Spotlight on Our Creative Home: Englee Mural Project
Up along the Great Northern Peninsula, in the town of Englee, a new mural is weaving together local heritage and culture while sparking community pride and conversations about the past, present and future.
Titled "Through Line," Kyle Bennett's new piece is 4 ft. high by 20 ft. long and every inch a lovely homage to Englee's history and natural beauty. The mural was created as part of Business & Arts NL's "Our Creative Home" initiative (which was supported by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for Year of the Arts and delivered by Municipalities NL and Business & Arts NL. The Paint Shop also donated $300 worth of paints for each mural as part of the initiative).
It took about a month to complete the mural, says Bennett, "considering the concept sketches, design layout and overall planning."
"For many areas, I wanted to achieve crisp lines, so I had to use painter’s tape quite often, which meant waiting for each layer to dry completely before moving on."
For the piece, which was painted on panels and installed along Englee's central playground fence last summer, Bennett wanted to highlight the town's rich history and rugged beauty.
Kyle Bennett's completed piece, titled "Through Line.”
"The idea was to create a sunrise over the ocean, with colour and wavy patterns serving as the main focus. To illustrate both the rich history and present-day activities that Englee has to offer, I wanted to overlay the landscape with basic white outlines that are so synonymous with the town that, even with little information, they would be recognizable to locals in the community, while encouraging viewers who may not be as familiar with the town to become curious and research Englee’s past," he shares.
"The council and volunteers were very helpful in sharing their vision and emphasizing what they felt strongly about the mural conveying, while still allowing me the creative freedom to create something unique."
Bennett used painter’s tape to achieve crisp lines.
Samantha Brenton, town clerk/manager with the Town of Englee (who were project partners along with Holy Family Elementary and Crescent Collegiate), says Bennett's piece is so much more than just a mural. It's the story of the town in visual form and a point of pride for the whole community.
"From the moment we reviewed the submissions and proposals, it was clear that Kyle was the perfect choice for this project. The amount of research, care and thought he invested into the mural was truly remarkable," Brenton says.
Bennett, she adds, captured their vision perfectly, highlighting the heart of the town (including the fishery) while bridging Englee's past with the present.
"Beginning on the left side of the mural, a fishing net flows into the water while two hikers help one another climb along the side of the net, shaped like a mountain, representing the beautiful hiking trails that are now part of our community. The fishing net itself symbolizes the net fishery, one of the strongest foundations and pillars of Englee’s history," Brenton shares.
"Swimming beneath the scenes throughout the mural are cod of various sizes, creating an undercurrent that ties the entire piece together and symbolizes the deep connection our town has always had to the fishery. From our dried fish heritage and skiffs to the fish plant, the wharf and significant parts of our community’s history, including the sealing disaster, every section of the mural reflects Englee’s story in a meaningful and powerful way."
This was Bennett's first outdoor mural and from researching the town and its history to dreaming up the design, he says it was an enlightening experience.
"Since completing this mural for the town of Englee, I’ve had the opportunity to create two large murals for the town of Stephenville," he adds. "So I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity through both Business & Arts NL and the town of Englee."