engaging as possible.

"Our CEO Gina (Pecore) and Genoa - we're a big supporter of the arts and creativity...She loved it. And it gave everybody a little creative output," he says.

"We now have that piece hung up in our office...one of our VPs was like, 'Let's hang it in the space where our designers are working,' so people can look at it and (say), 'I did some of the waves down on the bottom right corner' sort of thing."

Genoa Design CEO Gina Pecore (left) and artist Julie Lewis enjoy a chat during the group painting project. Photo: James Lewis Pictures

The activity also helped the Genoa crew grow closer with everyone rowing in the same direction, working toward the common goal of completing the painting.

"Team building is a big thing for us. So often you're used to working with your own group or whatever project you're on. And so we're always trying to find ways to have you get to know the people working on other projects a little bit more," Murphy says.

"And so this was a good way for someone from finance and marketing to be working on the painting at the same time as a designer was."

Genoa Design’s Chief Financial Officer, Norm Williams, makes his creative mark during GenoaCon 2024. Photo: James Lewis Pictures

As for Lewis (who also comes from the tech world on the educational side, and worked as a corporate software artist for 10 years), she says the experience was "very inspiring." The all-hands-on-deck approach, she adds, was fun to witness unfold.

"Not everyone is quick to pick up a brush, and this crowd WAS...Steady hands, steady minds, and taking ownership with every brushstroke. The intensity was fun to watch. Everyone cared about that painting and ‘claimed their spot’ when they saw the project come together at the end of it," Lewis says. 

"When I saw three people painting at once, some squat down, some at an angle, some standing straight - I got to witness the physical group space and comfort everyone has around one another. It was like watching an orchestra...And you know there’s trust if your coworker has lime green paint two inches away from you and is cognizant of everyone’s movement."

Gina Pecore (left) and Julie Lewis look on as participants bring the painting to life. Photo: James Lewis Pictures

While she acted as a captain of sorts, guiding the others along, ultimately, Lewis says, it was Genoa's values that led the process. 

"Genoa’s core value of ‘own it’ is so important. If you: are highly driven, have overcome the fear of failure, refuse to be overwhelmed by the scale of a project, and honour your healthy sense of obligation, you are talking about a strong community commitment right there. I witnessed that over and over with everyone who stepped up to paint," she says. 

"I heard how the crew spoke, encouraged and joked with one another. From introverts to extroverts, younger and older, salespeople to engineers and accountants, executives to the larger portion of crucial teammates. That’s a special engagement and attitude that takes good work to take root."

Photo: James Lewis Pictures